The Candy Wrapper Museum

Squirrel Brand started out in 1888 as the Austin T. Merrill Company on Dudley Street in Roxbury, Massachusetts. The company first sold fancy mixed nuts to upscale shops and clientele. In 1905 Squirrel Nut began selling its first candy bar, the Peanut Bar, but it wasn’t until the Prohibition Days in 1926 that Squirrel Brand created its most famous candy, vanilla nut caramel Squirrel Nut Zippers.

The inspiration for the candy’s name came from a Vermont news story about an inebriated man who had to be talked down from a tree by the police. When asked to explain why he did it, the man blamed it on a Prohibition cocktail by proclaiming, “It must have been the nut zipper.” The people at Squirrel Brand thought this would be the perfect name for their candy.

Massachusetts-based Squirrel Brand remained a family-owned business until 1999 when Texas-based Southern Style Nuts, Inc. acquired control of it and relocated the factory to Texas.
NECCO Squirrel Nut Zippers and Caramels wrappers 2004
In 2004, Necco obtained a license to manufacture Squirrel Nut Zippers and Squirrel Nut Caramel Chews. When Necco closed its doors in 2018, this ended the long run for the Squirrel Nut candies. Squirrel Brand is now owned by Illinois-based John B. Sanfilippo & Son Inc., but they only sell nuts. To this, Zipper fans, say, “Nuts!”

I've attached a close-up of the rather dopey-looking squirrel logo from the original wrapper. It's great. I've had a lot of mixed experiences with stupid squirrels, including one in which I caught a squirrel with one leg in, one leg out of my window, holding the screen open, about to raid my house. Love 'em or hate 'em, they're always amusing!


	Home Pet Rabbit Nice Mice Cinnamon Teddy Bears Botan Rice Candy La Hormiga Y La Cigarra Gummi Bear Gallery Rubber Chicken Pop Snake Pop Cat's Tongues Gummi Penguins Harvey's Gum Morinaga Bird Morinaga Mickey Mouse California Beaver Li'l Critters Lion Bar "Cheeky" the Chipmunk McVitie's Penguin White Rabbit Squirrel Nut Zippers	Squirrel Brand started out in 1888 as the Austin T. Merrill Company on Dudley Street in Roxbury, Massachusetts. The company first sold fancy mixed nuts to upscale shops and clientele. In 1905 Squirrel Nut began selling its first candy bar, the Peanut Bar, but it wasn’t until the Prohibition Days in 1926 that Squirrel Brand created its most famous candy, vanilla nut caramel Squirrel Nut Zippers. The inspiration for the candy’s name came from a Vermont news story about an inebriated man who had to be talked down from a tree by the police. When asked to explain why he did it, the man blamed it on a Prohibition cocktail by proclaiming, “It must have been the nut zipper.” The people at Squirrel Brand thought this would be the perfect name for their candy. Massachusetts-based Squirrel Brand remained a family-owned business until 1999 when Texas-based Southern Style Nuts, Inc. acquired control of it and relocated the factory to Texas. In 2004, Necco obtained a license to manufacture Squirrel Nut Zippers and Squirrel Nut Caramel Chews. When Necco closed its doors in 2018, this ended the long run for the Squirrel Nut candies. Squirrel Brand is now owned by Illinois-based John B. Sanfilippo & Son Inc., but they only sell nuts. To this, Zipper fans, say, “Nuts!” I've attached a close-up of the rather dopey-looking squirrel logo from the original wrapper. It's great. I've had a lot of mixed experiences with stupid squirrels, including one in which I caught a squirrel with one leg in, one leg out of my window, holding the screen open, about to raid my house. Love 'em or hate 'em, they're always amusing!