Don't Forget to Buy Licorice for your Dad for Father's Day

Father's Day is June 19th. Why not treat yourself to the licorice of your childhood memories and the sweet, salty, chewy, soft and sugar-free licorice of today from Licorice International? Order from Licorice International online by Monday, June 13th at noon to ensure delivery in time for Father's Day.  Or, if you live near Lincoln, Nebraska, stop by their retail store at 8th and Q Streets in Lincoln. Free samples available.

Surprise Your Dad with Licorice Gifts for Father's Day

Does your dad love licorice like you do?  Surprise him with a gift of licorice from Licorice International.  Order by noon on Monday, June 13th to ensure delivery by Father's Day.

If your father isn't a licorice fan, check out some of the other gourmet treats Licorice International offers.

The Licorice Lady on Father's Day:

Licorice Gifts for Mother's Day

Is your mother a licorice lover?  Consider giving her a special gift of licorice from Licorice International for Mother's Day. Licorice International offers licorice gift baskets and licorice samplers.  You can even build your own gift basket for only $15. In addition to lots of great candy, you can choose a licorice puzzle or even homemade licorice soap.

See all of our gift ideas here.  Be sure to order by noon on Monday, May 2, to ensure delivery by Mother's Day.

For a gift that keeps giving all year long, consider enrolling your mother in the Licorice of the Month Club.

Licorice and Other Treats for Easter

Tired of the "same old-same old" in your Easter basket? This year, let the Easter bunny bring a surprise: Licorice and other treats from Licorice International.

In order to receive your candy in time for Easter, please order by noon on Monday, April 18th.

You can fill the basket with your favorite licorice, but keeping with the Easter theme: we especially recommend the following:

Sour Stars: Kids love sour things. There's something thrilling about biting into a sugar-coated sour candy. Sour stars are a big hit with kids, plus the bright colors remind you of spring flowers and new life. They're gluten free too.

Mini Pastels: These pretty little candies are the perfect Easter treat for a licorice lover. Mini pastels have a sweet candy coating over a delicate licorice. They look great in an Easter egg or in a bowl or basket.

Ultimate Licorice Jelly Beans: Do you always pick out the black jelly beans? Save yourself the trouble and buy these pectin licorice jelly beans. We all agree that the black ones are the best, so why other with the others? These special jelly beans are made by Gimbals and are Kosher, nut free, transfat free, gelatin free, gluten free, dairy free, and egg free. Plus they taste terrific. No wonder they're the Ultimate Licorice Jelly Beans.

Licorice Day Fun

A very special thank you to the many friends who visited the Licorice International retail store in Lincoln, Nebraska, to celebrate National Licorice Day on Tuesday, April 12th.

Nearly 100 licorice lovers enjoyed free licorice samples, Stash licorice spice tea, licorice-flavored coffee and pecan preserves.

As a special gift to our local customers, we offered a Groupon ($10 worth of product for $5.) Wow! We sold all 750 Groupons before 2 p.m. Thanks, licorice lovers!

Finally, a dear friend personally delivered a beautiful spring bouquet to the Licorice Ladies. (Thanks, Doug.)

Elizabeth with the flowers

National Licorice Day Coming April 12

Did you know there's a holiday dedicated to Licorice?  That's right, National Licorice day is April 12th. It's not too early to plan.  Here are some ideas:

• Gather your friends for a licorice party
• Try some new kinds of licorice: Be daring and try salty licorice. Or just try something new.
• Make licorice jewelry, using black licorice laces and Old Fashioned Snaps.
• Enjoy some licorice coffee (regular or decaf) or licorice spice tea.
• Take a relaxing bath using licorice soap.
• Join the Licorice of the Month Club.

Be sure to visit Licorice International for all your licorice needs. Order soon to ensure that you will get your licorice by National Licorice Day.

For a Limited Time: Irish Creamy Licorice Toffee and Irish Potato Candy: Order now for St. Patrick's Day!

Now for a limited time, you can get two awesome St. Patrick's Day favorites.

Creamy Licorice Toffee by Oatfield.

Made in Ireland, this chewy delight has become a favorite at St. Patrick's Day.  The combination of licorice and toffee will delight anyone, even those who aren't big fans of black licorice.  The soft, chewy texture has a great mouth feel. Similar to Callard & Bowser licorice toffee. Order some Creamy Licorice Toffee here.

Oh Ryan's Irish Potato Candy

These extraordinary treats originated in Philadelphia a hundred years ago. They're not potatoes, and they're not really from Ireland, but they've become a favorite St. Patrick's Day treat because they look like mini-potatotes from Ireland. You'll love the creamy coconut flavor coated with cinnamon.  Excellent to serve at a St. Patrick's Day party. Order your Irish Potato Candy here.

