You may be surprised to discover how drop candies (think “lemon” and “cough”) got their name. It’s not, as one might assume, from their drop-like shape. The names actually originate from a traditional Victorian era candy making process. And that process, detailed in the video above, is one that a Florida-based artisanal candy company has gone to great lengths to preserve.
Lofty Pursuits and Public Displays of Confection is in the business of making authentic Victorian candy, but to do so they first had to track down all the necessary equipment—from restoring an antique drop candy press, to locating nearly 100 sets of the rare rollers needed to create the delicate drop candy designs. And in order to offer up something even more unique to the contemporary sweet tooth, they also revived a secret recipe from a 19th century candy maker for a flavor called “nectar.”
The process demonstrated in the above video is like a small-scale version of the mesmerizing factory footage videos that make up one of YouTube’s most delightfully weird rabbit holes. Hot blobs of brightly colored candy first roll merrily through the antique press, and then cool into tiny, detailed shapes—all before moving on to the titular dropping method. It’s incredibly satisfying to watch.
If the eye candy is not enough for you, though, you can always order yourself the real thing from their website.
