From the Beverage Aisle: Nestle's Choco Boom

Product: Choco Boom
Company: Nestle
Years: 1970-71

Hey Gone But Not Forgotten Groceriers! (wait, is that a thing?)
Every once in a while you come across an item that is so forgotten about that even the mighty internet is of no help to you.

I googled Choco Boom, and it told me I had cancer. (Come on Web MD....you're better then that).

I also found one other person, The Urban Archeologist (http://www.urbanarcheologist.net/) who didn't know what this stuff was either after finding several empty cans.

Image by the Urban Archeologist -  http://www.urbanarcheologist.net/

But yeah, I don't have much on this one. It's another weird mystery that I wish I could solve but can't. So what do I know?

It's a product put out by Nestle's in the early 70's.....a chocolate flavored drink. Think Yoo-hoo. Yeah, you got it....

The only other thing I know is that if they did in fact make liquid dynamite, under no circumstances drink it. I mean, come on...use some common sense.....you'd be blown up.

BOOM!
Choco Boom.

Legendary DJ Bruce Marrow of WABC/WNBC face (Cruisin' Brucie as he was called) was sort of the spokesperson as you can see by the comic book ad below, so maybe I should contact him and get to the bottom of this.

I have a feeling this mystery has only begun......hopefully more to come......

From the Candy Aisle: Nestle Go Ahead bars

Product: Go Ahead
Company: Nestle
Years: 1977-198?

Here's another candy bar from the list (I'm pretty sure there's a list, you guys) of candy bars that that couldn't quite get a foothold into the grand lexicon of the candy industry. For every Snickers and Three Musketeers, there are hundreds, even thousands, or maybe six candy bars that came and went, like a wonderful chocolate fantasy passing in the night. So today we take a quick look at Nestle's Go Ahead Bar.

The Go Ahead Bar was a made of Chocolate, crunchy crisps (think Rice Krispies) and Peanut Butter.
But it wasn't just fattening delicious candy, it was "Fortified with 19 Essential Vitamins and Minerals". That's why I'd eat 4 in one sitting, so I could get 76 Essential Vitamins and minerals (I know, I'd really only be getting 4x of each of those vitamins and minerals, not really 76 different ones, but you just shut up about it already, Steve.)


Image By Jason Liebig

These bars don't seem to have been around for very long, 4 or 5 years tops. Part of the reason was that they were a little more expensive (possibly due to falling into the "nutrition bar" category), so people would often opt for the cheaper bars. And because of all you cheapskates, this bar was sadly pulled from the shelves. They rounded up the bars and put them in boxes, then took them out back and stabbed them. That or they just marked them down and put them on the clearance rack. Not sure.

So that's it for today. I wish I knew more about these bars, and one day I may march over to Nestle headquarters and demand to speak with the person responsible for discontinuing the Go Ahead Bar. I'll handcuff myself to the sofa in the lobby, and chant "BRING BACK GO AHEAD" (which actually doesn't make ANY sense out of context). I'll sit there, for days if needed, until I get some answers for all you Gone but Not Forgotten Grocery Fans.

And then after security escorts me from the building, I'll probably just go to the gas station and get a Snickers.
After all, they are cheaper.
 

From the Cereal Aisle: Carnation Breakfast Bars

Product: Carnation Breakfast Bar
Company: Carnation/Nestle
Years: 1975-1993 (?)

I had no idea people were so gaga over the Carnation Breakfast bar.
And not just regular old gaga, but like, "lets start multiple online petitions to bring them back" gaga.
People are trying to recreate the recipe and make their own.....
This discontinued product even has it's own Facebook page!  Settle down, people!

Image by Grickly

 Yes, people have been pining for these delicious treats since Nestle decided to pull them from the shelves. I'm not sure exactly when they were discontinued, or WHY they were discontinued, but some of the last Newspaper advertisements I could find for them were right around 1992/93, so I'm marking that as the extinction date.

I actually do remember eating these when I was little, especially on camping trips or car rides to the cottage......or as an after school snack. It was a semi-nutritious meal replacement. Sort of the grandfather to the thousands of "Energy/Meal" bars on the market today. But the genius thing about the Carnation bars is that they covered the things in chocolate. Fact and point, kids will eat anything covered in chocolate. It sort of blurs the lines between adult food and kids food. It's covered in chocolate? Sure, I'll try it.

They came in various flavors over the years - The original flavors were Chocolate Crumb, Chocolate Chip, Granola with Peanut butter, Granola with Raisins, and Granola with Cinnamon. Over teh years, other flavors were added, such as Chocolate Coconut Crunch, Caramel Nut Crunch, and Chocolate Malted Milk Crunch (this is the one I remember most, as I wasn't really a fan of Malted milk, but for some reason my mom always bought it).

And more important then feeding the masses of hungry 70's/80's kids, it was the official snack on the Space Shuttle Columbia. That's right.....MF'n astronauts ate them in space. Amazing.

Unfortunately, like the US space program, it's been discontinued. Hopefully, if there is any intelligent life out there, we will one day see these return to store shelves everywhere. Now if I can just find a petition to sign........

like here, or here, or here.........

From the Candy Aisle: Wacky Wafers

Product: Wacky Wafers
Company: Willy Wonka
Years: 80s - 90's

Image by Dan Goodsell

Sometimes candy goes away and you never even know it. Case in point, Wacky Wafers. I'm guessing most people don't even realize they haven't been made in quite some time.

Wacky Wafers were made by the Willy Wonka Candy Company until Nestle took it over back in 1988, then they eventually pulled the plug sometime in the late 90's. The ones I remember the most are the larger ones (the Originals and best, as far as I'm concerned), about the side of a half dollar, that came in a row. They also came in various other sizes over the years, including smaller disks about the side of Bottle Caps or Sweet Tarts that came in single packs and on a roll, similar to today's Sweet Tarts.

Image by CollectingCandy.com

Flavors included Banana, Green Apple, Strawberry, Watermelon, and Orange, with a few variations over the years including Blue Raspberry, Cherry, and Grape.

I don't have a lot of info in this candy, as it simply one day disappeared, quietly in the dark of the night. Like a jilted lover, or a Possum.

But there is still hope that we may one day get to taste these sweet treats again. In early 2012, Leaf Brands LLC acquired the trademark for Wacky Wafers, and rumors have been floating around that they will be reviving this long lost candy very soon.

 To which I can only say "Man, that would be awesome."  So I will.

Man, that WOULD be awesome......