Sunday, April 21, 2013

MilkShake (candy)

imageThe Hollywood Candy Company was a minor but successful national candy chain for much of the 20th century.  Named after their home base in Hollywood, MN, they successfully introduced the first fluffy nougat bar, MilkShake.  It was so successful that the Mars Candy Company put out their own version:  Milky Way.*

I first discovered MilkShake in the late 50s.  By this time, Milky Way was one of the most  popular candy bars in the US, and MilkShake looked like a cheap knockoff.  I didn’t like it as much:  it didn’t have as good a flavor or texture.  But in the summer, MilkShake was more than just a candy bar:  it was a frozen treat.

Just about every place that sold ice cream novelties also sold frozen MilkShakes.  This was not like today, when a novelty is created from ice cream that tastes vaguely like its namesake.  No, they would put a bunch of MilkShake bars in the freezer and sell them (for a premium) as a treat in hot weather.

A frozen MilkShake came out of the freezer too hard to bite into.  But, with a little work and patience and, of course, thawing, it would slowly begin to warm up just enough to be eaten.  The combination of the chill and the candy rush made it a treat.

Around the mid-60s, the treat vanished.  Maybe the MilkShake was taken off the market,** but I remember asking for one and they had no idea what I was talking about.  Milky Way was a poor substitute, mostly because it was denser.  And while that made it better eaten straight, it meant it was ever harder to bite into.  The practice of freezing candy bars faded away.

Hollywood Candy remained around, but the company was bought by a series of different candy companies starting in 1967, about the time MilkShake vanished.  Their two most successful brands – Zero and Payday -- are still around and now owned by Hershey.

The MilkShake was not a great candy until frozen.  Then, they were at the top of my list.

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*Candy recipes are not patented, so if you can figure out how your competitor made theirs, you can easily make a knockoff.

**The history of trademark foods, especially forgotten brands, is not easy to piece together.  No one really keeps track or pays much attention.

81 comments:

Unknown said...

I liked this better than the Milky Way. I wish they still made them.

Anonymous said...

I like this better tjan Milky Way. I wish they still made these.

Anonymous said...

Please bring back the milkshake candy bar. It never should of gone away! It's my favorite candy bar, its so sad that you can't get it anywhere now.

Doug said...

The Milkshake Bar was still available until the late 1970s. I'm pretty sure I still saw them around 1977-78. They were my fave!

Anonymous said...

I was born in 1979 and can remember eating these as a kid. They were my favorites along with Zero bars!

Unknown said...

They made a short comeback in 1993. I got them where I work. A vendor would come in with one of those boxes in where you inserted your exact change. I would buy all that were there. I miss that yummy goodness of a MILKSHAKE.

Diane said...

One of my all time favorites - Milkshake candy bar. Why do the best things in life always get snatched away?

93W original owner said...

The Mars 'Believe' candy bar found in UK stores is very close and, yes, great frozen. Was a nice surprise and flashback.

Unknown said...

I remember the milkshake candy bars. There's nothing out there that compares. I sure wish they would re-introduce them.

Cathy said...

I remember them making a come back also in the early 90's my favorite candy bar ever!!!! PLEASE BRING THEM BACK PLEASE!!!!!!!!!!!!

Anonymous said...

Nothing compares to the milkshake bar they were one of a kind wish there was a way someone could bring them back!!

Unknown said...

I remember eating milkshake candy bars as a boy when I went to the movies they were my favorite candy bar and yes I remember bringing some home also and putting them in the freezer they were excellent too bad they don't have them anymore.

Anonymous said...

I remember buying frozen milk shake bars at the snack bar of our neiborhood pool in summer. This would have been in the early seventies.

Quest Girl said...

You're right, they were. I'm pretty sure I saw them over after that time frame too.

Quest Girl said...

You're right, they were. I'm pretty sure I saw them over after that time frame too.

Anonymous said...

I Remember going to Jefferson pool in Eugene Oregon in the late 60's. After swimming, we all went to the snack bar. It was my favorite.

