Desperately Seeking Pine Bros.
How are these brothers still around? Punks.
Everyone knows cough drops are wolves in sheeps’ clothing. Pretending to cure you of your esophageal ills, these sugary lozenges usually do nothing more than stimulate your salivary glands into wetting your throat down until the next dose. The better they taste, the more you eat, and the less frequently you think about how crappy you actually feel.
When I was little, the undisputed taste leader in cough drops were Pine Bros (also known as “Pine Brothers”) chewy throat lozenges. Actually, back then, I don’t even think they were called “throat lozenges”… just “cough drops”. Short and sweet. They came in Honey flavor and Cherry flavor and had no medicinal value whatsoever. Just soft, chewy, long-lasting, and fabulous on the tastebuds. We ate them like candy. Awesome candy.
I forgot all about Pine Bros. cough drops for about 15 years between the late 80s and around 2002 when I unexpectedly found a reference to them on the internet and had to have them again. Through medichest.com, I was able to order several cases at very reasonable prices. The recipes had changed slightly and the lozenges were now being sold as “glycerine based zinc supplements” by a different company — with nary an actual Pine brother to be found — but they were still great. I ended up buying several more cases until the product suddenly disappeared off the face of the earth a couple of years ago.
Since that time, subsequent product searches have come up empty. There are even posts on eBay offering top dollar for any existing supply.
… which leads to my two questions:
- Does anyone know exactly what happened to these things and why?
- What is currently the most widely accepted substitute for Pine Bros. cough drops in the world today? I’ve recently gotten hip to Airborne Gummy Throat Lozenges which are pretty damned close to the real deal. The upside is that they taste every bit as good as the original, but the downsize is that they are a whopping $3 a pack and you have to pick out the nasty licorice ones from the otherwise great flavors of honey, orange, cherry, grape, and lime. I have also heard that Grether’s Pastilles and even Weight Watchers, believe it or not, are making decent substitutes for the originals. Anyone tried these?
Are you serious?
Do you have a cold, or do you just like to eat cough drops like candy?
Oooh, when did you add the “Notify me via e-mail of new comments to this entry” option? That’s freakin’ genius! Especially if it could be in a daily digest. Ha.
Yeah – I remember Pine Bros. Like a really chewy gummi bear. My grandparents used to have these around their place, I’ll have to ask them wha happpened to teh Pine Bros.
Oh shit, that’s right, they’re both dead. Anyone up for a seance?
Grether’s are very, _very_ popular around these parts (Switzerland) and I used to eat them a lot like you describe your affection for Pine Bros. (although I cannot compare the two).
Guess the Grether’s are a wee bit pricey in the US, aren’t they? The are around CHF 5 per pack around here ($4).
What are those signs of addiction again? ;-)
I still just gargle the old salt water – just like the nurses forced us to in high school. Then I watch my blood pressure go through the roof from all the sodium. :)
But honestly – I find that those round peppermints – like you find in the baskets in restaurants as you walk out the door – work just as good – actually probably better. They are also great for getting rid of car sickness.
If you want a “cough drop” that tastes good, but has absolutely no medical value whatsoever, I suggest Ludens Cough Drops. When I was a kid, we used to pop these like mints. The cherry are great, they taste like candy and everything you described about the Pine Bros, I immediately thought of these Ludens.
What, you can’t get Buckley’s syrup in Seattle, even? I thought they’d have been exporting it by now. If you can find it you’ll never use weak cough drops again. (Their marketing doesn’t lie; it is nasty horrible stuff. If you’re looking for something that tastes good, keep moving. If you’re looking for something that works though, it’s well worth a side trip to Canada)
Dave’s not kidding. I got the “wonderful” opportunity to use Buckley’s a couple times during my stint in Canada, and yeah… the stuff just works.
Makes you throw up… but it works.
I need to start writing with more clarity. :) Sarah is correct in that my love for great tasting cough drops has nothing to do with their medicinal value. I eat them like candy and I’m not afraid to admit it! Therefore, syrups just will not do. If I have an actual medical condition to deal with, I’ll usually go right to the NyQuil.
Ben W.: Yes, Ludens are pretty damned tasty as well, but I wish they came in a gummi variety like the Pine Bros did.
I like to eat candy like candy. You’re weird.
Worthers, the best cough drop EVER (although labled as just “candy”, thats what I use) Also when i have a sore throught or just want something good thats diffrent i mix lemon juice with water with honney and microwave it.
There is also a carmel in Canada that I always get when i go north of the border (you live here in seattle too so you know that victoria is just a short farry ride) that is just the greatest carmel ever, and I cant think of the name….
I also like butter tarts (which you can only find in canada as well.. but I never found them in victoria… but this has NOTHING to do with the topic other then i was talking about canada)
Maybe you should look into trying something new… just like I am going to trader joes this weekend to get some of that Pizza
Btw, the point about the carmels is the fact that if you have a sore throught they feel really good to just suck on :D It wasn’t random
My long time favorite is “magic mouthwash” – ask your doc next time you’re there. It’s basically half liquid benedryl, half lidocane :)
The “glare” on the picture you’ve included makes it look like Smith Brothers offers a Honey Semen flavor of cough drop.
Tasty.
Well Feh – apparently Pine Bros are no longer around. Found this link.
http://www.highschooltown.com/cgi-bin/eboard30/index2.cgi?frames=no&board=hstown&mode=Current&message=601
I’m thinking if you baked the original (german) gummi bears in an oven at say 275 for about an hour, you might get the same consistency as a Pine Bros.
This theory probably requires testing however.
Anybody got any Cherry-flavored Gummi Bears lying around?
lol, so it looks like when you are looking for that good ‘ol cherry taste drink a beer :D
Hey Mike –
Looks like the guys at hometownfavorites.com still have a selection of Smith Bros. cough drops in stock.
Heh — my grammar-school mates and I learned early on that sore throat = candy at school. The nurse dispensed them liberally. We all hated the honey ones too.
When I eventually got the pocket scratch to buy my own, I dispensed with the candy and went to Halls, Vicks, and other sorts of medicine-suckers. Not until college and walking to class through Boston winters did I upgun to various benzocaine-laden drops chased with Chloraseptic spray or Captain Morgan.
Nowadays I rely on Ricolas and preemptive sick days. I don’t know how clinically effective they are as a preventive, but I swear by Airborne tabs taken prophylactically, especially when surrounding coworkers are barking like tubercular seals.
Airborn is really good… for you… but its only decent TASTING if you mix the citrus, with orange juice.
Ricolas are GREAT though.. :D
Oh, do I remember Pine Bros.! And I too have been longing for them. A few weeks ago I happened upon the Weight Watchers Fruities, sugar free fruit candies, sold in Weight Watchers meeting places. As soon as I tasted the first cherry one I said, “OMG! These are just like Pine Bros. cough drops!”
They are damned close and come in cherry, strawberry, and blackberry. About the size of a Pine Bros. drop, they contain glycerin and have that same wonderful chewy texture. About $3.50 for three packs of a dozen lozenges each. They do contain aspartame.
Try ’em!
I’d recommend Ricola – Swiss candy, very nice in taste, good for throat, good just for eating as candy as well:)
Not terribly expensive, but you should check… :)
PS From the website:
Looks like this is exactly what you are seeking for! :-D
I’d recommend the:
http://www.ricola.com/index.cfm?0088ED912B351571E7F09FB154817FED
and the:
http://www.ricola.com/index.cfm?00885E322B351571EEA7B72D630FFFC5
..but not all of them but the:
http://www.ricola.com/ricola/images/internet/ric_com_produkte_beutel_bg.jpg
…Zitronen-Melisse kind, yellow bag/box, this is the best one, tastes great, refreshes, no sugar, + the famous 13 herbs inside!
:-D
PS Looks like you fixed the comment form now, I was desperate yesterday – a man in despair, the famous Mike, and he’s seeking a new kind of candies to help him, and here I am to the rescue, trying to reccommend one of the best ever invented on Earth candies to him, the “13 Swiss Herbs Ricola”, and suddenly OH, NO!, technology stops me from doing this, comment form isn’t working!!!
…Oufff! Now I can breathe again! ;-)))
I grew up suckin on Luden’s cherry cough drops. Pure, sweet sugar.
OMG. I was literally browsing the internet for any sign of Pine Brothers and came across this site. Thats hilarious.
We should sign a petition to get them back in the works. I’m sucking on Airborne gummi’s and they are definitely not the same, I dont care what you say. They are actully kind of nasty compared to Pine Brothers.
Ludens, Riccola, blah. They are all hard. :)
Ricola rulllz… unless you’ve tasted Pine Brothers, I guess (something I didn’t)… ;-)
I’m totally addicted to Halls Cough Drops. I don’t think Mike is weird, everyone has their own thing. I am in recovery, and any kind of candy is a must. They have to be the original Metholyptus!!!!! I eat those like candy too. Which brought me to this website. I really did think I was losing it!
Thank you
Concerning Pine Bros Cough Drops, yeas that was certainly an old favorite from my youth. No one so far seems to recall that these came in a variety of flavors…there was cherry and honey, but also there was a mixed flavor package, which contained, I believe a menthol green…if it wasn’t menthol, it was certainly a dark green. My local Harmons’ Discount drug store briefly carried the comeback brand a couple of years ago, which then disappeared once more – no loss, though because both texture and flavor were different, and not very good.
On the candy flavor front, has anyone besides me noticed that TWIZZLERS, NIBS, DOTS, and JUJYFRUITS taste completely different than they used to, (in the case of Dots & Jujyfruit the texture, as well as the flavor) have changed a lot since the ’70s (GOOBERS and RAISENETTES are both different in the chocolate catagory).
I’ve never tried Pine Bros, but then again, I didn’t discover the fabulous world of cough drops until I became an adult. (My grandmother used to give us Sucrets, which if you haven’t had them, taste a bit like I imagine gasoline would taste like.)
I’m partial to Hall’s cherry drops, sans the gooey center.
Gasoline really doesn’t have a smell they add cabbage sent to gasoline so you can smell it so then if it leaks you know it.
I remember them, and was just now searching on line to find them for myself. Needless to say, I am not pleased that they are no longer around. I was craving them, and have not had them for many many years. Just thought I would give it a try, back to my life without them. No you are NOT WEIRD….they are the BEST tasting “Lozenges” by FAR!!!
Check this site out Mike, http://www.bellyachecandyshoppe.com/sayonara.html
This confirms, they are no longer made, guess I am obsessed, also.
AND PISSED!
Glad to see I’m not the only one on the planet trying to find these things! My grandmother always had them around, and they were soooo good. I was searching for them too when I came across this site — I’m really bummed at the confirmation that they’re no longer made!!!
Guess I’ll have to stick with my back-up, Thayers Slippery Elm.
Oh, and thanks for the tip, David — will have to get someone to grab me some of those Weight Watchers things.
What about gummy vitamins? These are my sometimes-vitamins, and they rock!
Gummy Vites and can be found at Sam’s Club of all places @ $6-7 for 220.
I am sitting here typing this and working on my 3rd pack of Weight Watchers cherry fruities. Not exactly Pine Bros., but close enough at this point. I tried the Greathers and the consistency was the same, but the taste was so different. Don’t think I am going down that road again. God, I loved Pine Bros. when I was a kid. I never thought of them as anything other than candy. Haven’t tried the Gummy things mentioned here, but I might.
I’m totally addicted to Halls Cough Drops.
Mike,
I too loved Pine Bros. cough drops as a kid. After your suggestions, I tried Airborne drops — good but with a medicinal wang. Today I received Grether’s Pastilles from New London Pharmacy via UPS…they were great. In ten minutes I have eaten 5…they won’t last long. Go for it–they are as close to the Pine Bros. as I can imagine!
Lee
We’re talking candy here…..
Penny candy, walk in with a dime, walk out like a king. Pretzels in a glass jar. Funny dots on a nasty piece of paper. Gold covered gum in a white fabric bag with a yellow drawstring. Bubble candy, or something like that, great tasting candy in the shape of Charms with a little piece of bubble gum inside……
I would pass all of them up….reach out and grap MY box of Pine Bros Cherry Cough Drops. The best candy on the face of the planet.
Why wouldn’t anyone be interested in making these glorious bits of heaven again. There’s money to be made.
