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Red Vines is a brand ofred licoricecandy manufactured inUnion City, California by theAmerican Licorice Company. Red Vines Original Red Twists are also sometimes referred to as red licorice despite containing no licorice root. The original Red Vines were raspberry-flavored but, in 1952, with a slight formula change, the Red Vines Original Red Twist flavor was introduced.
The American Licorice Company introduced raspberry-flavored vines in the 1920s. In the 1950s, the name was changed to Red Vines and the company's branding was reimagined around this identity, with "Original Red" eventually overtaking licorice as the most popular flavor.[1]
In the Union City factory, wheat flour,corn syrup,citric acid, flavoring, anddye is blended in vats, then poured into barrels and cooled for 24 hours, after which it is extruded through a machine that forms the final candy. The factory can produce up to 1,000,000 pounds per week.[1]
Red Vines and similar candyTwizzlers have a perceived rivalry such as displayed in theParks and Recreation episode "Ben's Parents," in which characters are divided over which is better and whether families from different sides of the question can appropriately marry.[2]
According to thebrand manager of Red Vines, "The taste and the texture are very different and the rivalry between Twizzlers and Red Vines is very fan-driven. The rivalry is [similar to] theMontagues andCapulets. It's existed for so long that people forget how it started [but] it's not driven by either company."[1] He speculates that the rivalry is essentially regional, as Red Vines are more popular in the West and the Great Lakes region "but brand awareness tends to drop off once you go east of Denver," while Twizzlers, being "headquartered inPennsylvania" trends stronger there and in theEast Coast andNortheast.[1]
In August 2012 theCalifornia Department of Public Health announced a recall of one lot of Red Vines' black licorice candy due tolead contamination. Only the one-pound packages marked "Best Before 020413" were recalled. Testing found that candy in the contaminated lot had as much as 0.33 parts per million of lead resulting in up to 13.2 micrograms of lead per serving. This was more than double the limit of 6.0 micrograms of lead per day from all dietary sources for children under 6 years old.[3][4]
Fox science-fiction drama television seriesFringe frequently refers to Red Vines throughout its five-season run, as it is the preferred candy of the characterDoctor Walter Bishop. In the season 2 premiere, "A New Day in the Old Town," he is even seen eating Red Vines while conducting an autopsy. After the TV series was renewed for a fourth season on March 24, 2011, co-starJosh Jackson publicly stated his appreciation of Fringe fans for sending Red Vines to Fox in an effort to campaign for a renewal.[5]
The large tub of Red Vines is seen on many episodes ofLaw & Order: SVU on Captain Cragen's desk.
Red Vines were airdropped into 89th Academy Awards ceremony by hostJimmy Kimmel.[6]
Red Vines is mentioned in anSNL Digital Short from 2005. In the music video "Lazy Sunday,"Andy Samberg raps: "Mr. Pibb and Red Vines equals crazy delicious."[7]
Red Vines are frequently mentioned in Team StarKid's 2010 musical,A Very Potter Sequel, as they are the preferred snack of Ron Weasley. This was later referenced in 2011, when Joey Richter and Joe Walker, two actors from the musical, performed a series of tests on the official Red Vines YouTube channel, to see what Red Vines could and couldn't do.[8]
Red Vines is also the name of anAimee Mann song from her 1999 albumBachelor No. 2 or, the Last Remains of the Dodo. The chorus talks about "...Cigarettes and Red Vines," as something to occupy one's time while helplessly watching other events.[9]
In theParks and Recreation episode "Ben's Parents", the characters are divided over whether Red Vines are superior toTwizzlers.[2]
InPsych episode "He Dead", Red Vines are brought up byShawn Spencer, who asks for individually wrapped Red vines and a laptop (preferably made of Red Vines) as a reward for investigating the murder of Warren Clayton.