Black Jack gum is a gum that has a taste that is said to be of a flavor like Anise, or liquorice. It has a very sweet taste to it, but with that sweetness comes a tang that almost remind one of wine. Black Jack Gum has been around for well over a century, and is often considered the first modern gum. Black Jack Gum was also the first flavored gum in the United states! You can read all about Black Jack Gum and its interesting history on this page.

Black Jack Chewing Gum is the first flavored gum in America, and it was also the first chewing gum available in individually wrapped 'sticks.' A nostalgic favorite since the turn of the century with a good old licorice flavor! Black Jack, a licorice-anice flavored gum, is America's oldest flavored gum brand. It was developed in 1870 by Thomas.
The first chewing gum distributed in sticks, Black Jack has an unmistakable black licorice flavor, rounded out by anise and ginger. Black Jack gum got its start from Mexican chicle brought over to the states by the exiled President Santa Anna.
The current wrapper design has a white and red background with white and black lettering. Beemans is sporadically produced by Cadbury Adams as a nostalgia gum, along with the other historic gums Clove and Black Jack. In 2015 the company announced it would no longer produce any of these popular gums.

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Black Jack chewing gum was the first flavored chewing gum in U.S. Candy history, and the first available in individually wrapped sticks. Treating fans to delicious chewing since 1884, the nostalgic Black Jack gum favorite was recently reintroduced, and its distinctive black licorice flavor is just as yummy as you recall. A vintage favorite, Black Jack chewing gum makes a delicious treat. Tuck a stick in your pocket or bag to enjoy during your day. Licorice flavor tastes delicious. Individually wrapped pieces of gum are easy to take on the go. Each pack contains 5 sticks of gum.

Black Jack Gum History And Information

Black Jack gum was a sweet viewed by some as one of the best brands of gum on the market. People all over the world began enjoying this gum since its creation, and it was consumed internationally as the popularity of the product sky-rocketed until the 70's. This gum has originated from America and the history behind the infamous creation was pretty amazing too.

The first step towards the invention of Black Jack gum was from Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna, who used to be the president of Mexico, which is a country located just below the United States of America. Antonio had obtained 1,000 Kilo grams of a substance called 'Chicle'. This Chicle was intended to be sold to collect money to fund an attempt to return to the presidency of Mexico. An American called Thomas Adams who resided in Staten Island was persuaded by the ex-president to purchase all of the Chicle. Adams did so in the hopes of producing an alternative to rubber from this Chicle, which was to undergo the process of vulcanization to produce the new material. However once purchased, Adams realized that the chicle was useless at replacing rubber as it didn't have the correct qualities needed to make it functional and successful.

In a bid to produce something useful from the product he realized the potential the Chicle had in the food industry. He had heard how ancient Mayans and other native tribes had used the Chicle as a treat and often had chewed the substance. This then gave Adam the hope of creating a chewing gum from the chicle he had. So he boiled the substance and made some samples of the gum. He distributed this new product to shops and business in Staten island in a bid to get his new product out on the market.

To his surprise the product sold extremely well and large quantities of the gum were selling at a rapid rate. This then led onto Adams obtaining patents on machines which would help him mass produce this gum at extremely fast rates to meet the demand of the gum which had become a overnight sensation. He gave his creation the name 'Snapping & Stretching' which may not sound appealing but was the name which would slowly give way to the product we know today. Adams eventually decide on the name Adams' Black Jack gum for his product.

This gum was made completely from the substance chicle which had originally been the main ingredient but Adams wanted to expand his operations and began exploring and examining other flavors he could add to his product to spruce it up and give the consumers a new experience. He added a ingredient known as Liquorice to his gums which made them all the more tastier and brought on the name Black Jack. Black Jack also went through many other physical changes such as the shape the gum was distributed in. Originally it was a raw glob to cubes , blocks before ending up in the sticks sold in shops today. These sticks were very new to the consumers as the gum was widely known as one of the first chewing gums to be in that form. This gum also revolutionized the market for gum as it was the first ever gum to be realized which actually contained a flavor since markets began back in 1871. This gum has incorporated many flavors such as anise which comes from the ingredient aniseed and ginger was also a ingredient incorporated into the gum.

This gum was a common staple found in young kids diets all over the United States of America as the market for sweet treats such as these was very small during the initial launch of Black Jack. However Black Jack soon ran into trouble as sales started to decline shortly after the 70's which led to the product being sold onto The Warner Lambert Company. This gum has now been rare to find in most shops located in and around America which has led to it being nearly phased out. This would be normal for a product of this age but this was a very unique product that had led to a lasting impression made in the minds of countless children who had spent countless hours chewing the treat and in the run up to lunch. Production may have decreased significantly but to the average American this isn't just a piece of confectionery it is a monument of their child hood. The demand of the gum has led to it being sold on-line in sites such as EBay which normally sell electronics goods and clothes from the latest season, and wholesale companies also stock this product but in limited quantities.

The gum is also known by its alias Bee-mans Gum which was adopted during one of the development stages of the gum during its initial launch. The unique flavor of Black Jack gum has led to fanatics and critics of the product as not everyone could indulge in the taste of liquorice in a gum which led to many people completely hating the gum whilst some people fell in love with the bold taste of liquorice which was a favorite amongst children who had grown up in the 30s. Whilst critics say disgusting Black Jack has achieved a wide fan base with people from ages 1- to 50 have been consuming the product. In conclusion Black Jack Gum has proved to be a revolutionary product experimenting and changing the way in which we see gum. It has had its fair share of mishaps as it has lost sales due to its unique flavor but in the end it proved to be a gem in the sea of gum and is still being enjoyed around the world more than a hundred years since it was first produced.

The Year Black Jack Gum Was Invented

Black Jack gum was first invented in the year 1870. Black Jack Gum tends to be produced in one big batch every few years and then sold off. This may be why it can be so hard to find black jack gum for sale, as it gets snatched up fast. One must wonder why Black Jack Gum is not made more often and in greater amounts. It may be due to rising competition in the gum market, or dwindling sales for this brand. Lets hope Black Jack gum sticks around for another 150 years!

Who Invented Adams Black Jack Gum?

Adams Black Jack Gum was invented by Thomas Adams. He bought the needed ingredients from general Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna in 1870. He wanted to make a new type of rubber, instead he invented a widely popular gum!

The Company That First Made Black Jack Gum

The company that first produced Black Jack Gum was the American Chicle Company. The American Chicle Company sold Black Jack Gum well up until 1962, when they company was bought up by the Warner-Lambert Company.

The Company That Makes Black Jack Gum Now

The company that currently produces Black Jack Gum is Mondelēz International. Mondelēz International acquired Black Jack Gum in 2012. Mondelēz International is a huge confectionary and food company that owns products such as Nabisco's White Chocolate Oreo and Cadbury's Caramel

Black Jack Gum Flavor