Ask around and you'll hear some version of the same story: a grandparent who kept them in a coat pocket, a teacher with a box in the desk drawer, someone who had them at the movies. People remember the taste, but mostly they remember the texture, a drop that gave a little when you bit it instead of cracking like a hard candy. That drop was Pine Brothers, and it is still made today.
Where it started
Pine Brothers traces its start to 1870. That year J. Herman Pine and his brother George William, candy makers whose family had come to America from Germany, began selling Pine Brothers Glycerine Tablets. The recipe paired plant glycerin with gum acacia, the dried sap of acacia trees, and the result was softer than the hard candies of the day.
Early Pine Brothers packages are now in the collection of the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History.
Why people remember the texture
Unlike most drops on the shelf, a Pine Brothers drop isn't hard. Gum acacia gives it a firm, smooth body that gives when you press it, and it lasts a while in your mouth. Pine Brothers calls that texture "softish": not hard like a lozenge, and not quite a gummy candy either.
Today's drop still pairs gum acacia with plant glycerin. Each drop is 51% key ingredients: 39% gum acacia, 9% honey and 3% plant glycerin. For the longer version, read what gum acacia is and why texture matters in a drop.
Where did they go?
In the mid-2000s Pine Brothers drops disappeared from many store shelves, and fans spent years looking for them online. The brand came back in the early 2010s, starting with Honey and Wild Cherry.
Pine Brothers today
Pine Brothers drops come in five flavors, all without menthol and all gluten free:
You can buy them right here in packs of two to six bags or a full 24 bag case, or use the store finder to find a bag near you. The finder lists the stores that carry the brand but can't tell you what's on the shelf that day, so call ahead if you're making a special trip.
Quick answers
Are Pine Brothers drops discontinued? No. Pine Brothers drops are made today and sold online and in stores across the country.
Are they still chewy? They are softish: a drop that gives when you press it, softer than a hard lozenge and firmer than a gummy candy.
What flavors are there now? Wild Cherry, Honey, Sugar Free Wild Cherry, Elderberry and Licorice.
Where can I buy them? Here on pinebrothers.com, or at stores near you through the store finder.
How long has Pine Brothers been around? Pine Brothers traces its start to 1870.
The full story of how it started is on our site. If you have a Pine Brothers memory, we'd like to hear it through the contact page.