Growing up, we were satisfied with grabbing our candy canes and other holiday goodies from a place like CVS or Walgreens, but now that our palettes are a little more refined we’re eager to sink our teeth into more gourmet candies. So if you’re traveling through Denver this Christmas season you might want to take a detour to Hammond’s Candies where they’ve been cranking out the sweet and sticky goodies since 1920.
Even though they’re plenty busy adding stripes to candy canes this time of the year, they’ll be happy to show you around their factory. Tours are totally free and are offered every 30 minutes during the week, as well as on Saturday. Things close down on Sunday, as even candy makers don’t love their jobs that much. No reservations are required, so you can just pretty much show up and see how all the confections take their shape.
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Even though we like free, we’re kind of tempted to shell out the $25 to take the behind the scenes tour of the place. Here you actually get to toss on your own hair net and assist the workers in creating licorice straws, candy pillows, and cinnamon “coal.” The opportunity to create your own I Love Lucy moment is pretty tempting, but just remember that these specialty tours need to be booked at least two weeks in advance. So make sure you plan ahead if you want to twist, turn, and create your own sweet treats.
The fun doesn’t stop after the holiday season, as the candy makers are busy making things like taffy, lollipops, and caramels. So if you miss the tour during the month of December, you can always book a tour with your sweetie in time to celebrate Valentine’s Day.
[Photos: elisfanclub]