President's Day Candy? Black Licorice Jelly Beans, of Course

Here's a great way to celebrate Father's Day: Eat some black licorice jelly beans. President Ronald Reagan loved jelly beans. He always kept a jar on his desk and often gave jelly beans as gifts. His favorite kind was black licorice.

This President's Day, in honor of President Reagan, taste some pectin licorice jelly beans made by Gimbals, available from Licorice International. Click here to order a half pound package. If you want to stock up, click here to order a five-pound bag.

Chocolate and Licorice: A Wonderful Combination for Valentine's Day. Valentine Gift Ideas from Licorice International

Chocolate makes a great Valentine's Day gift. But what if your loved one is a licorice lover? How about a gift of chocolate-covered licorice? The pairing of chocolate and licorice is amazing. During the winter months, Licorice International offers the following chocolate and licorice combinations (Click on the title to order):


Chocolate Licorice Lentils: Deep dark chocolate with a delicate licorice candy coating. A wonderful treat for both the licorice and chocolate lover. Made by Koppers.

Kookaburra Chocolate-Covered Black: Gourmet licorice from Australia drenched in rich milk chocolate. This has to be the best combination ever. Kookaburra is the best selling licorice at Licorice International.



Kookaburra Chocolate-Covered Strawberry: Strawberry licorice from Australia is drenched in rich milk chocolate to create an amazing taste sensation!




Know someone who isn't a licorice lover? Give them the Cordial Quartet. A tasty sampler of four gourmet flavors--Cappuccino, Sambuca, Creme Brulee, and Amaretto--will be sure to please any chocolate lover. Made by Koppers Chocolates.

Give a Gift of Gourmet Licorice from Around the World

Gourmet licorice makes a great gift for a licorice lover. The Tour of the World Licorice Gift Basket features 15 different kinds of licorice treats, including a mini International Sampler. Comes in a reusable basket tied with a festive ribbon. Weighs more than 4 lbs.

Click here to see more gourmet licorice gift ideas.

Or visit the Licorice International website to shop for licorice and other sweet treats for the holidays.

How to Make a Gingerbread House for Halloween using Licorice

A Halloween Gingerbread House? 

Why not? And while you're at it, why not make it a haunted gingerbread house with spooky lights shining out the windows? And of course, you'll need to use lots of licorice to decorate your haunted house.



That's what Erin, an employee at Licorice International, made this year. She used regular gingerbread pieces for the body, along with thick pretzel sticks to help support it. For a creepy looking roof, she used homemade waffle cones. To glue the pieces together, she melted sugar in a saucepan over medium heat until it turned a brownish color (330 degrees F). She simply dipped the ends in and stuck them together. Then she used the leftover sugar mixture to make dark "glass" for the windows. After putting the house together, she placed it on a tray and sprinkled crumbled Oreos around to look like dirt. (No grass in this yard.) You can add some gummy worms to the "dirt" if you wish.

Then came the fun: decorating. Erin used dipping chocolate to apply candy to the haunted house, emphasizing creepy instead of colorful. She shared the following tips, using mostly licorice from Licorice International (click on the name of the licorice to order):

Use Black Licorice Laces to wind around posts, trees, anywhere you wish. You can also use them for spider legs or witch hair.

When you unroll Black Licorice Wheels, you get double laces, which make spooky-looking windows and trim for your house.

Kenny's Black Licorice Twists work well for porch rails and make great haunted trees (just untwist the top to make branches). Then cut a Licorice Twist crosswise to make tiny spiders.

Pontefract Cakes and Batzen both work well for spider bodies.

Make tiny ghosts out of Licorice Chalk.

Beehive Honey Licorice makes a beehive on the front porch. "Instead of flowers, this house has a beehive," Erin said.

Cut a piece of Halva Licorice Bar into a doormat.

Decorate the house with Katjes Kinder (cats) and Gustaf's Platinum Select Sweet, which are shaped like goblins and witches.

To add some autumn colors, use candy corn and Reece's pieces.

Put electric lights inside for a spooky glow.

Licorice and Other Gourmet Candies for Trick or Treaters

This year, why not introduce the neighborhood kids to the great old fashioned taste of licorice?  Order from Licorice International by October 21 to make sure you get your candy in time for Halloween. Here are some wrapped licorice treats that would work great for Halloween:

Black Pipes by Leaf (from Finland). Remember buying these at the corner candy store? These pipes come individually wrapped and have that old-fashioned taste.
Click here for a box of 10
Click here for a box of 60.

Creamy Licorice Toffee from Ireland has a hint of toffee taste, making it an excellent introduction to licorice, even for those who are not sure about trying real licorice. The wonderful chewy texture makes this irresistible.
Click here for a 1/2-lb bag.
Click here for a 5-pound bag (approx. 300 pieces)
Click here for a 20-pound case (approx. 1200 pieces!)