Richard ... said...

I got a shock when, in 1989, I stumbled into a Mom and Pop store near Kenwood, WA that actually had half a box of Milkshake bars on the shelf. It was like stepping out of a Time Machine. I did not care that they may have been buried in the back under a pile of dusty boxes for two and a half decades. I bought a couple and left feeling the rush of possibility that these bars were again being made. Disappointingly, it must have been either a miracle or a marketing fluke as I never again saw them being sold there (or anywhere). When I brought it up upon my next visit, the clerk gave me a empty look and remarked that they had no idea what I was talking about. Pure Twilight Zone. I should have bought the whole damn box. I would not be surprised if my account is not believed. I did not believe it myself. Let us conspire to bring this bar back into the world. There's gotta be enough talent among us (all) to pull it off. The status quo sucks. Waiting for big money to bother is a waste of time. Let's take charge! (( And, while we are at it, let's also resurrect the Big Time and the Hollywood bars. ))

Anonymous said...

Something totally magical about a frozen milkshake after an afternoon at the pool. I lived half a block from our public pool and swam and had a frozen milkshake afterwards pretty much every day all summer somewhere in the late 60s (68 or 69 I think). Haven't seen or tasted one since, but I've thought of those hot summer afternoon frozen treats often. To this day, I put most chocolates in the fridge, and freeze some types of candy bars as a direct result of that experience, but of course nothing ever comes close to a frozen milkshake!

Unknown said...

I can not believe the loved candy bar and they won't make them again with such a high demand! Help all of us Milkshake lovers bring them back! Grambo65

Anonymous said...

I bought these in 1984 in Seattle.

Maverick said...

I remember finding milkshakes at convenience stores in east Tennessee as recently as about 1980. Glad Zero is still around. Yes.Bring the milkshake back. Hershey Maybe? C'mon.

Maverick said...

I remember finding milkshakes at convenience stores in east Tennessee as recently as about 1980. Glad Zero is still around. Yes.Bring the milkshake back. Hershey Maybe? C'mon.

Anonymous said...

AWWWWW COME ON GUY'S...WHAT'S IT GONNA TAKE TO BRING BACK THE ''MILKSHAKE CANDYBAR''?.I USED TO EAT THAT DELICIOUS CANDYBAR ALL THE TIME WHEN I WAS GROWING UP IN CHICAGO,ILL. IN THE 60'S & 70'S...WHY DO THEY ALWAYS HAVE TO STOP MAKING THE BEST PRODUCT'S?..SOME PEOPLE SAY THAT THEY CAN STILL FIND IT AT CERTAIN PLACES, BUT I HAVE'NT FOUND IT IN CALIFORNIA YET!..MAYBE I MIGHT LUCK UP AND FIND IT SOMEWHERE ONE DAY WHEN I'M NOT LOOKING FOR IT...PLEASE BRING BACK THE ''MILKSHAKE CANDYBAR''...THAT CANDYBAR IS BY FAR WAY BETTER TASTING THAN A LOT OF CANDYBARS OUT ON THE MARKET TODAY..YOU HAVE A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT ARE BACKING THIS PRODUCT....PLEASE BRING BACK THE ''MILKSHAKE CANDYBAR''...THANX

Gregg said...

The frozen foods vending machine at work offers several candy bars.

Unknown said...

Hershey??? M & M Mars Co??? Nestle? Are you listening, or are you going to continue to roll out the same sleepy candy bars with temporary new flavors? The Hollywood Milkshake candy bar was extremely popular. But when you're a small fry in a extra large corporate world, you don't stand a chance. They simply got shut out; received less shelf space, forced price cutting to sell below cost, retailers told to stop ordering or they wouldn't have access to the "National Brands" & the other usual political BS that would never allow a small company to grow. So now that Hollywood Candy Co has been out of business for many years, "what say you" corporate candy America?

CJ Morales said...

Milkshake by far the best candy my brother & I ever tasted! For the love of Pete bring it back already!

CJ Morales said...