Hi. I’ve had the Grether’s Pastilles in Red Currant and they are really close to Pine Bros. Not exactly the same flavor, but the same rubbery texture. Even the exact same shape. They are expensive though. I really miss Pine Bros. They made a comeback a few years ago, but only with sort of bad Zinc infused drops that had a chalky flavor and only came in honey/lemon.
I think Grether’s Pastilles Red Currant with sugar) are real close to Pine Bros. Unfortunatly, Gunther’s has stopped making them (I just found this out a month ago, when I tried to order them).
This is hilarious!!!!! I just found this site and Pine Brothers chewy red cough drops were my favorite candy! I am DESPERATE FOR THEM!
Does anyone know how to get Delfa Red Rolls, they are red licorice rolls that are like tire treads? What about Broadway licorice rolls and remember the great John C Mueller licorice. If anyone can find this stuff I will pay for yours! I am not kidding!
I am also a Pine Brothers freak. So much so that I have kept two pristine packages from my purchase (one honey and one cherry) for the ingredient and distributor info. My last shot at a purchase of these perfect candies/cough drops was when Eckerd drugs was clearing them out. They had contracted to distribute them about 5 or 6 years ago but they didn’t do well. I contacted the distributor (IVC Industries, Inc. out of Freehold, N.J.) to find out if I could purchase them directly and they told me that for now, they were retiring the product. Maybe if enough of us contact them????
Stacy, as my wife said when I read your e-mail “you have found your sole mate!” I too loved Delfa Rolls, until they stopped making them. I am convinced that it is a conspiracy against me: First Pine Bros., than Delfa Rolls, and now Grether’s Red Currant Pastilles (with sugar). I’m almost afraid to start liking any candy other than Snickers and M & Ms.
I NEED PINE BROS AND DELFA ROLLS. GIMMEE SOME, GIMMEE SOME, I WANT THEM NOW!
I LOVE Delfa Rolls & have not been able to find them for about 2 years now. They use to sell them in Wildwood, NJ on the boardwalk but when I went last year & this year no one has them :(
If you ever find them email me :)
I came across this website because I was in search of the Brothers Pine myself. In the 80’s, I must of bought cases of this stuff. It was one of my regular “candy/cough drop” accompaniments while hanging around and throughout NYC, especially Queens. I remember one of the “key ingredients” – labled “syrup of acacia” often became the way by which I referred to this over the counter gelled elixir in box adorned with portraits of their fine founders. They are remembered well.
Furthermore… I very much enjoyed Delfa Rolls too. I believe they are still readily available if I am not mistaken. However, you may need to locate them at the type of candy store that carries that “old time candy” set theme.
Mike,
I understand your plight for Pine Brothers—no other product is quite the same. Growing up in Chicago, my Mom used to get us those as well. As an adult, up until 2 or 3 years ago, I used to order them from a specialty candy shop in Geneva, IL, but they are no longer being made. The company that originally manufactured them sold the rights and another company made them for a short period of time, with Slippery Elm added, but they did not continue to make them after a few years. Let me know if you track them down but I talked to the patent owner about 2 years ago and they said they would no longer be manufactured.
Best regards,
Nicole
How hard can reproducing these be? I’m impressed at the amount of info. on this blog. I’m willing to attempt to cook up a batch. I have some experience in candy making. If anyone has some suggestions on how to recreate these I’m very interested… Let’s start with corn syrup , syrup of acacia, (thanks John) flavorings (various extracts or essential oils) cooked to “softball” temp (get a candy thermometer) maybe add honey or something maybe adding gummi bears or similar products (French boules de gum). Let’s figure these out just to see if we can… bjourdan2000@yahoo.com anybody want to play?
Just getting off a nasty cold and could have used these.
Bernard: Wow, you should totally do it! As I see it, there are only three ingredients that would be key in producing the old school Pine Bros drops. This came straight from the box of the 1950s drops:
1. Honey
2. Glycerin
3. Gum Arabic
So I guess it’s just a question of proportions and preparation process. Let me know how it goes!
Right-on Mike…Very cool this will be a fun experiment. I’m glad I
came across your site, awesome info. I’ll get back to you soon…Taste-bud
memory don’t fail me now…Have a great one buddy.
I have suddenly desired the Pine Bros. Honey cough drops again after many yrs. They were my absolute favorite. While looking thru the comments I was reminded of the Cherry flavor also which were just as good. I remember the first & only time in my life, & where I was when I actually didn’t end up chewing it. Virtually impossible to suck on them only. Loved the texture & flavor. Am really bummed to find out they don’t make them anymore. Seems I am not the only one out there to desire them!
Back in the 50’s Pine Bros. drops were also a big part of my life. I was into the Menthol flavor but would occasionally get a pack of the Honey flavored drops. Another good menthol drop was the original Luden’s. They all took the place of candy for me and I definitely miss them. Any current drops with menthol also have eucalyptus oil in them which ruins the flavor.
OMG! I have the worst chest cold of my life right now. Coughing so much my throat is like ground meat! I was reminiscing those good ol’ Pine brothers myself. The cherry was the only ones for me. They were like delectable little candies. Here’s the thing Bernard… I was wanting them, not only for the taste and texture, but the key ingredient for soothing a raw throat is glycerin. That’s what set them apart from other cough drops. The lasted and soothed the surface of your throat. I beg you… make them! Please! I would think duplicating the cherry flavor would be the most difficult (can’t go wrong with the cherry flavour of a gummy bear though). Sounds to me like you could make yourself a fortune from those responding here alone! Or if you’re not interested in that, post a recipe so we can make and eat ourselves! Greatest of luck on your experiment!
So far I’ve melted down several Gummi type candies(softball stage 250 degrees) and have added honey with so-so results. I’m searching for “Gum Arabic( I’m thinking is a hardener) which is an original ingredient and hard to find in small quantities( I substituted corn starch) the other original ingredients besides honey are glycerin and appropriate flavorings (mmm Cherry). Thanks for your encouragement (Cat) and I hope you are feeling better. I’m in the 12th day of this miserable cold and my lungs finally cleared yesterday now I just have a congested head (a little pressure). I hope you get better soon and hopefully we’ll have something close to our beloved “Pine brothers” comfort candies/cough drops to sooth us the next time we get sick. Get well soon and I hope I can help with that.
I bought a box of the Airborne drops and, what a disappointment! Those things tasted the way a health food shop (or pet store) smells! Totally disgusting. They do have a similar texture and look, but the taste is gross. The last batch of Pine Bros. were all the “with zinc” variety and those too were ruined by a bad dusty pet store flavor.
Stay away from the Airborne. Somebody needs to cough up (ha!) the old recipe and revive these things. The originals were so, so, so good!
I miss them.
Oh my god. DELFA ROLLS are being discussed here too. I’ve forgotten about them too.
I used to unwrap the whole pack and but the entire “register tape” end into my mouth and just slowly chew it down while I watched Goonies or Flipper re-runs after school.
I want Delfa Rolls, I want Pine Bros. I want them both now.
Go with the Sweedish version … It is as close as you will get to the original and contact
I am also a fan of Pine Brothers cough drops and about any other hard-gummy type candy or cough drop. If you haven’t already sampled Rowntrees fruit gums and pastilles I think you’d really enjoy them. I’m a big-fan of black-currant flavored candies and I stumbled across these enjoyable treats (they come in a variety of flavors) while looking to stock-up on the candy-pantry!
I’m looking for the Pine Brothers Red Chewy cough drop. They came in a red wallet sized square box. I loved them! Had anyone seen them around? They were definitely not hard but chewy once they set in your mouth.
Have a nice day!
Ellen,
If you go back and read from the beginning, you’ll find that this whole discussion started in search of Pine Bros. They’ve been discontinued.
I came across this discussion because I was actually online searching for somewhere to buy them. I miss them! I used to eat them all the time. I remember that there was only one pharmacy in the town where I grew up that carried them. I loved the cherry…even liked the honey once in a while. And yes, I vaguely remember that weird dark green one.
Luden’s are completely different…good, but not the same.
Smith Bros…no thank you.
On another tangent…anyone remember Dynamints? Red/Orange/Purple tic-tac like candies in a tic-tac type box? Those were awesome. You can’t find flavors like that anywhere.
there’s nothing like pine bros. honey drops. i used to eat tons of them. i haven’t been able to find them for years, them and these wonderful honey gummi bears they used to make in woodstock… but last year i happened to wander into a newly opened dollar store on main st. in poughkeepsie, ny and i found pine bros. cherry drops in 3pks. so apparently someone still makes them. and yes, they are still as good as you remember them being. i’d actually forgotten about them for a while but i woke up tonight craving them. so i’m def. stopping there tomorrow to see if they are still around. :) hope this helps all my fellow addicts!
this is a sick comment thread. i remember crying back in 2003 or so when delfa rolls were discontinued, and i continue to miss them. was also a HUGE fan of pine brothers, and i believe a few years ago they started making them again, but haven’t been able to find them in ages. sigh.
i would quit my job and work full time for a candy company if i thought i could manufacture either of these products again.
I have 3 new boxes of the wild cherry Pines Bros. 18 soft drops. I will list them on ebay in the next day or so. I found them today. glycerin-gum arabic etc.
If I’m not mistaken, I have an image in my mind of a teaspoon full of cough syrup being poured down into the shape of a Pine Bros cough drop. I would LOVE a cherry one right now.
I will contact the factory in NJ and ask if they will reinstate the Pine Bros line of delicious “cough drops.” WON’T EVERYBODY READING THIS DO THE SAME?
check out ebay-these end in the next day or so-bid soon
I have been looking for these for quite some time. I am so disappointed to hear they no longer make them. I also am going to write to the company to see if they will start making them again. Let me know if you have any luck finding any.
Add me to the addict list!
I’ve thought about those tastie drops over the years and am disappointed to here we can’t get them anymore. If anyone uncovers a stash let me know, I’m in for several cases.
About 4 or 5 years ago I found Pine brothers drops online at the vermont country store…they only had the cherry flavor and I ordered a case of them. They were the greatest and the same as they were from the 80’s. My grandparents started me on them and I loved them. I haven’t seen them since and I keep checking the Vermont COuntry store but they don’t sell them anymore. We should call them and ask them to put them back into production.
I HAVE BEEN LOOKING FOR THE PINE BROS. COUGH DROPS FOR YEARS….SO SOOTHING FOR A SORE THROAT……NO STRONG MEDICINAL TASTE…………..WHERE DO I CALL TO GET MY VOTE IN TO GET THESE BACK ON THE SHELVES…THERE IS MONEY TO BE MADE WHOEVER HAS THIS PATENT………DUH?
I’m another one who was on the web searching for Pine Bros. and found your site. I actually found them in a drugstore near my home about 2 years ago and bought all the ones they had. The store closed shortly thereafter and I haven’t been able to find them since. If anyone finds someone with a ‘stash’, or you can reproduce them or have the makers put them back on the market, I would love to know about it.
Thanks for the link, Mike!
Why is Sarah so nasty and sarcastic? We are having a nice conversation about the Pine Bros. cough drops and she feels the need to make two comments that make her sound like a miserable ass.
Maybe she is actually having withdrawals!! ha!
please forward me any info on where to buy pine bros. cough drops!!! my favorite, and i cant find them anywhere.
I didn’t know I wasn’t alone in my fruitless search for Pine Bros. and all things glycerine! I was looking for an affordable lot of redcurrant Gerther’s Pastilles and found this lovely mourning site! I, too, scored some PineBros. a few years ago from the Vermont Country Store and now they are unavailable. Gerther’s are pretty good substitute but pricey, esp. if you really chew through em’. Also worth considering are Puntini Frutti Assortiti another glycerine candy. I get them in the Macy’s candy department 18.00 per pound . The flavors are natural fruit tasting and they are hard and chewy. I see there is a web address on the label http://www.checksmatescandy. I haven’t checked this out yet.
I ALSO LOVED THE PINE BROTHERS COUGH DROPS HAVE BEEN SEARCHING FOR THEM EVERY TIME I GET SICK. I CRAVE THEM
LET ME KNOW IF ANYONE FINDS THEM OR MAKES SOMETHING CLOSE.PLEASE E-MAIL ME. MARY
GOOD MEMORY FROM MY CHILDHOOD
WOW – I was so happy to find other Pine Bros. devotees – however very sad that we can’t get them anymore. I came across this when I tried to check online to purchase them. Oh…if I ever knew that they would be gone I would have bought cases of them and rationed them! In hopes of finding them again I completed on online form to request hard to find items at the VT Country Store. Maybe if they get enough of requests for them they’ll carry them again. http://www.vermontcountrystore.com
Thanks for the memories…one last thing….I think Bernard was trying to make a homemade batch – any luck?