Black Taffy. Similar to the old-fashioned Black Jack Taffy, this pink, white and black colored candy combines the flavors of anise and licorice in a soft, chewy treat.
Click here for a 1/2-pound bag.

Black Licorice Caramels. A delightful combination of chewy caramel and licorice flavor is perfect for Halloween.
Click here for a 1/4-pound bag. (Buy several to make sure you have enough.)

Licorice Starlight Mints. Also known as Licorice Pinwheels, these hard, round mints combine licorice and mint flavors for a great after-dinner taste.
Click here for a 1/2-pound bag.


Not quite courageous enough to give out licorice on Halloween?  How about these gourmet candies from Licorice International:

Butter Caramels You've got to taste these creamy butter caramels . . . there are no words to describe how good they are. Individually wrapped pieces.
Click here for a 1/4-pound bag. (Buy several to make sure you have enough.)

Glitterrati Mint Medley. This eye-catching, one-of-a-kind assortment is composed of SIX deliciously different mint candies: fourr scrumptious mint combinations (butter-mint, vanilla-mint, chocolate-mint and cinnamon-mint), plus a superb peppermint and the Chipurnoi signature mint. Only 3 calories in each piece.
Click here for a 1/4-pound package.

Licorice Ideas for Halloween Parties and Costumes

Halloween is coming, and what better way to celebrate than with licorice!  Did you know you can get gourmet licorice in some fun shapes for Halloween from Licorice International on-line? Order by October 21 to ensure delivery by Halloween. Here are some ideas for decorating and costumes.

Licorice Cats: These black cats won't scare you or bring you bad luck--just lots of real licorice flavor. Use them to decorate cookies, cupcakes or full-size cakes. Or just set them out in a bowl for munching. Available in 1/2 pound, 2.2 pound, or 6.6 pound packages

Black Licorice Laces: Need some whiskers for your black cat cake? How about some legs for your spider cupcakes? Mice ears? Just a black edge around a Halloween dessert? The possibilities are endless.  Licorice International sells Black Licorice Laces from Finland that taste amazing. Available in 4 ounce or 2 lb. packages.

Black Licorice Pipes: Does your Halloween costume need a pipe?  Just for fun, try an old-fashioned black licorice pipe. Made in Finland, home of some of the best licorice in the world, these pipes are so tasty, that you might want to bring along some extra to share. They're individually wrapped too. Available in boxes of 10 or boxes of 60.

National Boss Day October 16 - Time to Order Licorice

October 16 is National Boss Day.  Does your boss like licorice?  Get your coworkers to chip in for a Licorice-of-the-Month Club from Licorice International, and have it sent to the office. Maybe your boss will share. You can choose from Black Licorice Club, Red and Black Club, or the new Sampler Club. Click here to order, or go to the Licorice International website and search for Club.

For a one-time gift, consider a Licorice Basket (pictured below) or Licorice Sampler.

Your boss doesn't like licorice?  How about giving the new fruit flavored Jelly Cubes or the tiny (and tasty) Glitterati Mint Medley candies in six flavors. Click here to see all the new offerings from Licorice International.

Order by October 7 to ensure delivery by October 16th.

Licorice Makes a Great Gift for Grandparents Day

Grandparents Day is coming up September 12. Instead of another tie or bottle of perfume, why not give them a tasty, nostalgic treat: licorice!

Licorice Soft Chews

Licorice International offers 160 varieties of licorice from all over the world. If your grandparent prefers a softer, easier-to-chew treat, consider Licorice Soft Chews. They even come in a five pound bag.  They're Kosher, gluten free, nut free, egg free, transfat free, dairy free and gelatin free. Panda Licorice is a popular choice, because it's made from natural ingredients. Or browse the best sellers.

Black Anise Frappes

If your loved one has high blood pressure, they should be careful not to consume too much real licorice, as real licorice, made from the licorice root may raise blood pressure.  However, anise is safe for people with high blood pressure. Licorice Babies, Anise Bears, or the new Black Anise Frappes.

If you want to give a gift that your grandparent will love all year long, try the Licorice of the Month Club. Your loved one will receive a gift of licorice in the mail each month.

