In some ironic twist of fate, it was a fellow by the name of Claus (yes, just like “that guy” in the red suit) who handcrafted the first candy cane in the United States.
He was Claus Doscher, and back in 1871, after arriving in America, he opened up a candy shop on a downtown street corner in the Queen of the West, as the Midwest city of Cincinnati, Ohio, was dubbed way back when. Having learned the craft of candy cane making in his native country, Doscher soon began boiling up batches of pure sugar and corn syrup, adding in just the right amount of peppermint oil and turning out his red-and-white-striped treats for sweet-toothed customers to espy—and aspire to try….