I had disappointing results melting down gummi bears and adding honey, they got to hard at 260 degrees on the candy thermometer(you can try 250 or 240 degrees with possible better results) but the flavor wasn’t bad. I have been resorting to dehydrating gummi bears with better results although they do not contain glycerine or honey, they sort of work for me…. I highly recommend Haribo type gummi’s as the have a harder texture right out of the bag. Currently I am dehydrating Black Forest type gummi bears but I don’t care for the flavor or texture of them as much as the Haribo type. My process for dehydrating them is to set a dehumidifier at 40% with a fan on them for 72 hours or more…. someone suggested putting them in an oven at low temp (175) for a few hours. I’ll try that next. I have contacted Haribo with a request for single flavor of the bears with no results so far…This comment board is great and I hope to figure out a way to bring these favorite cough drops of ours back. For fun I would like to hear suggestions on what we can rename these babies once I figure out the recipe or method for recreating them… Your all very cool and I would like to thank Mike Davidson for this forum….Always checking-in….Bernard
I was glad to find your site, sad to hear they are not making pine bros any more. there was comfort in knowing that I am not the only one who would love to be reunited with these old friends. I have had the flu and a killer cough and went to the health store and grab some honey cough drops (Ambofoli candies) and was taken back to the flavor of the pine brothers. the texture is hard with a soft center, good but not the same. Had almost forgotten about how much I loved them. Grew up in New England and seemed we needed a lot of cough drops but they were definitely more a sweet treat, it a wonder i didn’t pull all my back teeth out cause I wasn’t very good at remembering only to suck them. Would love to know if any are found or recreated. I did find pine brothers licorice from CA i think, not our some pine bros I don’t think, less they loaded up the truck and moved ….
Having been sick with the worst cold I’ve had in years, I began thinking of the cough drops my mom used to get for me when I was a child. Pine Brothers Cherry Cough Drops. No matter how bad I felt, they always made my throat feel better. When I couldn’t fine them anywhere in my area, I decided to look for them using the internet. I am really disappointed they are no longer made. Don’t you think somebody should take the hint and start to manufacture them again? There are sure plenty of us looking for them. The hard cough drops just don’t do the same.
I remember those good ole Pine Bros cough drops. I ate them like candy as a kid in the 70’s. I’ve searched for them in the 90’s and found them occassional at the odd local variety store…,but I would love to buy a case or two if anyone knows if there are still being produced.
I found something that tastes very similar to the Pine Bros cherry cough drop. They are called Georgies Chewy Bonbons. They are great! Their website is http://www.vipdiabetes.com.
Mike, i COMPLETELY inderstand your affinity for Pine Brothers as I have the same fondness for them. If you ever find where to obtain a box PLEASE let me know at oceanlv3@aol.com
thanks!
Laura
I’m on it now…
Would’t it be nice for some entranepeur to revive Pine Brothers and make TONS OF MONEY?????
I LOVED PINE BROTHERS!!!!!
My grandparents had introduced me to Pine Bros. (I am partial to the honey flavor myself), and when I recently helped my aunt clean out my grandparent’s apartment after they had passed away, we found several boxes of them put away. I took three, of which one is already gone. Even several years old, as these must be, they are still great! Put my vote in for bringing them back!
I NEED these. Have been looking all over the internet !! My dad is a pharmacist, I am going to ask him.
I too have been looking for Pine Brothers…I LOVE THEM!! I still walk into drug stores looking for them… Please let me know if anyone has found them. I would buy boxes and boxes of them!
Another cherry Pine Bros. fan here! What a great discussion; really takes me back. I haven’t thought about Delfa rolls and Dynamints in forever! Sad to hear about Delfa rolls being discontinued, but I remember that the cheap cherry ropes you could buy in any drugstore had a similar taste and texture, if not shape. I used to take cherry Pine Bros. to eat during movies. Would love to find them again!
DELFA ROLLS are back in disguise!!!
I found a candy last summer called RIP ROLLS strawberry flavor and as I sucked on this sour sugar coated mess I soon noticed a familiar taste and texture underneath and as I started to realize what i had in my mouth I think tears started because there was no doubt it was a Delfa Roll… I kid you not. I went nuts and bought another one and took it home and cleaned off the coating and holy shit it was heaven again in my mouth. Delfa Roll…. Delfa Roll… Delfa Roll !!!
I finally after months called the company and told them they are sitting on a gold mine and don’t even know it. Please remove that crap sour coating and let the good times roll, I told the chick. The USA distributor of this candy is The Foreign Candy Company you can call them toll free at 877-937-8322. The candy is actually made in Holland, close enough to Denmark… The land of Delfa Rolls!!!!!!!!
Sorry, I thought the WEBSITE on the comment form was for the link for you folks, but that must be for some other reason.
http://www.foreigncandy.com/
OMG! I was given a packet of Grether’s Pastilles last week and had such a Pine Brothers craving that I’ve been on a tear looking for them. This site just tells me I’m not alone in my quest! Cudos to Bernard for trying to work on a new recipe! Fond Fond memories abound regarding those Pine Bros. chewy delites and I too remember the ‘mixed’ pack I’d get once in a while and suffer through the nasty dark ones! Also a great suggestion is Vermont Country Store. They’re great in bringing back nostalgia with enough persuasion. And last but not least I LIVE in Freehold NJ – last known distribution location and will also call IVC Industries.
The Grethers is a so so substitute as it just makes me long for the real Pine Bros. but definately the same consistancy and chewy goodness. They didn’t last long. I’m down to my last 2 drops and getting nervous.
I USED TO LOVE THOSE COUGH DROPS AS A KID, DO THEY STILL MAKE THEM AND WHERE CAN I BUY THEM?
OMG, I’m SO happy I’m not the only person who misses Pine Brothers cough drops!! Man, those things were just the BOMB…the best “candy” ever made. After I couldn’t find them anymore, I switched to Jujubes because the orange and purple ones (yes, I picked out those two colors and gave the rest to a woman I work with who likes the red, yellow and green ones) were pretty similar to Pine Brothers. Then, a few years ago, the Heide Candy Company changed the recipe (or something) and just totally wrecked ’em.
The only candy that even comes close now are Ricolo Cough Drops, those Weight Watchers gummie candies that a few people have mentioned (except that they kind of give me a bellyache if I eat too many..and they’re really expensive) and….IF you can find them….Checkmates Candy Company makes these little candies called Puntini Frutti Assortiti that are pretty freakin’ awesome. Checkmates is sold out of them right now, but I DID find a place on-line (just Google Puntini Frutti Assortiti) that sells them…and I think it you won’t be disappointed with the ten or fifteen bucks it’ll cost you to get them.
Wow, that is so funny, because i am a member of weight watchers and i never even tried those fruities. I may have to!. Thanks.
[…] months ago, I wrote a post longing for the unending tastiness that is the now discontinued Pine Bros cough drop. Then, my girlfriend found me an auction on eBay for a box of them, but they were from the 1950s. […]
Someone on here mentioned they had talked to the patent owner for for the Pine Bros drops. If there’s a patent, then it’s a public record. Can anyone dig up the patent number for these things? You won’t be able to sell them, but you might at least be able to make them.
Pine Brother wrote that he had a vision of a teaspoon of cough medecine being poured into a cough drop. HAA haaa, that’s the Pine Brothers commercial! I’m 52 and they were a nickel a box at the candy store. You could buy all three. The honey, the cherry (the best) and the mixed. That green one was really wierd. I lived in Jersey City, NJ and my sister and I both loved them. The only substitute I’ve found are REALLY chewy gummy bears. Gold Emblem Imported from CVS are good. Thanks for the memories everyone.
It looks like I was the only person who liked the black licorice flavor. My second favorite was honey. I bought a box everyday and ate them in school because after all they were cough drops. I have a cough right now which is what prompted me to look on line for Pine Bros. I’m amazed at how many others are craving this product. Why did they ever stop making them? I hope someone sees the demand and starts making them again.
This is high-larry-us!!! I’ve been looking for them for years, so now I have this blood pressure medicine that makes me cough til I dry heave, I’ve lost my voice, and my throat feel like someone used a blow torch on it. My wife called from the store, and I asked for cough drops, and it made me search online, because it never occurred to me that I would find other addicts, so we will all suffer as one!!! Bernard, what’s the scoop? Any luck yet?
Hang Tough, Tap
There are so many of us who were totally addicted to these as kids, why doesn’t someone start making them again?
Yes, agreed: cherry best, honey OK and menthol & licorice not so good.
And yes I have since become very enamored of the Airborne gummy lozenges. The texture is just right, the taste is not quite as good, but it’ll do.
I have a sore throat today and know that nothing can soothe it the way Pine Bros used to. I agree. Cherry first. Honey second, and the menthol is regrettable, perhaps their attempt to compete with Vicks before they closed up shop.
I was eating an cherry Airborne today and couldn’t get Pine Bros. out of my mind. My husband never had them and couldn’t relate in the least. I am so glad to see that others long for them, too.
Just to put it out there, I often wish Katjes still made gummy bears like they did in the ’80s. No comparison to the ones out there today.
Found this on google. Kind of le sketch, but worth a shot if you’re that addicted. Send for 1 tin…if you get them, order more and let us know!
http://pinebrothers.com/order.html
I feel like I found a new group of friends who get me. I too have been searching in vain for pine bros and especially delfa, broadway rolls. I found them a few years back after years of forgetting about them. I ordered a box of 36 from the owner of this mom and pop store. He of course thought I was nuts. When I went back in the next month to order more…….he said he couldn’t get anymore!! I wish I had never found them again. I will call the foreign candy company and tell them the same thing……Everyone , please get on board with this movement….There is no reason they can’t make some without the sugar coating. I am so excited. So close to a delfa roll!
I have a craving for menthol cough drops. I can eat them like candy. I bought the sugarless kind because I was afraid of sugar overload. I am wondering why I have this addiction and can too many menthol cough drops be detrimental to your health?
Check it out, original Pine Bros. cough drops, honey flavor, are available on eBay now!
These are darned close!
Haribo Mega Roulette Gummi Candy Rolls: Item # 37213 18CT Box
$28.70
http://www.candywholesaler.com/products/products.aspx?m=Haribo
Good luck!
Anyone looking for Honey Pine Brothers Cough Drops, I have some that I was planning to sell on ebay after I saw how much they were going for, let me know, and I would be happy to share the love. Dennis (dwbecker@optonline.net)
I love those things alot have u found them?
Go to a weight Watchers center and ask for the Fruities. They come in cherry pack. They are the closest thing to the cough drops!!
I’m a dehydrating gummi bear freak…They’re so good. I’m still perfecting the process but I’m damn close…Big smiles…
Go Bernard! Go Bernard! Go Bernard! I’m beginning to think you’re our only hope!
Pokeycat
I FOUND A CANDY CALLED GEORGIES CHEWY BONS BONS THE CHERRY FLAVOR TASTE PRETTY CLOSE TO PINE BROS I BUY 6 BOXES AT A TIME
THE WEIGHT WATCHERS CANDY IS PRETTY CLOSE TOO…. DAMN I MISS PINE BROS =(
Has anyone heard of Thayers? There are slippery elm lozenges in Cherry flavor. I wonder if they might be a close comparison. I saw them in Indiana in a Pharmacy about a week ago. I thought about buying some-$4.49 per box of 24. I went to the website. They are available there too. If anyone has tried them, please post and let us know. Thanks!
Oh my gosh! I’ve been jonesing for Pine Bros for a long time. You’re right, they are pure candy and very addicting. I remember they also came out with a “variety pack” that had cherry, licorice, honey and mint. Mint was my favorite and cherry a close second. Why, oh why did they stop making these??
