After Eight Thin Mints (After Eights) are a confectionery product described as "mint enrobed in dark chocolate" (although a milk chocolate version became available in 2006) and are intended, as the name suggests, to be used as after-dinner mints. They were created in 1962 by Rowntree & Company Limited. Since the 1988 acquisition of the United Kingdom-based company, the mints have been produced by Nestlé.
The Thin Mints have been made in the factory in Castleford, West Yorkshire since 1970, whereas the Chocolate Truffles are made in York. After Eights are now sold across Europe and North America, and one billion After Eight mints are made annually.[citation needed]
In 1967, After Eights were also manufactured at the Rowntree factory in the Wandsbek district of Hamburg. Specifically, Nestlé Deutschland AG, Chocoladen-Werk Hamburg, Am Neumarkt 20, 22041 Hamburg.
After Eights were originally just made from dark chocolate which was dairy-free. However, in 2007 Nestlé started adding butterfat to After Eights, so they are no longer dairy-free. Nestle also make special editions of After Eights, including orange After Eights and milk chocolate After Eights.
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Manufacture
The fondant in the centre of After Eights is made as a stiff paste of saccharose, water, and a small amount of the enzyme invertase. This fondant can readily be coated in dark chocolate. After manufacture, the enzyme gradually splits the saccharose into the much more soluble glucose and fructose, resulting in a more liquid consistency.[1] Maturing of the mint is said to take over three months.
Related products
The After Eight family of products includes:
- Thin Mints: the original After Eight product, these comprise square dark or (less commonly) milk chocolate, enclosing the mint fondant.
- Delights: round sweets of dark chocolate with a mint fondant filling.
- Straws: long, thin sticks of soft dark chocolate with a mint fondant filling.
- Biscuits: the newest addition to the After Eight family, these combine dark chocolate with mint in a biscuit.
- Chocolate Santa Claus: during the Christmas season, Nestlé Germany features a 125g Santa Claus made out of white or dark mint chocolate.
- Chocolate Truffles (Discontinued)
- Dark Chocolate Irish Creams (Discontinued)
- Ice Cream Dessert (Discontiuned)
- Lemon Sorbet (Discontinued)
- Bitesize: plain chocolate with mint fondant filling, similar in appearance to original Munchies. Originally known as Mintola, then renamed Mint Munchies in 1995[2] before being brought under After Eight brand in 2006.[3]
Other related products:
- Pfefferminz: a variety of Ritter Sport which has similar taste as the normal After Eight in shape of a Ritter Sport.
- After Eight (cocktail): a layered shooter consisting of Crème de cacao, Crème de menthe and Baileys Irish Cream.
- After Eight (Easter Egg): An Easter Egg With A Pack Of The After Eight Dark Chocolate Thin Mints
Notes
- ^ Dziedzic, S. Z.; Kearsley, M. W. (1995). Handbook of starch hydrolysis products and their derivatives. London: Blackie Academic & Professional. p. 62. ISBN 0-7514-0269-9. http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=Ck1cwsch_UcC&pg=PA62&lpg=PA62&source=web&ots=4lPiLs-8wy&sig=5MXvBjKimRnGqEHHIwHDMx7Svdo&hl=en. Retrieved 2008-04-13.
- ^ "Our brands - Chocolate and Sweets", nestle.co.uk, retrieved 2007-01-13
- ^ "Mint Munchies join After Eight brand", irn-talkingshop.co.uk. Article dated 2006-10-13, retrieved 2007-01-13
External links
- After Eight official website [1]
- History of Nestlé Rowntree
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