Montana Makes More Candy Than It Gets Credit For

There is a shelf in our store that people walk past on the way to the meat counter and stop at on the way out. It is not the reason anyone drives to Belgrade...but it is the reason a lot of people come back.

Montana makes more candy than it gets credit for, mostly in small operations that never scaled and never wanted to.

Flathead Cherry Licorice

Flathead Lake grows cherries that people in this state get territorial about, and somebody had the sense to put them into licorice.

The result tastes like cherry rather than like cherry flavoring, which is a distinction anyone who has eaten supermarket licorice will notice immediately. It is soft, it is not overly sweet, and a bag does not survive a car ride.

We carry a huckleberry version too, which is tarter and the one to pick if you already know you like huckleberry.

Caramel Waffle Cookies

Thin waffle cookies with caramel between them, meant to sit on top of a hot cup until the caramel softens. That is the whole instruction and it is worth following rather than eating them cold.

They pair better with our coffee than anything else on this page, and they are the item people buy two of after trying one.

Chocolate Covered Huckleberries

The most Montana thing on the candy shelf. Huckleberries resist farming, so every berry was hand picked in the mountains, and the chocolate keeps their tartness from being too sharp on its own.

At five dollars it is the cheapest way to find out whether huckleberry is a flavor you want more of, and it is the one visitors take home to prove they were here.

The Rest of the Shelf

Beyond these we carry Bequet caramels from Bozeman, Martinson's bars, chocolate river rocks, huckleberry gummies, popcorn, and a rotating set of things that show up when a producer has stock.

The shelf changes, which is part of why people look at it every time rather than walking past.

Why Small Batch Candy Tastes Different

A large operation optimizes for consistency and shelf life, and both of those cost flavor. A small one cannot compete on either, so it competes on taste, which is the only lever left.

That is the whole explanation for why a bag of licorice from a Montana producer beats the national brand, and it is not sentiment.

What Ships and What Waits

Licorice, cookies, hard candy, and chocolate can all be shipped. In especially hot weather, chocolate may require a little extra care in transit! 

Questions We Get

What is Flathead cherry?
Cherries grown around Flathead Lake in northwest Montana, a short season and a serious local following.

Are the caramel waffle cookies made in Montana?
Yes. Our caramel waffle cookies are made in Billings, Montana. 

Do you ship candy in summer?
Yes, with care on the chocolate. Tell us the destination.

What is the most Montana thing on the shelf?
Chocolate covered huckleberries, by a distance.