I was just looking for Bonomos Turkish Taffy and came across Pine Bros Cough Drops you guys were talking about. I was really addicted to those as well. I use to go to the drugstore in the 70s and buy a whole little display case of the cherry, I recall my mom going to the pharmacist and asking if they were harmful since I was eating them like crazy. My mom was always after me not to eat so many and I use to cut them in half to make my supply last longer…really! I had forgotten about them, moved on to other things to be crazy with, and a number of years back found the reissues and was blown away. I bought a bunch and they were horrible, they had put zinc in them. If I could find them now I’d buy at least a hundred boxes as they probably have a hundred year shelf life, and then that would probably last me a month HA! Wherever those Pine Bros are they need to get on with it and make the real thing. I must bookmark that on eBay and keep checking, get a box just for a memory. Anyone selling one give me a hollar!!
lewisr@ccf.org
I can’t believe there are others out there. I want my Pine bros!!!!
The original Pine Bros. came in 4 flavors that I knew of. Honey, Cherry, Licorice and Green (Yes, yes, green is not a flavor. I just cant remember what flavor it was). Oh, now that I’m typing this I see that Jen already mentioned the 4 that I did only she shows the green one as mint. I guess I really don’t need to submit this but ooops, too late, I already pushed the button.
Oh, one more thing. There is a cool website that sells a lot of the older style candy and shows pictures of each one. Some are still around and look the same but… well you might just see some of your old favorites, like Razzles (first its a candy, then its a gum) or Chowards Violets, Canada Mints, or the wax bottles with the syrup in them or even wax lips. And I agree, ludens are deliciously worthless.
The website is here (and I have no connection with them):
http://www.oldtimecandy.com/candy-pix1.htm
the green was some menthol type flavor…they were definitely a nice color, but tasted lousy!! The red were it for me! I did manage to find 2 boxes of the ones with Zinc in them…I had saved them because I was so excited to find them, but they taste NOTHING like the real Pine Bros. Why can’t anyone leave something great alone!! I see someone is saying the green were mint, but I think they were more menthol. Whatever they were, BRING THEM BACK!!
Here I go running off at the mouth. The same website I just mentioned has a discontinued list of which Pine Bros. is on (sad)
http://www.oldtimecandy.com/discontinued.htm
OMGoodness, I am happy i found this page… it gives me a shred of hope that I may get to have a Pine Bros. Cough Drop again. I swear, I still look in every drugstore and every odd/nostalgic type store I go in for Pine Bros and for those rediculous Bonkers (taffy candy)! Wouldn’t you know it… my two favorite candies ARE GONE! =( LOL, anyway I too have tried almost every candy I can find that may be similar. My family thinks I am completely insane, I buy every new cough drop (honey and cherry flavored) to see if its the same/similar. So far I have each part separately: texture (Ricolo makes a semi-chewy “thing”-but the taste is well…Blah! and those Chipuroni Fruit Candy and taste is very good but not the same) and taste (I think its Robitussin, they make a honey filled cough drop, but ITS NOT THE SAME!!! LOL)
BRING BACK PINE BROS!! (and while your at it… Bonkers too =))
AN OFFER TO ALL MY FELLOW PINE BROS. LOVERS:
Okay, listen up: I have found a candy that is the closest thing in taste and in consistancy to Pine Bros. that I’ve ever tasted. The only problem is that you might have a hard time finding them, unless you want to buy them by the case directly from the company that makes them. They’re called Puntini. They come in assorted fruit flavors…they’re about the size of an M&M…and all individually wrapped. I found them at a place called Sendik’s Market here in the Milwaukee area which is a high-end produce and grocery store. They’re not cheap – $14.99 a pound, but they don’t weigh much so you get pretty many.
If you want to see what they look like, go to http://www.checkmatescandy.com. That’s where you can order them if you want a whole case.
If you just want to sample two of each of the five flavors (so ten pieces of candy), I’ll send them to you. Don’t worry, I’m not a crazy person or anything. :-) Just send me a self-addressed stamped envelope and one dollar and I’ll mail the Puntinis to you. Send it to: Marilynn Mee – WKLH Radio, 5407 W. McKinley Avenue, Milwaukee, WI 53208. If you love ’em as much as I think you will, you’re gonna thank me for this. :-)
Those are the candies (Puntini) I was talking about… the company on the lable is Chipuroni. I have a 3.5 lb bag I ordered off the internet that I am currently working on… They are VERY good! We need to write them and ask them to make a honey and cherry flavored one! =)~
Puntinis are addictive, too! I remember them from the 80s and am glad to see they still make them.
Sabrina & Kimmie –
If we told the company that we were the co-founders of the Puntini Fan Club, do you suppose they’d send us free ones? (Hello, I’m a dork.)
Sabrina, could you post the link to the company that sells 3.5 pound bags? And how much do they cost with shipping? If I bought 3.5 pounds at a time from Sendik’s, it would cost $52.47!!
If you buy them from checkmatescandy dot com, I think you get a thousand pieces for like $45.00, plus shipping. I have no idea what a thousand pieces weigh.
i have been looking all over south jersey and south philly and can not find hide or hair of them i remember when i was a kid untill my earlie teens buying them instead of candy everytime i go to a different part of town i look in every store so far i went to five different states and nothing hopeful someone who has knowlege of the family who invented them sees this email and digs out the recipe
jennie from south philly
Mickey, Count me in! Maybe as head of the fan club we could push for the honey and cherry flavored ones =) LOL
Anyway, I digress… So I tried to find the link where I purchased the bag of the Puntini’s but I can’t remember… After all, it IS a 3.5 lb bag, thats A LOT of candy. So, what I did find is another link. They are $9.95/lb on this site. I hope that helps… (did I mention, Blackberry is my FAV!)
http://www.economycandy.com/store/category.aspx?SID=1&Category_ID=58
I can’t believe that other people are looking for these too. I remember only honey and cherry and the box was red with a picture of the oblong drop. They also had some script or raised litlle drops on the top. The box was a cool design and if I recall they were boxed with wax paper surrounding them all. What is the incredient that makes this so appealing? At least it was something smooth on your throat not like the tongue cutting Luden hard cough drop. I don’t use anything now. One time I tried using juicy fruits just for the coating it gave the throat. I was actually surprised to find anything on the internet regarding these treasured cough drops.
Glad to see I’m not alone in the search! Anyone know what that slipperry incredient is? Once I was told it was slippery elm but I can’t verify that…
Glycerin Phoenix, It’s glycerin. Honey doesn’t hurt either…
OMG! I have been looking for these also. especially the honey one’s. Does anyone know where i can find Astro Pos(yellow,green and red one, with the point) They almost had the same consistency as a pine bros.
I grew up in the 70’s. Lord, I loved me some Pine Bros., especially the honey ones. Bought and ate ’em like candy, couldn’t beat that gummy texture. Fun to stack, too – how many could you stack before the stack toppled? I’ve had a sore throat for days and I’m heading to New York so I wanted to see if any stores in New York had them; my search led me to this site. Somebody’s gotta start making them again, PLEASE.
I was actually born in 82….in middle school i used to eat Pine Brothers like candy. I could go through a pack a day lol! Than one day prob in 98′ i went to my local CVS for a quick fix and they were no where to be found. Eventually i forgot about my beloved Pine Brothers….until recently when i purchased the airborne drops. Unlike you…i do not think the airborn drops compare…if anything they make me crave those lost pine brothers even more. This is what caused me to do the internet search which lead me to this blog. If anyone knows what happened to those tasty little buggers…..PLEASE LET ME KNOW!!!!!
Aiight people, its me again! I am adding another page to my insanity file. If my family finds this they may lock me up… LOL! I did a little Pine Bros. “replacement” (as IF there IS such a thing) experiment, and here are my findings: (i ordered all but ONE off the internet, because I could not find them in a local store)
Grether’s Pastilles: The texture was the most similar. However, the taste was not so much. I didn’t really care for taste. I tried Raspberry and the Blackcurrant (sugar-free), the Raspberry was the better of the two.
Weight Watchers Fruities: These were alright. The texture was close and the taste was ok. I tried 3 flavors (I don’t know how many they make) Cherry, Strawberry and Blackberry, all three are pretty good.
Ricola Chewy Breath Mints: These were strange. Not BAD, just strange. They had a little bit of a medicine thing going on. They were Lemon/Mint, and seems as if I was chewing on a cough drop. Eh, they weren’t the worst. These I did find in CVS.
Georgie’s Chewy Bonbons: These are all sugar-free. Matter of fact, I found them on a diabetic candy page. They are about a $1 per box so I ordered several flavors. WATCH OUT for Apple! I was really looking forward to poppin’ that lil sucker in my mouth and MAN was I sorry I did. ICK! The rest were all pretty good. Not Great, but good.
Puntini (Chipuroni): These are BY FAR the best tasting. The texture is not Pine Bros. Its close, kind of a hard chewy candy, but the taste is great! They come in about 5 flavors (mixed bag), the blackberry is my favorite, and all are very good. For my money, I am sticking with these… Well until one of you steal the recipe for Pine Bros. and get to work!! LOL!!
So I hope my lil experiment helped… I am now sick to my stomach from eating all this candy, but HEY! its in the name of science!! LOL, ok its a stretch.
I love Pine Bros. cough drops…and although I *think* they went out of business…I still sadly gaze over the candy counter at every pharmacy hoping that one day I’ll see just one pack left there from 1990…sigh
I miss these cough drops, too. While they aren’t the real thing, I do love me some Maynard’s (or other brands) Wine Gums every once in a while. They can be hard to find, though. When you can find them, I do recommend you let them harden a bit before you eat them. Some of the flavors really do remind me of Pine Bros, especially cherry!
Pine Brothers were great. I wish they were back! They were great to eat just for fun. They tasted better than any cough drop on the market today! Maybe you should find out the recipe and start making them again! I would buy them!
Like everyone else on here I was searching the web, certain that I would be able to find Pine Bros. cough drops. I was born in 82 and my grandparents would always have cases of these things at the house. They would get them from a drug store in Chicago. My mother has been sick for the last few days, and figured I would search the internet to try and find them. No such luck I guess.
Those things were just too good. I only remember the honey and cherry flavors. Whoever owns the patent is really missing the boat by not making these commercially available. Whoever made the decision to make these discontinued needs to be taken to task.
while handing my stepdaughter a ricola I was telling her about these wonerful cough drops I too ate like candy. I told her I wished I knew where to find them. she googled the name and there u were… thanks for the memories. if u should ever start a company and make them email me. I would buy them!!
I’m so glad to know I’m not the only one who yearns for Pine Bros. cough drops! Honey was my favorite flavor. They were incredibly addictive, and if I close my eyes I can remember the way eating them felt… Hard and dry at first, then sweet and slick, and I knew that biting them too early would be futile, yet I would be helpless to resist chomping down even though my teeth would get stuck momentarily until I could manage to get them to “pop” apart, only to bite again! Sigh…
I have had the Weight Watchers Fruities, which are a close replica…but be wary of eating too many at once, as the chemicals give them an unpleasant side effect!
Hi Marie W.
That’s a well written comment (#139)
I have stockpiled my hardened Gummi Bears and wouldn’t mind sharing them with you(or anyone else here). I know taking candy from strangers isn’t the best idea but since we have a shared passion and know each others name maybe we’re not such strangers after all. Malibuknight@live.com if you want me to send a sample and share the process. Maybe we can brainstorm and figure out how to satisfy everyone’s passion and hunger for those elusive, wonderful old cough drops…Pine Bros. Cough Drop Fans Unite! Thanks again Mike Davidson for this forum.
Can I say ‘idiots’. Reading through the comments people left was well, amazing. Did these idiots even read what you said? FIrst of all, I think you have to have been born before 1970 to even know what they were.
Pine Brothers was a chewy oval shaped cough lozenge. We ate them like candy because they were so good. Almost as good as pom poms. You were not asking for Luden’s or Ricola or anything for a cough.
I, like you, loved Pine Brothers drops. We would pass them around in school like they were sacred.
People:don’t waste folks precious time–life is too short. Read what the author blogged about and comment precisely. Mike didn’t have a cough or a need for what you do for a sore throat. He wants to find PINE BROTHERS COUGH DROPS. silly silly silly.
I was born in 73 and we ate these all the time in the ‘burbs of Chicago.
Candy…indeed!
I have recently gotten a box of Menthol Eucalyptus and a box of Honey Pine Bros (both unopened).
I noticed when looking at the boxes the following details that might be a piece to the puzzle.
