One of the best things about going to the store with your parents used to be the Brach's Pick-a-Mix candy stations.

If you weren't around to experience this kind of joy, let me take you back.

Brach's is to candies what Kellogg's is to toaster pastries. Other brands try, but they just can't compare.

Most grocery stores used to have a Brach's Pick-a-Mix station inside. (As a kid in Michigan, I fondly remember the ones at Bueche's in Flushing and Hamady's in Swartz Creek.) You'd take one of their colorful paper bags, and fill it with your favorite candies, which were mostly conveniently individually wrapped and in their own specific bins. You'd then pay by the pound, and go home and enjoy the deliciousness.

Which Brach's Pick-a-Mix candies were the best? That's obviously subjective, and there's really only one wrong answer - more on that in a moment.

Here are our favorite Brach's Pick-a-Mix candies, ranked from least to most favorite.


8. Brach's Jelly Bean Nougats

Brach's Jelly Bean Nougats (Photo via candyfavorites.com)
Brach's Jelly Bean Nougats (Photo via candyfavorites.com)
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OK. These were just gross. Basically bits of jelly bean held together with an uber-sugary wax. The only reason you chose one of these is because there were no other choices and you sucked it up just to get your sugar fix. If this was your favorite, imagine beign stared at with one raised eyebrow and a look of bewilderment. 'Cause that's what's happening.


7. Brach's Neopolitans

Brach's Neopolitans (Photo via candywarehouse.com)
Brach's Neopolitans (Photo via candywarehouse.com)
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A little chocolate, a little vanilla, a little coconut... slightly better than the Jelly Bean Nougats. But better's the key word.


6. Brach's Chocolate Stars

Brach's Chocolate Stars (oldtimecandy.com)
Brach's Chocolate Stars (oldtimecandy.com)
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Here's where the rankings start to get difficult. All the rest are delicious. It's been a few years since I've had Brach's Chocolate Stars, but as I recall, they had a darker chocolate flavor. Yummy, but not for everybody. Hence the ranking of sixth.


5. Brach's Peppermints

Brach's Peppermints (Photo via candywarehouse.com)
Brach's Peppermints (Photo via candywarehouse.com)
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These had such a strong flavor. If you bite into hard candies and crunch them up like me, these would basically set your tongue on fire. I have a greater appreciation for them as an adult than I did as a child.


4. Brach's Royals

Brach's Royals (Photo via collectingcandy.com)
Brach's Royals (Photo via collectingcandy.com)
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Welcome to the world of flavored caramels. Heavenly. Brach's Royals came in a variety of flavors including maple, chocolate, vanilla, raspberry, and butter rum (the best one). Easy to sit and unwrap one after the other and let your tongue have a party.


3. Brach's Perkys

attachment-Brach's Perkys (Photo via collectingcandy.com)
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If you love fruit-flavored jelly candies, these were your go-to. I'd nibble the corners first, and work my way inside. Remember the lines your teeth marks would leave behind each time you took a bite? Just me? Oh, ok.


2. Brach's Caramels

Brach's Caramels (Photo via candywarehouse.com)
Brach's Caramels (Photo via candywarehouse.com)
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Talk about decadent! These were the perfect flavor and consistency. And so versatile! Did your mom ever melt some down so you could make caramel apples?


 

1. Brach's Butterscotch Discs

Brach's Butterscotch Discs (Photo via candyfavorites.com)
Brach's Butterscotch Discs (Photo via candyfavorites.com)
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Back in the day, these were wrapped in a bright yellow cellophane. Yeah, you could choose to pop one in your mouth and let it dissolve... but the way I looked at it (and still do), if you crunch it, you create more candy surface area for the flavors to dance on your tongue. Nothing beats Brach's Butterscotch Discs.

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