Milkshake by far the best candy my brother & I ever tasted! For the love of Pete bring it back already!

Unknown said...

Was a big favorite at Little League snack bar. Frozen Milkshake after a hot ballgame was the best.

Unknown said...

Love those things, wish they were still around, so many friends and family never noticed them and today are oblivious to this exemplary treat. I wish I had a box to hand out, because whoever would get one would be a loyal friend for life:)

Anonymous said...

Glad to see so many people miss this treat. The milkshake candy bar was the best ever. I remember freezing them. If they came back I'd keep several boxes in the freezer. It would be great if they were brought back. Milky Way does not compare. I'd bet they would be a top seller.

Anonymous said...

We ran a small single screen movie theatre. We would put popsicle sticks into the end of the candy bar, thru the wrapper of course, and put them down into ice to get them cold. A favorite of the soda fountain customers. One of my favd too. Along with those zero bars.

Anonymous said...

A Milkshake bar is the only candy bar I get a craving for and it ain't available.. A milky way just don't put the crave down.. I took them bars for granted when I was younger now I wish I had eat them till I got sick on them!

HOLLYWOOD SQUARETET said...

I remember these when I was a kid and young man but I cant put a date on it.. maybe as late as 1978 I had my last one. :( Even though I lived in the big city of Los Angeles, I didn't see these too often, but I would grab one when I could. They were NOT amazing just different and special to me. And even if I was looking for a chocolate bar, I would take one of these over a Hershey's ant day if available. Seeing The picture of one now reminds me of a world long lost to corporate take overs, and mediocrity. The internet is a time machine like. Sadly. -Todd H. -Los Angeles

Unknown said...

It was, a local drive-in here had them frozen. I would order a black cow and dip the milkshake candy bar in the black cow! Boy, that was Good! I would have been 10 years old in 1978 and remember them well. Sure do miss that candy bar!!

Andy K said...

I always preferred Milkshake and Hollywood candy bars to their more popular counterparts, Three Musketeers And Snickers. What made the difference was the taste of the nougat: Milkshake and Hollywood bars contained malt in the nougat.

BTW, the Hollywood Candy Company was bought in the late ‘90s by one of the giants, either M&M/Mars or Hershey. All of the old Hollywood line was discontinued- except for Payday and Zero bars- shortly after the sale.

Unknown said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Unknown said...

I remember Milkshake candy bars as being similar to Zero bars as far as the nouget center but with a thin caramel layer and milk chocolate coating. There was another component that gave it a very slight crunch texture to it like some sort of ground nut. Whatever it was, they tasted great and I really loved them myself. Nothing else tasted like a Milkshake bar.

Unknown said...

Rereading your comment after posting mine and it is malt that I was trying to describe. Kind of obvious now that I think about it since they named it Milkshake Bar.

Anonymous said...

It is by far the best candy bar I ever had. We are sitting here at work talking about it. Would be awesome if you would bring it back.

Unknown said...

Yes I agree

Anonymous said...

Loved Milk Shake Candy bars in the 80's. Milky Way is great but not what it use to be. Time to bring Milk Shake back!!

Daniel Snyder said...

The Milkshake was my favorite candy bar in the 60s and to the late 70s. Other good ones by the same company were the Hollywood bar, The 7-up bar, and the Butternut bar. I also believe that Bit-O-Honey was made by Hollywood back in the day. I wish that you could still get the discontinued candy bars of the past. Especially the Milkshake bar!!

Unknown said...

These milkshake candy bars are so good I still think about them all the time, isn't that crazy

Unknown said...

I miss my milkshake candy bars!!!

Unknown said...

Please bring back the milkshake I guarantee you they will sell please and where our kids and something taste them because I know they will sell cuz we got frozen ice cream now on sticks and we got him just Ellie got Snickers and all in my Frozen so bring back

Unknown said...

Please bring back the milkshake I guarantee you they will sell please and where our kids and something taste them because I know they will sell cuz we got frozen ice cream now on sticks and we got him just Ellie got Snickers and all in my Frozen so bring back

Unknown said...

