The History of Pixy Stix

by Laurnie Wilson

Pixy Stix Fix

You would know this sugar-bomb as soon as you saw it. That distinctive straw-shaped packet of sweetness could be none other than Pixy Stix. But while you may know this candy on sight, do you know its sweet past? If not, read on to find out more!

The history of the Stix stretches all the way back to the 1930’s to a drink mix called Frutola. The original intention was that the powder be mixed into water to make a fun, kool-aid-esque drink. Making water more exciting seemed like a great idea in itself. However, when creator J. Fish Smith realized that kids craved this sweet-tart powder straight from the package, he added a spoon and changed the name to Fruzola. That way kids had much easier access to the powdery candy they were already enjoying by the spoonful. Talk about convenience! Why Smith swapped out a ‘t’ for a ‘z’ is a mystery, but since kids loved it, no one ever bothered to ask.

Pixy-licious

Pixy Stix as we know them didn’t come into their own until 1952, thanks to the clever people at Sunline Inc. Sold as both Lick-m-Aid, a precursor to Fun-Dip, and the straw shapes we know, Pixy Stix established a firm hold on young sweet toots everywhere. But as popular as these were with the kids were almost as unpopular as they were for parents.

Concerned with the direct intake of sugar, parents objected to the idea of allowing their kids access to this sugar-high-and-subsequent-crash inducing candy. Yet, the Pix Stix live on.

Today, Nestle proudly makes Pixy Stix in five great flavors: Grape, Maui Punch, Orange, Red, and Strawberry.  They’re still irresistibly sweet and chock full of the sugar-rush inducing properties you crave. So you can finally give yourself the candy Mom always disapproved of.

Sources

https://en.wikipedia.org/
https://www.nestleusa.com/

Image Sources

https://www.collectingcandy.com/
https://theprimalsophisticate.com
https://www.ebay.com/