How Hard Candy Is Made | WIRED

Sugar Smith Greg Cohen and the staff from Lofty Pursuits make traditional Christmas candy using century’s old techniques and equipment at their shop in Tallahassee, Florida. Watch and see how Greg and the staff make some of most popular styles of holiday hard candies: Candy canes, Sugar plum drops and more.



and on their weekly podcast called “Lofty Pursuits”.


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[commonsense]

It’s rare that you have a older generation and a younger generation. Showing so much passion for their craft!
Really amazing

[oliviafairchild]

i loved his assistant he clearly loves his job, the lil "mmm smells like pink" was honestly the best part about this.

[sniperlemming]

you seriously couldn't have picked a better person to interview for this story. Greg is amazing and so incredibly knowledgeable.

[gwemula]

The Candymaker narrating the entire thing was such a treat! What a legend!

[Atomkaerna]

I love what he said about seeing himself, not as an owner of the equipment, but instead a caretaker of it. It just sounds so genuine and humble, like he really just cares about the craftsmanship of it all instead of primarily focusing on getting praise or money for what he does. These kinds of people are really the ones who keep things running.

[SageMerric]

9:59 The coolest thing about this is the way the boss talks to his staff. He actually respects them as fellow professionals and works alongside them. The best bosses are the ones who don't feel like bosses, you love to see it.

[sajjadsaddam]

At this point, I don't know if he is a scientist or candy maker. He really loves what he does, and I like it !

[kikithepupper]

wow the man speaking is so articulate and very good at explaining in ways any of us can easily understand. He would be a fantastic professor

[Real]

Been a fan of Lofty Pursuits for a while now. This guy knows his candy. He's even been able to reverse engineer candy that's been out of production for years.

[Dabednego]

I got to meet Greg at his store a few years ago. He was making pomegranate image candy that day, and he used some of the candy “dough” to make a rose blossom lollipop for my sister-in-law, who he could tell was having a bad day.

[flowerprincess]

This video makes me want to go to their store and buy all of their candy. The process is gentle and natural, and the owner is so wholesome. I know it taste amazing

[KITT.]

It’s very interesting to see how candy is actually made, it’s genuinely satisfying to see the process. The fact that glucose and sucrose can make something so delicious, yet beautiful.

[akittycat]

Really cool to see Greg get features like this. Been a huge fan of his channel for years.

[JordanBeagle]

13:10 "People seem to forget the history isn't that far away and the future isn't either and were just here in the middle being a caretaker for what's around us." Love this

[anxietymarin]

He has his own YouTube channel, and I watch it all the time. When I went down to Florida, I met him in his shop. He gave me a free t-shirt when I talked about the channel. Truly an amazing guy.

[malekiththewitchking]

You can absolutely tell this is a man who is proud of his craft, and thats absolutely respectable.

[TheKelpsinator]

This guy was really amazing. Please bring him back for more, Wired! He's got such a great knack for explaining and teaching, and I love how smart, informed and passionate he is about his craft. I would love to watch more videos with him talking about anything related to candy! Also, those image candies blew my mind!

[Anarkey]

I could watch this guy talk all day about anything! He is so knowledgeable and passionate and explains everything just right. He makes me want to be a sugar smith!!

[Schnozinski]

I've eaten a ton of their candy, which is very expensive (but worth every penny). It's amazing. The way it releases the flavor, and the flavors themselves, are second to none. Even strange flavors you wouldn't think you'd like, are often delicious.

[bitronicc]

Honestly this shoot went so well that I'm surprised that these guys weren't offered a show making new types of candy and showcasing the history of the various tools each episode. I bet History channel would pick that up.