I'm in total agreement with you. The best candy bar ever

Unknown said...

Seeing the picture of the label brings me back. I loved that candy bar

Unknown said...

I loved the milk shake candy bar after my little league games and I wish they would still make them! We ought to start a petition and get as many votes as possible to bring back those bars!

Unknown said...

I loved these candy bars when I was a kid. Yes they was good frozen 2. Wish they would come back out with them.

Unknown said...

Zero is a great candybar, but nothing can top the Milkshake! Missing it! C'mon, bring it back already!

Terry said...

It was the best damned candy bar there EVER was!! The Cracker Barrel restaurant has many different chocolate bars, like Black cow, and others you may remember, I looked for a Milkshake bar, thinking maybe they may have had them, where they have a lot of the old candies that we all knew and loved, but, to no avail-I believe it was M&M Mars that made them, however, I could be mistaken, but I remember those luscious MilkShake bars, and now that I hear others talking about them, as well, I think it is HIGH time we got together, and let The Hershey Company know how we all feel about a historic Chocolate bar that put smiles on everybody's faces-I used to buy them back in the late 60's, on a hot day, and I would put a few of them in the freezer- I will never forget the creamy, nougat texture they had, and would buy them by the case if they were to be manufactured again, that you can be assured of!! I was thinking about them just the other day, and remembered just how much I enjoyed them- It's funny, though, when something like that is no longer made, just makes one appreciate them all the more- Like they say, you never know how much you appreciate something like that, until they are gone for good- Let's hope they do come back with them, it will be a great day for all of us that enjoyed them so much!!

Terry said...

That's right, NOW I remember, it was the Hollywood Candy Company that produced the Milk Shake bar- I was mistaken- I'm 62 now, and I still think that the Milk Shake bar was the best ever, and now that I think about it, with all the candy bars I ever ate, the Milk Shake bar was my favorite of all of them, as Milky Way, 3 Musketeers bars were not bad, but couldn't hold a candle to the Milk Shake bar, it had it's own special taste, I will never forget them, ever!!Personally, I think they were to die for!!

Nastalgic said...

nothing in the world was better then my parents bringing me out from the rural farm into town to my grandparents house. I could walk across a small elementary school yard with dime in hand to the store called "The Milkhouse". There would be waiting for me a nice big piece of heaven called the "Milkeshake Candy Bar". I can remember this like yesterday and I am just a few days younger then Baseball LOL. I can remember eating many many of these bars and I so wish they still made them. But it was a time in our past that has moved on and left in our mind as a dream. Those were the days, with Ben Franklin Dime Store, Woolworths and 89 cent Hot Wheels cars.

Anonymous said...

Anyone who thinks a Milky Way was even close to the goodness of the Milkshake Candy bar is outright insane. M&M Mars took over the recipe from Hollywood and they never tasted the same again. All we can do is hope they have the original Milkshake bar in Heaven!!

-Alan D Hopewell said...

I loved Milkshake bars, especially frozen; I remember using my front teeth to saw my way through them.

Christopher said...

When I was a kid in California in the late 1960s, the ice cream truck that cruised our neighborhood used to sell frozen Milkshake bars. They were also sold at the Tic Toc market near our house, I used to buy them for 10 cents! They are my absolute FAVORITE candy bar of all time and I wish they would come back!
They were definitely still available much later on, the last time I remember seeing any was around 1981 or '82.

Unknown said...

We didn’t have them at our Swim Club, but some of the others did. Our swim team would visit other clubs for competitions & we always LOVED the Snack Bars of the clubs that had the “frozen” MILKSHAKE BAR. (Circadian early 70’s)!!

Unknown said...

GO BCC!!

Nancy said...

I always preferred the Milkshake bar to the Milky Way. It was just different. Even the chocolate coating seemed to taste like malt. I know Hershey eventually wouod up with the Hollywood Candy Company products. I just wrote (begged) them today to bring it back. While I liked it fresh off the candy stand, it truly came to shine when frozen at our local movie theaters. Great candy bar!

