The History of Andes Mints

Andes Mints, also known as Andes Crème de Menthe or Andes After Dinner Mints, were first created back in 1921 by a Chicago candy store owner named Andrew Kanelos. Kanelos sold the mints at his store, Andy’s Candies, but according to legend, he later changed the name of the store (and the candies) to Andes and added a mountain logo to the packaging because his male customers disliked buying confections for their wives and girlfriends that had another man’s name printed on it. Andes Mints became widely available in the 1950s and were often served as after dinner palate cleansers in fancy restaurants. In 1986, Andes Mints partnered with Olive Garden to create an exclusive version of the mints for the chain and the confections are still closely associated with Olive Garden today. They are also commonly served at old-school dining establishments and hotels. Today, Andes Mints are owned by Tootsie Roll Industries and manufactured in Wisconsin; the remain a popular and sophisticated confection across the United States.