After a ten-year wait, Kit Kat lovers will have a new flavor to enjoy, and this duo of refreshing mint and indulgent dark chocolate will take up permanent residence on store shelves and the pages of online candy superstores like Candy Warehouse. After much speculation, the Hershey’s Company announced on April 24, 2019, that the newest member of the iconic chocolate-covered wafer bar confection family, the Kit Kat Duos Mint + Dark Chocolate bar, is set to hit store shelves in December of 2019, and it’s the first permanent Kit Kat flavor introduced to the U.S. candy market in a decade.
The Kit Kat bar has a long and time-tested history in the confectionery market. Initially developed by Rowntree’s of York, United Kingdom, after an employee suggested the company create a snack that “a man could take to work in his pack,” the innovative culinary candy invention was launched August 29, 1935, and dubbed, Rowntree’s Chocolate Crisp.
In 1942, due to wartime shortages and rationing, the “Chocolate Crisp” recipe changed to dark chocolate, the name was abandoned, and the packaging color morphed to blue. Soon after the war, Roundtree went back to the original recipe, packaging, and renamed the chocolate covered wafers Kit Kat.
From there the trendy candy bar was marketed all over Europe, Canada, South Africa, Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand and soon, Roundtree established agreements to distribute the brand in the United States through the Hershey company, and in Japan through Fujiya.
Kit Kat is now produced globally by Nestle, except for the United States, where the Hershey Company manufactures Kit Kat Bars in the under license from Société des Produits Nestle SA, Vevey, Switzerland, Trademark Owners.
Although the popularity of the Kit Kat Bar is undeniable, the flavor choices available in America have been limited. The first flavor variant, Kit Kat Orange, occurred in 1996 and was only available in the United Kingdom. Japan has enjoyed a plethora of wildly exotic taste variations including ginger ale, soy sauce, creme brulee, green tea, sake, and banana but here in the U.S., candy consumers have only had a few choices, which are currently Dark and Milk Chocolate, White and a limited edition named “Kit Kat Flavors of California- Strawberry.”
That is until now, and Kit Kat connoisseurs are waiting on the edge of their seats for a taste of this new take on this signature wafer, which will be available covered in mint creme on top and dark chocolate on the bottom. Rumors from those who have tried this new treat are calling it a “refreshingly minty” initial burst of flavor followed by the mellow and smooth essence of dark chocolate bliss.
According to a press release by Christopher Kinnard, Kit Kat’s senior brand manager, “Kit Kat is known around the world for its inventive flavors, and we’re excited for the launch of Kit Kat Duos Mint + Dark Chocolate.”
To build on this momentum, the company expects to bring additional Duos varieties to the table, with announcements to follow in the coming months. For now, the release of this new merger of mint and dark chocolate is highly anticipated but, according to Kinnard, “here’s the best part – we are just getting started. Keep your eyes peeled; there is more to come from the Kit Kat brand.”