The Eucalyptus (which is a turquoise box) is Made by LEAF, INC., Bannockburn, IL and below that it says a product of Finland.
The Honey says “registered trademark of Leaf, Inc., DISTRIBUTED BY UNITED CONFECTIONS. INC., 8520 Balboa Blvd.,Suite 200, Northridge, CA 91325.
Just thought that info would be of interest to someone. I didn’t remember that there were only 14 drops per box, thus we ate soooo many boxes.
I am not going to open these, just wanted the memory. I do have a box of honey and a box of the cherry when they were reissued about 10 years ago, but had zinc in them and they are just horrible. So whomever has the recipe has messed with it and I don’t recall who owns those. I will look and post the info.
For those of you that have been trying to make them…the honey are active ingredient glycerine, the menthol eucalyptus is glycerine and menthol.
Add me to the list of Pine Bros. fans. Maybe some entrepreneur will see the long list of comments and consider bringing them back on the market.
Pine Bros throat drops, had slippery elm in them, which actually did help with sore throats, but with so many elm trees dying off because of Dutch Elm disease, they are almost extinct. Therefore making them is a problem. Celestial Seasonings also had a throat drop that had slippery elm in them and they have since taken them off the market too. We are all out of luck. I miss these like crazy cause they worked so well!
Just wanted to tell you that Pine Brothers cough drops
are candy. My wife had me try Celestial Seasonings Herbal Cough Drops. They are the best because you can not cough with one of these in your mouth. Cele-
tial Seasonings cough drops actually soothe sore throats, and calms the tickle that causes you to cough: something that Pine Brothers cough drops does not do. Also, they are more of an expectorant becaus they are herbal, just like their teas. Sure do wish Celestial Seasonings cough drops were widely avail- able, for people like my wife and I: whose coughing is difficult to control
I would love to talk to you. I have been looking for Pine Brothers cough drops and Danish Ribbons for ever!! If anyone knows where to find them please tell me!!!
let me know if anyone sells pine bros cough drops. I love d the cherry flavor
air bourne losenges pretty similar
I have recently become addicted to Weight Watchers Fruities. I described them as tasting like the cough drops I ate at a preteen in catholic school (I ate them as candy and the nuns only said ok because they were cough drops!)This lead to a big discussion at work as the name of the original cough drops. It finally hit me…Pine Bros. The Fruities are the same shape, texture and probably better taste than the Pine Bros. cough drops.
Just a heads up the Delfa Rolls are back in production and will be availible by july.
Gary, where did you hear about Delfa Rolls coming back?
Thank you for starting this dialogue. I googled
“Pine Bros Cough Drops” after finding out that
“Smith Bros.” were still available. What a
disappointment to find out that they are ALL GONE.
Oh, I hope someone brings them back. I used to
love to suck on a honey one at the same time as
a cherry one, and have the tastes combine. I
didn’t get hooked until I was in my 30s.
They were GREAT, and I’m glad to find that other
people have similar happy memories of and cravings
for them.
I am another fellow who remembers Pine Brothers cough drops. I stumbled upon a worthy substitute, but probably only available in metro areas. They are called “Oldtimers Scheepsknopen Drop” I am not making this up. They are out of Holland. I found mine at Southern Season in Chapel Hill, NC. They call themselves licorice ovals, but put one in your mouth and it screams “Pine Brothers Cough drop” The licorice is more subtle than other Scandinavian licorice candy. In fact, if it didn’t say licorice on the box, you probably wouldn’t know what the underlying flavor was. I haven’t checked World Market, but they might have some. Jungle Jim’s in Cincy would be another place to try. Seriously, for those looking for the Pine Bros experience, try these Scheepsknopen Drops.
Yeah, I remember the “Pine Brothers” cough drops. . . I used to have them when I was in high school. . . It has been such a long time since I’ve seen them, and I was wondering what happened to them?
For those out there that are looking for Delfa Rolls. On September 15 we will start shipping our Broadway Rolls, which is its original name, in Strawberry and Black Licorice. Based on initial taste tests we found out that people like the new Broadway Rolls (2.12oz) better than ever thanks to its slightly softer texture and more flavor. I am confident that you will enjoy the new Broadway Rolls as much as I do
I found this site when I Googled “Pine Brothers Cough Drops,” which I remembered recently and now really long for. The honey were my favorite, the cherry were good (and admittedly I couldn’t abide by the dark licorice). Does anyone know exactly WHY this company went out of business, or if there was a parent company we can petition to bring them back? (Glycerin is actually very good for the throat: so they may have tasted as if they weren’t doing anything medicinally, but they were.) Hysterical — I am so glad to know I am not alone in my quest to find them again.
OMG… I don’t know why, but I cannot get Pines Bros honey cough drops out of my head. I was born in the 1970’s in Chicago (like some responderes here)… I just wish I could have one again.
I, too, would buy them regularly from mom-and-pop drug stores. My favorite was the honey, then cherry, then “green.” The black ones (if I got the variety pack) went on mom’s pile.
Thanks to everyone (except the couple of jerks) for your replies, it really made me nostalgic for those simpler times when kids got to eat cough drops everyday. :)
HI I TO WAS LOOKING FOR THE PINE BROS COUGH DROPS ENJOYED YOUR EMAILS. BUT DOESN’T SOUND LIKE THEY ARE STILL AROUND.THE HONEY AND CHERRY WERE MY FAVORITES TOO. KEEP LOOKING AND IF YOU FIND ANY LET ME KNOW WHERE THANKS MARY
Hi, Pine Bros cherry are the best cough drops ever made. Much better than those menthol cough drops when you are sick & also great as a candy. I was devastated to find out that they no longer make them. Please let me know if you find any as I would love to get some to . Thank you , Darlene
Being born in 78 I was a huge fan of the cherry and used to buy them at a mom and pop pharmacy that I could walk to from my childhood home. I recently (Aug. 2009) got tuned into the Weight Watchers Fruities, courtesy of this site and they are da bomb, the closest thing I’ve ever tasted (shape, texture) and just as addictive (contain glycerin too!). I just went on to ebay to buy some more and curse my luck weight watchers has changed the formulation and turned them into hard candies! There are only a few offerings left in the cherry I recommend getting them while you still can, especially if you haven’t tried them yet.
Great News for you. Pine Brothers is coming out again, and soon. By 2010…..Look for it in your local drugstore!
Thanks Danette ! Where did you find that out ! Awesome ! :)
A family member has bought the rights to Pine Brothers and has been working for a year to correctly formulate the precise flavors and consistency of the Original Pine Brothers, and is about to move to the Sales portion of the product to gather orders, produce and ship! He, too, adored Pine Brothers, hence this dedicated project!
Wow , that really is dedication ! I pray everything goes smoothly & it is a big hit once again ! Nothing ever compared to those cherry cough drops. I intend to get my kids hooked on those when they are not feeling well. Thanks for answering my question !
The problem with a reissue is that they will most likely have ZINC in them. They tried the zink formula a few years back you will recall and it was not the same, they are softer, and TASTE LIKE ZINC. I just got some new ones issued recently that are Green Tea and ZINC, but are definitely Pine Bros (you know they . So I think we should be prepared that they really will not be the original. WhenI first saw them a few years back I was over the top excited, then tasted them and they as I said taste like ZINC.
Hopefully they will think this thru and not produce them with the zinc…but really make old fashion Pine Bros!!
Danette,
I hope you are not teasing. I, like others here, have craved Pine Brothers for years. I get the Grether’s Pastilles to sooth the urge. If your family member needs investers let me know.
Carter
They don’t look the same but has anyone tried http://www.pinebrothers.com?
Hi All…Not teasing at all about the New Pine Brothers. And no–no zinc in the new product. The new pinebrothers website is indeed my relative’s company, with re-newed product coming out next year. Every aspect of the orginal Pine Brothers formula has been painstakenly sourced for the exact and correct recipe, as well as some original employees from the Original Pine Brothers on board again to ensure it is the same, and terrific as we remember it. I assure you all that you will be pleased… This is excellent that so many people still think of these cough drops so fondly and are looking for the return of Pine Brothers! :) Ask for it at your local drug store….
I ordered two tins today. Looking forward to trying them and seeing all four flavors back on the shelves.
Most of the folks reminiscing about Pine Bros seem to be missing the Cherry flavor version. There doesn’t appear to be much mention of my favorite flavor Menthol, which came in the green box. Secondarily, the Honey flavor was also very soothing. I tended to eat both of them like candy. I sincerely hope that the reissue will include both of these flavors.
This is such good news! I am on the phone with my cousin and we were reminiscing about these things…yesterday, while recovering from the flu, I so wished I had boxes of them and when I googled them, I found this site. WE WANT THEM BACK JUST LIKE THE ORIGINAL AND CAN’T WAIT! WAHOO! Let us know when they will be available!
While not a complete stand-in for the greatness that was the Pine Bros cough drop, these Ricola Lemon Mint Breath Mints have a similar consistency, although I still long for the Pine Bros cherry flavor. I found the Ricola last year at Trader Joe’s. Pick up a box if you ever see them. Seriously, the texture is very reminiscent of Pine Bros.
http://www.americarx.com/Products/32456.html
FYI: I ordered a “tin” of Cherry Pine Bros from eBay a few days ago. It just arrived. Positively disgusting. Do not waste your money. I have been eating these things right up until they got discontinued so I’m well aware of what the current formulation tastes like, but these are pretty disgusting. Not sure what happened.
MIKE D–From whom did you order these Pine Brothers recently ON EBAY? The current/new manufacturer, to my knowledge, does not sell on eBay at all. (I will ask him to make sure.) You must have ordered old or fake product from another source. I have tried the new product samples since the new owner has recreated the original–and they are not for sale yet in the new formula. The New product is amazing! Therefore what you have gotten is NOT the NEW Pine Brothers, which are not complete and sold yet. DO NOT BUNK THEM YET UNTIL THEY ARE ON THE MARKET NEXT YEAR.
I ordered them from user “myboo1014” on eBay. My belief is that they probably just went bad. I’m sure the new product is fine. Looking forward to trying…
Phew! That is good news! :) I was worried that someone out there was selling bunk stuff and reporting it to be the new Pine Bros. My relative who has bought Pine Bros loves them as much as all of you…So he is painstakenly searching the world for the actual/original ingredients, recreating the same recipe, to ensure that they are exactly the same. Cherry was his favority flavor when he was young, so this flavor will surely be correct and part of the new repetoir. I will keep you all posted to the developments–I know the factory for proding the drops has been selected and the tin design is done. SOOO…Soon! :)
This is such a cool website! I noticed a bunch of other people on this list born in the 70’s and who also consumed their Pine Bros in Chicago… Do I know you? Anyway, I look forward to this “new” formulation coming out and just need to know when/where to look for them! I have not tried the imitators yet, but might order some just for comparison… I can still remember car vacations with the parents and I’d buy my box of Pine Bros for the trip. I look forward to finding their replacement.
Not sure if anyone has suggested these yet, but they’re the closest thing I could find to Pine Brothers honey cough drops.
Honees honey drops: http://www.amazon.com/Honey-Filled-Drops-Packes-Honees/dp/B0011DIZIY
They’re more like a hard candy, so the consistency isn’t the same as the classic PBs, but the taste is pretty much the same. Yum.
Oh man. LOL. Here I was thinking I was on my own island, a weird kid who liked to eat “Pine Brothers Cherry cough drops” as candy. I would always go down to my local CVS as a kid and buy as many as I could, then head to the movies or go skateboarding. In fact a few years later in my early high school years(late 80’s-early 90’s) I was got a job at CVS and one of the perks was getting the employee discount on BOXES and BOXES of these. LOL.
I remember one day going by CVS after high school(I’d moved on to a new job years before), and they were all gone. I’d come across a box here or there, funny someone mentioned a vermont country store, because that was the last place I ever saw them.
Fast forward to today, throat hurting I went into the medicine cabinet and found some “Smith Brothers” throat lozenges, and the old-timey label made me remember Pine Brothers. I figured let me google them and see what comes up. I saw the pinebrothers.com website with only the licorice flavor(which, sorry to say, I hated). But then this was the second website I ventured into and I saw Danette Simmons’ replies and my day has perked up immensely!