Red, White and Blue Licorice (with emphasis on Red)

Independence Day is a great time to enjoy licorice. Licorice International offers red licorice and other red treats to make your Fourth of July festive. Combine with Kenny's Pina Colada and Blue Raspberry Twists for a patriotic display. Pictured here are:
Decaf Licorice Coffee
Australian Strawberry Kookaburra Twists
Australian Raspberry Kookaburra Twists
Red Laces
Strawberry Broadway Rolls
Haribo Strawberry Wheels
Cinnamon Lava Balls
Red Sampler
Original Cherry Chews
Red Pipes by Leaf
Red Tire Tread
Kenny's Red Raspberry Twists
Australian Style Red Licorice

Red, White & Blue Licorice for July 4th

Show your patriotic spirit by serving Kenny's licorice sticks in cherry (red), pina colada (white) and blue raspberry (blue) flavors. Use it to decorate cakes, cut it up and add color to your trail mix, or just munch on it while watching the fireworks.  You can even use it as a straw.

Licorice of any variety makes the perfect summertime treat for many reasons:

It doesn't melt in the heat

It's low fat (important when thinking about fitting into that swimming suit)

It's not salty, which means you don't get thirsty after eating it.

Click here to order Kenny's licorice sticks.

Click here to shop for licorice from 14 different countries.

Memories of Grandpa and Licorice - Thoughts for Father's Day

Father's Day is coming, and what better time to reflect on memories, both of your father and your grandfather.  Often something as simple as the old fashioned taste of licorice can bring back a memory.  We asked people to share their licorice memories for a book we're compiling.  It was no surprise that lots of those memories had to do with grandparents.  Here are a couple "grandpa" memories:

    

     Oh my gosh! It seems like it was another world, so quiet and easy. In the late 1960’s on a steamy summer afternoon in LaMotte Iowa, around the Fourth of July, I was swaying slowly on the squeaky porch swing with my only grandpa while most of my five siblings and seven cousins were frolicking at the park around the bend or tapping on Grandma’s piano in the parlor. It wasn’t too often any of us got to sit all alone with Grandpa when we drove from Chicagoland to visit. I don’t remember him ever saying much, but he would pull a quarter out of my ear every time I crawled up and sat on his lap. How did it get in there? I wondered.

     Best of all, though, he always—and I mean always—had candy in his pocket. I’d crawl up and he’d ever so slowly reach into his left breast pocket as I’d watch and wait longingly for small pieces of coated chocolate or chalky pink discs. One day, however, he pulled out something I’d never seen. I noticed him looking away toward his spittoon. At first I wondered if it was his chewing tobacco. It was dark and leathery. I could smell it before I tasted it. Licorice! Mmmm! Thanks Grandpa. To this day every time I taste licorice I remember my grandpa. I remember how I sat there with him, how we shared time together. I remember how much this gentle old man loved me and how I loved him. I remember licorice.

-- Cathy Shuck

                                                             

     By the time I was born, Papa was already quite ill. Growing up, I felt frightened by his wheezing, the shiny hospital bed, and the oxygen tanks that were taller than I was. While the adults talked, I’d play with the meerschaum pipes that Papa once relish and that he had lined up on his dresser like intricately carved bones. I loved their sweet, smoky scent.   One day Papa called me over conspiratorially and whispered in his thick accent, “You like ze pipes?”

       From under his pillow he pulled out a black licorice pipe. It tasted stronger than the licorice I was used to, saltier and more adult. Papa winked. The pipes became a special treat bridging generations. Soon afterwards, Papa moved West, where despite the dry air his asthma finally killed him. Forty years later, black licorice still takes me back to Papa’s house in Brookline, Massachusetts, where we shared a secret and a smile.

-- P.R. Wine

You can still buy those old fashioned licorice pipes here.

Click here to see the wide variety of gourmet licorice available from Licorice International.

Something unique for Mother's Day: Licorice

Does your mother love licorice? Then why give her a box of chocolates? Give her something unique: Licorice. Licorice not only tastes great; it's low fat, and it offers some amazing health benefits. And a gift of gourmet licorice from Licorice International makes a special gift. The variety of licorice available is astounding.

For starters, check out:

Licorice Samplers
Licorice Gift Baskets
Best Sellers in Licorice
Sugar Free Licorice
Gluten Free Licorice
Dutch Licorice (The Dutch really know how to make licorice)

For a mom with an entrepeneur spirit, how about the new book BoomerPreneurs by M.B. Izard

And for a gift that lasts all year long, sign her up for the Licorice of the Month Club!

Happy Mother's Day!

Licorice Ladies on Judy ala Carte for National Licorice Day

How did National Licorice Day get started?
What can you do to celebrate?
Why is licorice so amazing?

Find out by listening to this recording of the Judy ala Carte radio program from KFOR radio. Judy broadcasted live from the Licorice International retail store on April 12, as part of the National Licorice Day celebration. She interviewed Licorice Ladies Elizabeth and Ardith, as well as bloggers Patty and Marcia.

To listen, click on the "play" arrow on the player below.





If you cannot access the player, you can listen at the following link (it may take a few minutes to download the file):

http://www.kfor1240.com/play_window.php?audioType=Episode&audioId=4560854