Cherry Phosphate Parlor logo with soda glass and cherry emblem Cherry Phosphate Parlor Des Moines, Iowa Since 1962

Small-Batch American Parlor Confections

Handmade Soda Fountain Sweets That Taste Like Childhood

Cream drops, lime rickey candy, orange blossom hard candy, marshmallow twists, and birch beer candy — handcrafted in copper kettles for keepsake gift tins, tasting boxes, and the classic family candy dish.

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Vintage soda fountain counter with cherry phosphate glasses and cream drops
Our Des Moines parlor counter, where every batch still begins with a copper kettle, a wooden paddle, and a 1960s recipe card.

Browse by Flavor, Memory, and Occasion

Filter the Parlor Collection by Sweet Style

Tap a style to browse small-batch confections by texture and occasion — from clear glass hard candy to soft hand-pulled marshmallow.

Handmade cream drops in glass apothecary jar with vanilla malt swirls

Vanilla Malt Cream Drops

Silky cream drops with a gentle vanilla malt center and a clear candy shell.

BATCH CP-2026-014 | KETTLE 2 | 40 LB

Lime rickey hard candy drops with lime wheels and soda bubbles

Sparkling Lime Rickey Drops

Bright lime rickey candy with a fizzy citrus finish and old-fashioned soda shop sparkle.

BATCH CP-2026-021 | KETTLE 1 | 35 LB

Orange blossom hard candy with white petals and citrus zest

Orange Blossom Hard Candy

Floral orange blossom drops with delicate citrus zest and a slow, elegant melt.

BATCH CP-2026-009 | KETTLE 3 | 30 LB

Hand pulled marshmallow twists in pink and vanilla cream swirls

Hand-Pulled Marshmallow Twists

Pillowy marshmallow twists pulled by hand in cherry, vanilla, and blue raspberry.

BATCH CP-2026-018 | PULL TABLE | 25 LB

Birch beer barrel candy with wintergreen bark and copper kettle

Birch Beer Wintergreen Bark

Deep wintergreen birch beer candy with herbal warmth and barrel-aged nostalgia.

BATCH CP-2026-027 | KETTLE 2 | 38 LB

Keepsake gift tin with assorted handmade soda fountain candy collection

Parlor Tasting Tin Assortment

A keepsake gift tin with twelve pieces across our five signature parlor sweets.

BATCH CP-2026-030 | HAND PACKED | 12 PC

The Boutique Lookbook: Five Parlor Classics, Made by Hand

Each recipe follows our heritage candy craft method — small kettles, careful tempering, and flavor notes written by hand on batch cards.

Vanilla malt cream drops with swirled centers in apothecary jar
Cream drops, our best-selling handmade sweet since 1962.

Vanilla Malt Cream Drops

Our signature cream drops begin as a clear sugar syrup, then receive a ribbon of vanilla malt cream at the perfect moment. The result is a hard candy shell that gives way to a soft, nostalgic center.

  • Texture: Clear shell, creamy center
  • Flavor notes: Vanilla malt, sweet cream, light caramel
  • Gift suitability: Keepsake tins, candy dishes, care packages
Taste This Flavor

Sparkling Lime Rickey Candy

Lime rickey candy captures the bright, fizzy bite of a classic soda fountain lime rickey. We add lime oil and a touch of citric sparkle for a refreshing, porch-perfect finish.

  • Texture: Glass-clear hard drop, lively finish
  • Flavor notes: Lime zest, soda fizz, cool mint hint
  • Gift suitability: Summer gatherings, tasting boxes
Taste This Flavor
Sparkling lime rickey candy with citrus wheels and fizzy bubbles
Lime rickey drops with a bright soda-fountain sparkle.
Orange blossom hard candy drops with floral petals and zest
Orange blossom drops, floral and elegant for gifting.

Orange Blossom Hard Candy

Orange blossom hard candy blends delicate floral petals with sunlit citrus. It is our most requested specialty gift for birthdays, anniversaries, and holiday sweet assortments.

  • Texture: Smooth hard drop, slow melt
  • Flavor notes: Orange blossom, sweet citrus, honey hint
  • Gift suitability: Elegant gifts, wedding favors, tins
Taste This Flavor

Hand-Pulled Marshmallow Twists

Marshmallow twists are stretched and folded by hand until light and airy. Each twist carries two colors and a soft vanilla base that melts like a memory of the county fair.

  • Texture: Soft, pillowy, hand-pulled
  • Flavor notes: Vanilla cream, cherry, blue raspberry
  • Gift suitability: Family celebrations, holiday assortments
Taste This Flavor
Hand pulled marshmallow twists with cherry vanilla and blue swirls
Marshmallow twists, pulled fresh on the marble table.
Birch beer wintergreen candy with barrel motif and herbal notes
Birch beer candy with deep wintergreen character.

Birch Beer Wintergreen Bark

Birch beer candy is our connoisseur favorite — a deep wintergreen bark with herbal warmth that recalls root beer barrels and old apothecary shelves.

  • Texture: Firm bark, clean snap
  • Flavor notes: Wintergreen, birch bark, sweet spice
  • Gift suitability: Classic craftsmanship lovers, tins
Taste This Flavor

Interactive Tasting Deck: Find Your Parlor Flavor

Choose a flavor profile to see tasting notes, texture, and the perfect pairing for your next keepsake gift tin or tasting box.

Vanilla Malt Cream Drops — Sweet and Silky

A nostalgic 1970s candy counter favorite with a soft vanilla malt heart. Sweetness is gentle, texture is creamy, and the finish lingers like a soda fountain float.

Pairing idea: Iced birch beer, vanilla pound cake, and a quiet afternoon with family photos.

Gift Tin Builder: Choose a Keepsake Collection

Select a signature collection to preview your keepsake gift tin, tasting box, or holiday sweet assortment — perfect for specialty gifts and care package treats.

Batch Ledger: How Every Small Batch Is Made

Copper Kettle Craft
Each hard candy batch is cooked in a copper kettle to 300 degrees, then cooled on marble for a clear, glass-like snap.
Hand-Pulled Marshmallow
Marshmallow twists are pulled by hand on a marble table until light, airy, and perfectly pillowy.
Batch Size
Small batches of 25 to 40 pounds, packed by hand into keepsake gift tins and tasting boxes.
Flavor Notes
Vanilla malt, lime rickey sparkle, orange blossom floral, cherry swirl, and wintergreen birch beer.
Gift Suitability
Keepsake gift tins, holiday sweet assortments, care package treats, and classic family candy dishes.
Pairing Ideas
Iced birch beer, chamomile tea, hot cocoa, black coffee, pound cake, and lemon shortbread.
Classic American parlor candy counter with glass jars and brass scales

A 1960s Candy Counter, Still Made by Hand

In 1962, our founder opened a soda fountain parlor in Des Moines, Iowa, with one copper kettle and a promise: candy should taste like childhood. Sixty years later, we still cook in small batches, still write batch cards by hand, and still pack every keepsake gift tin with care.

“A good candy should bring you back to the counter — to the glass jars, the brass scales, and the sound of a spoon in a soda glass.”

For adults who remember retro candy counters, family candy dishes, and holiday sweet assortments, our parlor is a place to rediscover handmade sweets made the old way — with patience, craft, and a little cherry phosphate magic.

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