Please oh please keep us updated on how things are going and like someone said, if you need investors I would gladly put up a chunk of change to get it off the ground. Even if you just sell them online, I think you’d have plenty of happy people buying BOXES and BOXES just from this message thread alone.
I remember one day going by CVS after high school(I’d moved on to a new job years before), and they were all gone. I’d come across a box here or there, funny someone mentioned a vermont country store, because that was the last place I ever saw them.
Fast forward to today, throat hurting I went into the medicine cabinet and found some “Smith Brothers” throat lozenges, and the old-timey label made me remember Pine Brothers. I figured let me google them and see what comes up. I saw the pinebrothers.com website with only the licorice flavor(which, sorry to say, I hated). But then this was the second website I ventured into and I saw Danette Simmons’ replies and my day has perked up immensely!
Danette- Please keep us posted if you have info of where and when the new Pine Bros can be purchased. PB got me through many college lectures in the 60’s. I went through 3-4 boxes of the honey flavored PB a day in 83 when I quit smoking. The short case I purchased on the internet in 2002 did’t last long. If the new product is good I’ll be a loyal customer.
I love this column! Can only echo everyone else’s story that they ate these like candy – for me, in the 60s. I will surely look for the new ones – I am hoping this pans out.
Danette – I’m curious – why the tins? It seems we all remember the box. (Maybe the tins were from even earlier?)
re the Delfa/Broadway rolls – I, too liked those. However, I am sorry to hear that they will be made softer. I liked the chewyness of the hard licorice, and in fact, used to occasionally leave mine out to “stale.” I bet most of us here, pining for Pine Bros. and Delfas, appreciated the firmer chewyness of these unique products. I hate it that most of the licorice and gummies you buy now seem to dissolve and break apart quickly, not stay chewy.
Oh well – there is hope – and thanks for chiming in, everyone!
I have been waiting for the news that the “new and improved” version is readily available. Just happy to see other comments from people like me waiting for this to come out. I really liked the “fruities” for similarity, though they have been discontinued. They were expensive on Ebay!!! I haven’t tried airborne yet, but the Grether’s are VERY similar, though they are incredibly expensive as well (8.50 per tin plus shipping)… I am hesitant to buy from http://www.pinebros.com, as I don’t have any faith in companies that have a website but don’t take orders over the internet with a credit card :) I also enjoyed the honey and cherry more than the licorice… Is there any news on the new brand?
I was surfing looking specifically for any sign of Pine Bros Honey cough drops and sorry to find that they aren’t made anymore. Geez you’d think of the money they had to be making as so many people bought them like I did as candy, each week with my allowance!! Since I last saw them I have replaced them with Claeys Horehound Old Fashioned Hard Candies, taste is similar to the PB Honey but hard not chewy and I think that makes the world of difference. Try it. I can eat a whole bag! I got them $1 for a 6 oz bag at a local Dollar Tree but have seen different brands as high as $6.95 for an 8 oz bag.
I used to get Pine Brothers boxes in my stocking every year. They could be hit or miss, because they did get hard and stale after a while – which really makes me wonder about the old boxes being sold on eBay… If anyone has ever had a fresh box, there is no comparison. Good to see that this thread is still active in case someone starts making them again. The new website looks like they just sell the licorice…
And did anyone else lose a filling chewing them besides me ????
………any cherry flavor?,,,,,,,,where are they available??????are they the real deal? the Pine Bro website has no info…..whats up with it………..is this a joke…screwing with my head?,,,,,,,,come clean out there
My wife tried to order several tins from the website for my birthday since I talk about these things from time to time. She got a call last week fom the http://www.pinebros.com site. Seems they have run out of the product and are re-formulating and do not expect to have product until later this year. Such a bummer, but we’ve all waited over a decade for a legitimate Pine Bros replacement (that zinc product was terrible and doesn’t count).
Meanwhile the Grenther’s will have to do (wish they still had the sugar version of the cherry).
I have been craving honey cough drops for years!! My 95 year old grandma and I talk about them ALL THE TIME! Oh how I wish someone would make them again! They were just the best ever.
I remember the student store in H.S. sold the Pine Bros Cherry & Honey cough drops. I miss the Honey the most. We couldn’t eat in class, but could have these for our “sore” throat. LOL We ate it like candy. LOL
I’m desperately trying to source Hall’s Black Currant lozenges. Not the ones called soothers, just the plain old candies. I contacted Cadbury’s and apparently they no longer make them. However, I do know you can sometimes find them in stores – just not in Canada.
Sigh….
my heart nearly broke after i found out those pb cough drops were discontinued. sure, you can find other flavorful cough drops and candy but the chewy pb brothers possessed a taste and texture that was and still is unprecedented.
while chewing on them, some sort of licorice-like chemical was released which made them beautifully addictive. I’d pay 100 dollars for 2 of those cough drops.
I also miss fun snacks when they were still in pellet form.
I was just looking online for Pine Bros “cough” drops – no cough just loved their flavors and texture. Sadly, I found this string instead…
Sometimes candy with pectin in it has a similar texture, and pectin is healthy for you too.
Since aspartame and other artificial sweeteners are a no sale for me, I’ve had to stop most chewing gums and a lot of other things too. I even had to stop using Pecid chewables for acid indigestion – it has aspartame now. Bought all the ones with sugar from the shelves in my area, then had to change brands.
I really miss those PB drops. I had a friend “addicted” (her word) to Vicks hard cough drops. Yuck! Menthol and strong mints make me barf, literally.
I did find a box of Beeman’s gum (another of my favorites that is almost off the market) at a Target store in my area, it was the white wrapper pack (original I think) and on sale. What a wonderful find! I’ve been saving it and using it as a special treat.
It’s about time someone saw the marketing value of reaching out to older taste buds and brought back some of those lost delights.
are grethers comparable to pine brothers?
I did some serious searching after getting great ideas from this website. Thanks to everyone for posting :) I tried both Grether’s Pastilles and Fruities (the gummies they discontinued) and they BOTH were fabulous! I have not tried the Airborne gummies yet. The only problem is that the ones I tried are SO EXPENSIVE!!! I feel like the drug addict and I’m down to my last bit of discontinued Fruities. I seriously don’t know what I’ll do when they are gone! Anyway, the Grether’s are still around, but they were around $8 a tin plus shipping. I couldn’t justify the cost to buy them if it weren’t for Amazon gift certificates I had.
They were both great for a taste of nostalgia, but I am waiting for this “new and improved” Pine Bros to rear it’s head. If anyone knows where to get Grether’s cheaper, please share! They are close, though I like the texture of Fruities better. I also have not tried Claeys Horehound that someone mentioned, but that’s on my list to try too :)
If I can’t get PB I’ll take the FRUITIES. The aspartame gives me gas but I eat them buy the box. Recenty I read on this site that FRUITIES were discontunied. Panic stricken I contacted Weight Watchers in New York. They reassured me that they would continue production. Is there a 12 step group for this?
The pinebrothers.com website has been updated since the last time I looked, which was only a month or so ago. That’s a good sign. It now shows honey instead of licorice. Still mail order only and still no cherry :(
So has anyone bought from the website? I am skeptical of any company that doesn’t take orders other than via mail. Also, it seems expensive for $5 per tin, regardless of how they break out shipping and handling. I am tempted to get a box and see if they are like the old honey. I never did like licorice.
Carol: I’m going to order one box for kicks. If it doesn’t work out, not a big deal. I’ll report back…
I wouldn’t trust that website. They have no info whatsoever. No phone number, email, just where to send money…convenient!
Thanks Mike! Let us know :) And Yes, Brittany, I don’t trust them but was tempted to order just one. Anyway, there is no info on them with the Better Business Bureau, so I’m not sure what to think… I did another search and found this in the CA yellow pages:
Pine Brothers
1160 Sunrise Dr
Gilroy, CA 95020
Phone : (408) 846-2906
There was no answer but I left a message. For all I know, it could be a plumbing company or something. The message was your standard home answering machine voice saying to leave a message.
I just called (408) 846-2906 and asked if that was the number for Pine Brothers Cough Drops. Sounded like a kid answered, then an adult took the phone and told me I had the wrong number. I hope they don’t get too many bothersome calls…
So, has anyone ordered from that mysterious http://www.pinebros.com website? How did it work out? I’m going there to check out any changes after posting this.
I do hope, if it’s being reconstituted, that there are NO artificial sweeteners used (e.g., aspartame, sorbitol or other alcohol sugars, etc.).
I have posted a number of times since finding this remarkable group of Pine Bros. addicts. I have tried every variable that SAYS Pine Bros over the years. First they came out with some that I was so excited about, but they had ZINC in them, they were horrible. Those are ones people talk about that they got from those country store catalogs and then those too fell thru the cracks…with good reason. Then I recently bought some on ebay that were green tea…Pine Bros (same trademark the supposed real thing), those were awful as well. The ones in the tin from this place everyone is talking about, I think I saw those on a different site and they as well had ZINC and I didn’t get them, though the tin is very cool. If in fact they are like the real thing I would love to know. But the only ingredient on the box of the REAL thing is glycerine…the newer versions with zinc and all are not quite as rubbery, that is the exact word that the news ones are lacking. They are more squishy like. I have been following the thread that says Pine Bros are being reproduced at some point the real thing this and that. But if they are putting anything new and modern in them they will not be right, will not taste right, will not feel right in your mouth, they will not be PINE BROS. So if anyone important is readying this please do make them the real thing or you will ruin our dreams of the Pine Bros. come back…
Best, robin
I agree that the zinc version of PB wasn’t good. I didn’t try the green tea, would have if I’d seen them anywhere.
You’re also correct, part of the deliciousness of PBs was the mouth feel, not only did they have that delightful “rubbery” texture, but also a kind of slipperiness as they dissolved. They didn’t break up in the mouth. The held onto their shape and taste to the very last sliver.
Chewing them risked pulling out a filling (in later years, yanking off a crown), so letting them dissolve slowly was much less hazardous to dental work, and getting them down to a delicate transparency was challenging and yummy.
I did send an email to the manufacturer mentioned in a previous note, but have not received a response so far.
I also found a product online called, Honey Bees or something like that. It contains a small amount of menthol, which totally ruins it for me, and the consistency per my email question is “hard.”
Menthol or any minty content ruins the flavor for me in any product.
Thanks for your input, Robin, maybe someone somewhere will finally bring back the “Original Pine Brothers (Cough) Drop” without any improvements — Coca Cola had to learn the hard way, when you have a winner, stick with it, don’t try to change what doesn’t need changing. And, if you DO have a winner, don’t stop manufacturing it!
Try Lifesavers Wild Berries Gummies, they taste a lot like PB but a bit softer than (and are not available in honey). I also got Rowntree’s Fruit Pastilles, but they are a bit too acidic for my taste. When I actually had a sore throat recently, I ended up using Blockade, http://www.4blockade.com, that I got from The Vitamin Shoppe online. They work, but I missed my Pine Bros.
You people are missing the REAL point of PB cough drops. PB coated your throat, and did not numb it with medicinals, so that your throat was protected while you continued over smoking, talking, whatever. When your throat is numbed you continue to do what you do, but the damage is still being done, or worse. That’s why they are no longer available. Like everything else that’s good for you. It’s a new world.
It would be great if someone would start re-making them. They could start with this list as a customer base.
Oops, John – I forgot the REAL point of Pine Bros. was for the throat! I just liked to eat them! LOL
From March of ’09:
Robert Gorgoglione says: Re Celestial Seasonings Herbal Cough Drops. Hi Bob. I chased those down. They contain menthol, which I suspect is not the best for you. HOWEVER, I have a suggestion for you and your wife. Since you both have the same symptoms, I’d suggest that the air in your home may be too dry. Try a warm humidifier and see if that doesn’t cure the problem. Smoking and dry heat in the car exacerbates the problem.
Thanks for all of the information! Now I know I am not alone.
I started to think about these today after I bought Life Savers Fruit Splosions Sour Cherry. If you do not bite into it the candy does takes like the cherry Pine Bros at first. It was the closest taste that I had since the real deal. I used to buy these all the time. I was pretty young and they were not cheap for “candy” but I would pay a lot more now if I could find the original formula.
@ Krystyn: Sucrets! Ugh! Now my pleasant daydream of Pine Brothers is all polluted ! :0
Yes, I too had a sudden jones for some Pine Bros. during a recent cold/flu – and quickly discovered they were no more! This astounds me! Who was in charge of that one?!
