While traveling in 2009, I found myself in the candy section of an airport shop when I spotted a box of Wild Ape Grape flavor Krystal Roks. I’d never come across Krystal Roks before, so I grabbed up the wonderfully-illustrated box and went on my way. Several months later I was fortunate to find the other three flavors of Krystal Roks at a retro candy store and today I’d like showcase this neat, four-box set.
Krystal Roks were a flavored rock candy product distributed by Dryden & Palmer, a company known for their rock candy confections for over a century. While the simplicity of rock candy might make it seem rather old-fashioned, Krystal Roks was a wonderful attempt to give the confection a colorful contemporary edge.
To their credit, I found the flavors to be very “of-the-now” and the packaging immediately attention-getting. Here are the four different flavor boxes of Krystal Roks:
Dryden & Palmer – Krystal Roks Pure Cane Sugar Candy – Wild Ape Grape – box – 2009
Dryden & Palmer – Krystal Roks Pure Cane Sugar Candy – Big Blue Raspberry – box – 2009
Dryden & Palmer – Krystal Roks Pure Cane Sugar Candy – Very Cherry – box – 2009
Dryden & Palmer – Krystal Roks Pure Cane Sugar Candy – Yellin’ Watermelon – box – 2009
Those are the only four flavors of Krystal Roks I ever encountered and I’m fairly certain those are the only ones produced. Sadly, it does not appear that these were available long after I came across them back in 2009. I’ve not seen them in any of my candy travels since and they are not listed as a current product at the D&P webstore.
I have since picked up one of Dryden & Palmer’s more classic rock candy offerings, and it came in a decidedly more old-fashioned, yet-still-classy box. [Note the history of D&P on the side panel.] Here it is:
Dryden & Palmer – Rock Candy Crystals – Pure Cane Sugar candy box – 2009
When I found that box, I was reminded that I do have a vintage D&P rock candy box from the 1950’s or 1960’s somewhere in my collection. I searched my files for it so that it could be included in today’s post, but I came up empty. When I do come across it again, I’ll be sure to share it here.
And that’s everything for today’s coverage of Dryden & Palmer’s delightful Krystal Roks.
See you next time!
Cool art on the those boxes!