Anonymous said...

Yes Nancy! That was the secret! Malted nougat and (seemingly) malted chocolate :)

Unknown said...

I love milkshake candy bar. Wish it was still around. Mars Milky Way is good. It's not a Milky Way.

Unknown said...

I have e contacted Hershey several times and pleaded with them to bring back Milkshake candy bars, but to me avail. They have no plans to reintroduce these bars. Even if only for a limited time I thik time would be nice.

whbauer@sbcglobal.net said...

I have a 24 bars box that came with 24 delicious bars ' milk shake. Anyone interested in this box?

Unknown said...

The best ever. Miss Every time I want candy.Bring back PLEASE...

Cher said...

Who has a box of Milkshake bars? Where did you get them? How much?

Unknown said...

Yes it's my favorite as well. I never understood why it went away. Much better than milky way. And at this point Generations have never experienced it. It would be a brand new candy bar now and I'll bet very POPULAR. I came online looking for some far corner store that still sold them,and this is all I got. What a drag. Someone is missing one heck of an opportunity not bringing it back!

Unknown said...

Your right..same here.My top 2 faves there as well.

Unknown said...

I swear if they bring back milkshake candy bar I won't need to bother with milky way at all ever. Last time I had one was around 77-78. I still remember the commercial with the two cows singing the jingle...check it out on youtube

Unknown said...

Do you still have it??? I'LL BUY IT!!!

Unknown said...

WITH ALL THESE GOOD REVIEWS LETS BRING THEM BACK,AFTER MY LITTLE LEAGUE GAMES SO GOOD MOUTH WATERING!!

Unknown said...

The best candy bar. Please bring them back so our kids and grandkids can get a taste of the best candy bars ever

Unknown said...

This was the best candy bar every!! Wish they would bring them back again!!please bring it back!!

Unknown said...

I can remember going to my grandparents house to visit for the weekend. And my dad would stop at this little vegetable stand.And I would get me two milkshake candy bars. They would taste just like a chocolate milkshake. I loved them. Wish I could have another one.

Anonymous said...

As a 1960s kid, I loved Milkshake bars. I think part of it was the anticipation factor. Whenever I opened one, the wrapper was always stuck to the top of the bar in 2 lengthwise lines where caramel had oozed out between the chocolate coating. Most of the time, it was stuck so hard that it couldn't be peeled off and had to be sliced off with a knife. Which was frustrating because I wanted to chomp off a huge bite!

Sometime in the 90s, I think, I came across a Milkshake bar in a store. I bought it and immediately tore into it -- and almost couldn't believe my eyes. The wrapper stuck to the top of the candy bar along the same 2 lengthwise lines where the caramel had oozed out!! I'd forgotten all about that, and I almost wanted to cry. It was like meeting a beloved old friend.

I would dearly love to fight with a Milkshake wrapper again sometime, but it doesn't sound like it'll ever be back.

Unknown said...

Omg. Did I love those candy bars. I list my two front teeth on a frozen milk shake bar when I was little. Come on HERSHEY you still make their zero and payday bars. Let's do the throw back thing and make them again! I'm 67 years old,let a new generation love them.

Unknown said...

I grew up getting to go to town as a little girl with my dad going to the eye dr I always got a milkshake candy bar afterwards it was my favorite nothing compaires

Anonymous said...

I never had one of these candy bars, but my older brother loved them, It was his favorite. He's very sick right now and I would like to try and find a recipe. In order to come up with one and to try and make him something as close as I could get. Does anyone have any advice or know of a recipe or could tell me anything about this candy bar?

Unknown said...

My summer fav at the beach sold frozen for a dime I think The local deli sold them unfrozen for 3c when a milkyway was 5c

Anonymous said...

My Mom would put flat popsicle stick in the bar, before freezing. They were great.

doreen said...

doreen here, loved it, was upset when it was gone, just like some other older stuff. how do you know, maybe people would like it now, you never know