As of now, I am making do with Smith Brothers; Grether’s Pastilles are very pricey (when found) and Dr. Dolittle’s only slightly less so (I hear they can be found at cost plus.)
Oh, and I remember Pine Bros. as coming in : cherry, honey, licorice, and a rather foul green menthol.
I too ate them like candy, but they were quite harmless.
Who do we petition to bring these things back?!
I found a great tasting honey lozenge – actually it’s candy, but totally natural and feels good on a sore throat. “Honees” come in honey and milk flavor & honey flavor, made in Italy by G.B. Ambrosoli. I paid $.99 for a rectangular pack of 9 pieces at a small specialty store in Rockville, Maryland called Rodman’s. They have candies and other goodies (including wine and beer) from all over the world. This one’s a winner. Problem is I keep chomping down on them, they last a lot longer if you don’t chomp! If anyone else finds them, let me know if they fill your honey-flavor cravings.
Mike….thanks so much for posting about these wonderful gummy drops of goodness. If I had $.50 when I was a kid, I would go down to the liquor store and spend it on a box of Pine Bros. Screw any other kind of candy. Everyone else on here who has posted some weak substitute is a moron. Ludens….mehhhhh, Smith Bros……poseurs…..Grether’s….come on, really? I need me some good old fashion Pine Bros action when I am craving for something that will delight my tongue for at least 30 minutes as I try to dislodge the gooey mass from my teeth. Here’s to seeing this product revitalized and scoring as many old boxes as we can find from eBay.
I hate to be a negative nancy and burst the dreams of so many of one day having the original Pine Bros. again, but…..
According to poster Dannette Simmons- her “friend” has bought the rights to Pine Bros. and redeveloping the original recipe going so far as to say in the post “Every aspect of the orginal Pine Brothers formula has been painstakenly sourced for the exact and correct recipe, as well as some original employees from the Original Pine Brothers on board again.”
I believe this poster is FULL OF IT for a few reasons.
First of all – the ORIGINAL Pine Bros board is long since dead. The ORIGINAL company (that would have a board) that manufactured their gycerin tablets was Pine Bros., Inc., Philadelphia in as far back as 1912.
Secondly, I have done a brief patent search and been unable to find one. And common sense tells me that the cost to purchase the “original recipe” from the most recent manufacturer would be outrageous, IF they would sell it.
I too have been longing for a Pine Bros. Cough drop – honey or cherry, it doesn’t matter, SO I have been using my pastry chef and candy making skills to recreate a “candy” (claiming no medicinal value, which I am sure that no one would care). I have come very very close.
Wish me luck, and when my family agrees that I am there, I will post again and solicit taste testers. (free samples for 20 or 30 Pine Bros. fans.)
IF Dannette Simmons is telling the truth, perhaps the delay is getting FDA approval? Because they are trying to remanufacture a “cough drop.” Not holding my breath.
I’d be happy to be a taste tester for a new “Tastes Like Old Pine Bros.” drop. Nostalgia sells well in today’s market, so there is surely some profit to be made on mature taste buds. An important element, in addition to the taste and mouth feel, is certainly the shape. Can that be duplicated, too?
I wonder how this kind of old fashioned item would be received by younger people who have never tasted PB before. Some creative marketing would be in order once the product is ready.
Here’s hoping it becomes a tasty reality soon! I’m salivating already.
Cracker Barrel sells nostalgic candy. If I developed a retro Pine Brothers cough drop, this is the first place I would contact for marketing them.
Making candy here in Central Florida is a task usually accomplished in the winter due to humidity, but I still try on cooler/less humid (LOL LOL) summer days.
Thanks for the replies and encouragement. This is a labor of love and a personal challenge, not necessarily an attempt at making me rich. Although a few extra bucks never hurt. (And since I am making the honey ones with real honey, the trial and error has been a bit pricey.)
Our A/C is finally done for. It has been struggling (we thought it was just plain hot-which it was) but it seems that it was one the way out. A new A/C is being installed within the next few days and I am looking forward to the potential for humitidy below 40% in the house after about a week of drying out. Current temp outside is 93 humidity 99%, inside temp is 87 and humidity 62%-a hot sticky mess-yuck-and NO conditions to cook sugar.
I will report as soon as I can.
the new weight watchers cherry fruities ARE pine bros. cherry as close as I can remember them (and I do remember then pretty well). At $3 a box on ebay they are not cheap but worth every penny. Made with real cherry juice and glycerin. Chewy and soft but not too soft, same exact consistancy. try just one pack, you will be hooked if you liked the pine bros. cherry. I only found out about them from reading this site and I don’t think you can get them except at w.w. meetings and ebay. only cherry though, no honey. they are delish. I could eat 5 packs a day easily.
Hi, in regard to the candy from weight watchers. Can you list the ingredients. I see it says sugar free, but do they have sorbitol (yuck)…thanks…
robin
You people who do not know about Pine Brothers Cough Drops have no clue what this website is for. No one is looking for cough drops. Pine Bros was a very chewy type of candy. No medicinal value. Stop taking up space in case us real Pine Bros groupies miss a post on where to duplicate! Sorry if I sound mean but dang…why are you posting if you are not even familiar with the product? You gotta b a baby boomer 2 even have a clue of what we are searching for.
I loved reading the posts from everyones childhood and their memories of Pine Bros and other candy. I have another one I have been looking for. Pom-Poms..a soft chocolate covered caramel sold like Dots, or Milk Duds…do they still make Pom Pom’s?
Actually, I’m a Gen-X’er who misses Pine Brothers.
Wow Sheila, relax will ya. I don’t see any comments here taking up space except for maybe the comments from Danette. And I am not a baby boomer and I miss Pine Bros as much as every other poster here.
What I want to know is if anyone here who said they were going to order from pinebothers.com actually did and what they thought.
I used to love eating the Honey Pine Bros cough drops one after the other as they tasted so good. Didn’t care about if they soothed my cough or not, I remember eating them as a kid up to about the 1980’s. Then they were gone for good. These cough drops, along with most other candy from when I was a kid are gone forever, I guess.
Looks like Candymaker is our best option at this point. I too believe the http://www.pinebros.com people are frauds. If they had ANYTHING they would be posting it either in here or on their site. California is a long way away to hire former employees of an East coast company. Good luck Candymaker! You have many people hoping you can make it work.
Let me JOIN the club………..My mouths been watering for YEARS now in a request for the HONEY’s.
PLEASE PLEASE PLAESE count me in for my long lost PINE BROS…….if anyone ever finds honey call me ASAP 706-714-8545 THANK YOU!
Someone could be RICH if they could duplicate these.
I’ll be one paying for them.
I am also in search of the Pine Bros. They were the best treat ever. -Getting a new box, opening the wax paper and pulling out that gummy drop is something I really miss. They NEED to be back on the shelves…period!
Simple, sweet and wonderfully good.
I have my fingers crossed for Candymaker to come through!
please contact me for a test test. I’ll buy a pant load of them if you get it right – or even close to right.
My wife seems to be addicted to Halls Mentho Lyptus Honey Lemon cough drops — 10 to 20 a day. I say this because she gets asthma-like symptoms when she needs another drop.
It seems that she started out using them for a sore throat. Now she starts to cough with restricted throat air flow and then the cough drop opens up her breathing and instantly causes symptoms to disappear. Could this be why there is a suggestion to consult a doctor if you need them for more than 2 days? Why do most sites on the wwweb say not to worry because they are only candy? My wife says that there are many addicts because they disappear off the shelves quite fast. Halls seem to be the most “effective”. I have to make sure that we always have sufficient on hand.
Is there a cure? Cadbury must be happy, eh?
My sister and i used to go to the corner drug store with my grandma and buy these all the time. She loved the Cherry and i adored the Honey.
Candymaker – if there is anything we can do to help, ingredients, trials, etc, please let us know.
I think that you can also use pine tar… they might sell it in some health food stores – i’m going to one now, but here are some directions:
http://www.ehow.com/how_4493957_make-pine-tar-cough-remedies.html
Good luck and let’s hope the Pine Bros come back!!
~Marj :D
when i was a younger we use to give pine brothers cough drops out to football players relagated to the pine to give them something to chew on while they watched us play.
You can order Pine Brothers drops at the Vermont Country Store website. They just have the honey flavor. I just ordered some, so I haven’t been able to try them yet and see how close they are to the original, but here’s hoping!
I had to get my order in so I can try them! We’ll see what happens… Thanks for the info :)
Holy Crap! The Pine Brothers website has been updated too. Coming Sooooon!!! Wild Cherry!
I love you, #233!! I just placed my order!
Vermont Country Store – $9.90 for a tin. I like them but, not that much. I hope that price get’s MUCH more reasonable.
Actually, it’s $9.90 for 3 tins. So, $3.30 each.
Isn’t it funny to think we would pay almost $10 a tin and not know how many were in there? There could be 5 pieces in there and some of us would pay that much just to relive our childhood :) Glad it was 3 tins for that much, though. But heck, I paid outrageous amounts for the Grethers, so $10 is a bargain!
Pine Brothers will be back very soon, as I mentioned last year on this wite. I didn’t want to announce anything additional until firm—My family member purchased the Pine Brothers brand about 6 years ago and has spend the past couple years painstakenly trying to replicate it exactly as it was before. Honey, Cherry and Licorice will be the initial flavors offered…Pine Brothers is being launched this Spring and will be in stores hopefully by Fall 2011. Ask your local drugstore and grocery store for it! It is so exciting to see all the buzz of people still seeking it after all these years. The new owner is as nostalgic about it as you and truly wants to make it just as we all remember!
@ Carol,
It’s definitely crazy to think how much we’d spend for nostalgia’s sake, but thankfully (as Jason above you pointed out) the price is for 3 tins. And according to the Vermont Country Store website, each tin contains 26 drops. That should last me…umm…about 1 day! :)
Naturally it’s great to hear about the rebirth of Pine Bros, but unfortunately the flavors mentioned were my least favorite, although I did buy the Honey flavored ones occasionally. I, as many others did, treated Pine Bros as candy rather than a cough drop. My guilty pleasure was the fabulous Menthol flavored Pine Bros drops. I worked as a clerk in a drugstore after school in the late fifties and besides getting a small discount, I also made sure that I kept an ample supply of Pine Bros ordered so there was no chance of running out. In retrospect, I sure wish I had ordered several years supply to hold me over during the lean years of unavailability. I will eagerly await the relaunch and hope that the Menthol flavor will eventually be added to the list.
Wow, what good news that my favorite Pine Bros flavor, Honey is available. I’m one of those that ate them as candy, knowing they don’t do anything for a cough. I’m ordering right now.
I cannot believe Pine Brothers cough drops are returning! I have been searching for them for years. I like them because when I get a bad cold it descends into post-nasal drip, which makes me cough all the time and often turns into bronchitis. With Pine Brothers, and no other cough drop ever, I could push one of them up against the roof of my mouth when I was going to sleep and it stuck there, long-lasting, stopping my cough. I can’t tell you how valuable that was. You can’t do that with a hard cough drop.
So has anyone gotten theirs yet? I can’t wait for these to be delivered!
OMG! Got them today and just as yummy as in the 80’s.
I might eat a whole package tonight! Worth every penny. Looking forward to cherry.
I got my three tins yesterday. Wow. What can I say. Two of them are already gone. Really, really great. They seem to have just a *tad* less of the honey flavor than I remember, but I could very easily be misremembering that. Definitely worth every penny. I can’t wait until these are more widely available again, but for now, I’m going to order several more tins from vermontcountrystore.com.
Danette: Tell your family excellent work on the reformulation and thank you for bringing these back into the world!
Mike, you’re right. The honey is not as strong as before, but they still taste good. Ordering more now.
I received my 3 tins on Wednesday and I’m already halfway through my second tin!
I thought the honey flavor tasted slightly off, like what you guys have been saying about it not being quite as strong as before, but I wasn’t sure if I was just idealizing my memories of how it used to taste.
Regardless, I’m thrilled to have my Pine Bros. drops back!
The Vermont country store has PINE BROS. honey. but not cherry. They are looking into this for me. So. Check it out.
