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Beer Nuts is an American
The company began in 1937 when Edward Shirk and his son Arlo took over the Caramel Crisp confectionery store in Bloomington, Illinois, which sold a product called "Redskins," "slightly sweet, lightly salted" glazed peanuts with their red skins intact. Beginning in 1950, this product was sold packaged as "Shirk's Glazed Peanuts" in local liquor stores.
By 1953, local food distributor Eldredge C. Brewster helped expand the product to a national brand, and the Beer Nuts trademark was registered. By the 1960s, the product was available in all 50 states, and by the 1970s, the Shirks shipped 10 million pounds of Beer Nuts nationally. The company's product line has since expanded to other nuts, such as cashews and almonds, and various snack mixes, gift baskets and holiday packaged items.
The Beer Nuts brand has been registered as a trademark since 1955 and has been successfully protected in court on several occasions from competing brands who used similar names. Beer Nuts has been described as ”something of a case study in brands avoiding
Official website
Brand name snack foods Food manufacturers of the United States Companies based in Bloomington–Normal Products introduced in 1937
brand
A brand is a name, term, design, symbol or any other feature that distinguishes one seller's good or service from those of other sellers. Brands are used in business, marketing, and advertising for recognition and, importantly, to create ...
of snack food building on the original product, peanut
The peanut (''Arachis hypogaea''), also known as the groundnut, goober (US), pindar (US) or monkey nut (UK), is a legume crop grown mainly for its edible seeds. It is widely grown in the tropics and subtropics, important to both small and ...
s with a sweet-and-salty glazing. According to the manufacturer, the ingredients include peanuts, coconut oil, corn syrup and salt
Salt is a mineral composed primarily of sodium chloride (NaCl), a chemical compound belonging to the larger class of salts; salt in the form of a natural crystalline mineral is known as rock salt or halite. Salt is present in vast quant ...
. In the United States, Beer Nuts are a staple of bar snacks and are often referred to as "the quintessential American bar food".
Although Beer Nuts do not contain any beer
Beer is one of the oldest and the most widely consumed type of alcoholic drink in the world, and the third most popular drink overall after water and tea. It is produced by the brewing and fermentation of starches, mainly derived from ce ...
, the name suggests that they are intended as a side dish to beer consumption.
History
The company began in 1937 when Edward Shirk and his son Arlo took over the Caramel Crisp confectionery store in Bloomington, Illinois, which sold a product called "Redskins," "slightly sweet, lightly salted" glazed peanuts with their red skins intact. Beginning in 1950, this product was sold packaged as "Shirk's Glazed Peanuts" in local liquor stores.
By 1953, local food distributor Eldredge C. Brewster helped expand the product to a national brand, and the Beer Nuts trademark was registered. By the 1960s, the product was available in all 50 states, and by the 1970s, the Shirks shipped 10 million pounds of Beer Nuts nationally. The company's product line has since expanded to other nuts, such as cashews and almonds, and various snack mixes, gift baskets and holiday packaged items.
The Beer Nuts brand has been registered as a trademark since 1955 and has been successfully protected in court on several occasions from competing brands who used similar names. Beer Nuts has been described as ”something of a case study in brands avoiding genericization
A generic trademark, also known as a genericized trademark or proprietary eponym, is a trademark or brand name that, because of its popularity or significance, has become the generic term for, or synonymous with, a general class of products or ...
”.
The company remains family owned with production still based in Bloomington, operating out of the 100,000-square-foot facility it relocated to in 1973.
Other countries
In Australia, beer nuts refers to salted roasted peanuts with the testa (red skin) intact. They are sold unglazed.See also
* Cracker nuts *List of brand name snack foods
This is a list of brand name snack foods. A snack or snack food is a portion of food often smaller than a regular meal, generally eaten between meals. Snacks come in a variety of forms including packaged and processed foods and items made from fr ...
* List of peanut dishes
This is a list of peanut dishes and foods that are prepared using peanuts or peanut butter as a primary ingredient. Peanuts are also referred to as groundnuts.
Dishes and foods
* Ants on a log – a snack made by spreading peanut butter, cr ...
References
{{reflistExternal links
Official website
Brand name snack foods Food manufacturers of the United States Companies based in Bloomington–Normal Products introduced in 1937