I just ordered 9 containers from Vermont Country Store also. Got them in the mail today and shared them with all my employees! LOVE THEM! Can’t wait for the cherry to come back out! I remember going to the pharmacy in the 80’s when I was about 8 or 9 years old and getting packs of these to eat like candy. I crave them! Can’t wait till they are more easily accessible. :)
Beware of scammers people… Pine Bros did not come in tins, cans, or containers. they were sold in cardboard boxes look them up with a google image search. good luck out there…
B: It’s not a scam. We’ve already gotten ours. The packaging has been re-done. It’s great. Order away.
I agree with Mike D. I’m eating mine as I type. I could only find the original Honey but they taste the same as they used to. Yes they have re-done the packaging. It’s a hard plastic yellow round container with a top that twists off. It’s called Pine Bros. Softish Throat Drops Natural Honey. It has a picture of two of the throat drops, one on top of the other. NET WT. 1.94 oz (55g).
The only scam here is the outrageous price Vermont Country Store is charging for the Pine Bros and the high cost of shipping. I’ve learned to eat them sparingly so they will last longer.
I agree with Rich. Vermont Country Store got greedy and packaged them like they are delicacies. They’re just simple old-fashioned, low-tech gummy candies that happen to have a different texture, taste, and lasting ability than other gummy candies.
I will buy them because they are the only cough drops that seem to work when I get a very bad cold. I can basically pin them to the roof of my mouth and go to sleep without coughing all night. But the price compared to quantity certainly does not make me a fan of Vermont Country Stores. On the other hand, it could be the manufacturer who is doing the hold-up here.
I have searched for the cough drops of my youth for the last few years and stumbled upon this website on my birthday of all days to be extremely disappointed to hear that pine bros. Were discontinued and I might never enjoy these ridiculously awesome “cough drops” again. I should have continued reading further posts.( I read the first couple didn’t notice they were from ’07) but I was so disappointed. Fast forward 8 days later and I’m watching the Price is right before having to go to work and one of the pricing games had Pine Bros. Cough drops!!! I couldn’t believe my eyes. I grabbed my IPad and searched the Internet, came across the pinebros.com coming soon website and to make a long story short found Vermont candy co. A few mins later. Ordered them faster than anything anything I have before, not even looking at price, quantity or info. The box has been updated to a round tin but the drops look just like they did when I first tried them in the 80’s Can’t wait till they get here! I also love claeys horehound candy which I read about other people liking on this board. Now all I need is Delpha rolls and my favorite candies that I’ve been searching for will be complete. Anyone have info? Thanks for making this page. Long live the Pine Bros.!
To Medico, good news and bad news:
The Delpha rolls are back – sort of – under the name of “Broadway.” Available at Amazon, but I got some in a candy store in Plymouth, MA. Unfortunately, they are not the same chewiness, and not the right flavor, either.
Personally, I am looking forward to the cherry Pine Bros., but am unlikely to spring for shipping. So, I am hoping they get sold at Walgreens-type stores. To Danette: Do you know if mass-merchandising is in the works? I imagine they have to fet the production and all the flavors first.
I have looked for a very long time for these couhgdrops and Vick’s, Smith Brothers. If you have an old drugstore in your community–check them–they might have stored them in the rear and forgot about them.
I hope they bring out the Licorice flavor. Love the cherry and honey too. I have tons of Cherry in the 5 pack tins. (I cornered the market on eBay). So I have about 20 sealed packs of the Cherry drops from thelate 80’s.
The Honey are available at http://www.drugstore.com now, the rest of the flavors should be coming in as well. The company was bought and they are re-launching them.
Hi, I just purchased the Pine Bros. that were released by the people that bought the actual company. There is a website, only an advertisement, but it will make you smile to see it, pinebros.com
AND, I got the honey ones on drugstore.com
they are in a round plastic container, and I’d say they are 95% like the real thing. I believe I got an email from one of you on this chat group that they the company had been bought. The only difference I find is that they are not shinny like they were back in the 50s and 60s and they are are bit more chewy, though they are incredibly fresh, so that could be it. They contain only a couple of ingredients (NO ZINC!!!) and to me they taste about perfect. I am now waiting for the cherry, because that was my favorite. But if you want the real thing I believe this is it!! It appears Pine Bros. is back. They are on sale right now, so I’d say if you want them get them before they are gone!
REALLY THEY ARE IT!!
Wow. I just heard the news! This is AMAZING! I just re-read the thread and noticed my first posts here were from 2007. Damn. I’m really excited for some wild cherry PBs.
I’m going to buy a crate in case they disappear again.
During the late 50’s I was a high school kid working in a drug store, and was responsible for reordering the candy and cough drops. It seems that I was ordering Pine Bros. every week, mainly because I was buying the complete supply and eating them like candy. My favorite flavor was Menthol, which hasn’t been mentioned much on this site. My second favorite was Honey. I hope that the Menthol flavor will be added in the future.
There are Cherry Pine Bros from 10 years ago for auction on Ebay right now!
There are original HONEY, CHERRY AND GREEN TEA FLAVORS ON EBAY NOW.
I’m not so sure about the other ones on eBay… I won cherry ones and would be more than happy to share with anyone interested in trying them! It wasn’t in the package I expected (packet instead of box), though they were sealed until they arrived. I couldn’t resist opening them! Just not the same as I remember them : ) I will wait for the new ones to come out, though I’m a little disappointed in the new honey in that they should have a little more flavor to them. Hopefully the cherry ones will be good!
Vermont Country Store now lets you choose from honey or cherry! Anyone tried the cherry yet?
It’s too bad, but it’s not letting me order Cherry… I’m curious if anyone actually got an order through.
They have a Cherry option, but when I went to order it (after giving them my CC) the total was $0
So, I don’t know if this is a glitch. I ordered the Honey previously and had no problems!
I ordered the cherry and it went through, but then I got an email saying the cherry were no longer available. I don’t know it that means they were actually available or not.
The website still let’s you choose them.
I really can’t believe my eyes! I loved PB cough drops and having been intermittently searching the internet for info about them for years.A few years back somebody came out with “new” version “based on the old receipe” but then they disappeared. They were chewy but didn’t taste anything like the originals.
I’m really overwhelmed to see that some one is now bringing the originals back. I guess folks won’t understand this unless they liked them as much as I did. I note that some people who have bought the honey say it doesn’t taste exactly like the original. I would like to point out that the original PB from the 60’s were in a gray box. There was no menthol, but honey, cherry, licorice and citrus. This is what the web site shows. This changed in the 70’s when they went to a white box with menthol instead of citrus. Personally I liked the originals much better.
It always has puzzled me why companies take such popular products off the market. Is it because the market share is only growing 1% instead of 5%. I can’t imagine they were losing money. Some other examples: when Quaker bought Golden Grains they stopped making the original formula of Ric a Roni. Now they have about 10 varieties, but none as good as the original. A few years back Post took Alphabets off the market (after first making a non-sweeten version!). Fortunately that’s back on the market. Why do companies make these decisions? It seems like they need “new and improved” to push sales, irrespective of their satisfied customers (remember “New” Coke?). Hershey bought Y&S and changed the taste of both Twizzlers and Switzers — not for the better IMHO. They also discontinued licorice pipes and cigars, although the cigars are still available in Canada — at a hefty premium for shipping.
Sorry about the rant. My heartfelt thanks to the folks who are now manufacturing PB. You’ll have one loyal customer here!
Just got the honey from drugstore.com. As i thought, these are more like the PB from the 60’s before they changed to from the gray box. I disposed of an entire tin in short order. I sure hope they come out with the other flavors and sell them locally soon!!
Cherry are at drugstore.com now – available august :)
http://www.drugstore.com/pine-bros-softish-throat-drops-wild-cherry/qxp343087?fromsrch=pine+bros
I JUST GOT MY CHERRY FROM DRUGSTORE.COM!!!!!
THEY ARE EXCELLENT!!!! Now hoping they make the licorice ones!
Agreed. The cherry ones are spectacular. The honeys are a tad on the weak side.
Found the Pine Bros. in CVS in the cough & cold aisle, in the bags of cough drops.
Were they in bags or plastic ‘tins?’. What city?
Maryann…
They have them in bags at CVS drug stores…they cost about 50 cents more than online at drugstore.com or vermontcountrystore but there is no shipping and there are more in the package, so it is pretty even I guess. They are in a bag though, not the round plastic “pucks” as they call them on their website pinebros.com. All CVS should have them…but people seem to be buying them up like crazy so if one CVS is out the next CVS should have them…r
Woo hoo! I just waltzed into a CVS (Malden, MA) and picked up a bag of cherry. They were with the Cough and Cold remedies, among the hanging bags of other throat and cough stuff (Halls, Vicks, etc.) Interesting that they were not at the candy counter, which is where I remember buying them in my childhood. OH! I forgot they are supposed to be for coughs! They were $3.59 for a bag of 32 drops. They also had honey.
The verdict? (IMHO) Really good, and really similar, in texture. I got the same cherry scent when I opened the bag, and I judge the flavor as good as the original. And, they are properly chewy. I am really happy about that! One slight difference is they seem to have microscopic air bubbles in them, so they are not quite as smooth. But, it really doesn’t detract from the experience. So, go buy some already! I think you’ll be pleased.
Now, I am impatiently awaiting a cough to justify them ;-D
Cool! I went to CVS (outside Chicago, IL) and they had two bags. There was something missing, but they are still awesome! I think after trying them both that I like the honey better. The price at CVS sure beats tins and shipping! Thanks for the info :)
I’ve been buying honey and cherry from drugstore.com, but CVS would be easier, and if not in my local store, I can order from CVS online, which I’ve done before because I don’t want to walk into the insanity that is in my local CVS (they never have sufficient staff at the cash registers and checkout lines can go down the aisles). I do want the licorice to come back as well, but have heard no information about it.
BTW, I like the honey better than the cherry, too. For me, it’s because the cherry needs a more intense cherry flavor and could be a bit softer.
Someone asked about licorice coming out. I recently wrote to Pine Bros. at the address on their web site and was told licorice and the citrus would not be out until mid-2012. If you write to them them will put you on their mailing list and keep you informed…at least that is what they told me they did in my case. I wrote a long letter telling them my history with their product and got a quick response.
And remember if you are getting them from CVS you gotta save the little tubs you have gotten them in previously to store them in because they won’t stay as fresh in the bag them come in from CVS.
In re addiction to Halls: I had a friend many years ago who was addicted to Vicks Cough Drops. She began to develop diabetes from all the sugar, so do be careful. Some people actually become dependent on the menthol taste, which personally I can’t tolerate. But do be careful of the sugar content.
Some of you youngsters think that loving Pine Brothers since 1980 is a long time. I was born in 1932 and my mother furnished me with the honey drops in my childhood. I loved them, and they remained the only cough drops I used until they simply disappeared. How wonderful that I will be able to get them again. The site tells me that CVS carries them, and I’ll check that today….if they don’t have them I shall order them online and pay the shipping. But by hook or by crook I will have Pine Brothers.
Happened upon your page… I’ve also been searching for Pine Bros. drops for a very long time. To my surprise, THEY ARE BACK! I’ve yet to taste one to see if they will meet my expectations! I haven’t found them in a store locally yet, but it’s only a matter of time!!!!
http://pinebrothers.com/
THEY ARE BACK! I think maybe the girl who’s been talking on here for years about how her uncle or whatever acquired the company wasn’t lying! Who is the first to try? I am ordering them off ebay today, will let you know!
I went looking for them today 1-3-12. My local CVS carries them. The packaging is different than I remember as they are in a bag but my fav cough drop is still available in cherry! Yum!
Just wanted to say “this thread made my night” I started at the very top and couldn’t believe they no longer made chewy drops! I also couldn’t believe how many people are addicted to them!! I’m 34 and remember eating them as a kid! For some reason I thought Ludens made them. (shrugs). I finally got through the whole thread and just ordered off of pinebros.com. I’m soooo excited!! Gotta love the Internet!
The Pine Bros cough drops from my childhood (1970s-early 1980s) most certainly did not have zinc or slippery elm in them. I think those were a later addition.
This is my second post, but I must reply to those whose childhood experience goes back a whopping 30 years!
I first got Pine Bros. from my mother when I was about 3 years old…..that would have been 1935. I’m now a happy 81 and delighted with the Pine Bros available. Slippery Elm? who ever heard of that in the 30’s?