Feature Photo and design by Brian Kachejian
Long before sour candy wars and extreme-spice challenges took over store shelves, Mike and Ike were already dominating the movie-theater candy scene with simple, chewy, fruit-flavored candy that generations of Americans grew up eating by the handful. The colorful little candies became part of childhood for millions of people, especially during the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s, when a box of Mike and Ike was almost guaranteed to show up at the movies, in school bags, or hidden in jacket pockets.
I used to eat Mike and Ike all the time as a kid during the 1960s. Alongside Hot Tamales, another classic Just Born candy that I recently reviewed, these little fruit chews were everywhere. They were addictive, colorful, cheap, and somehow impossible to stop eating once you opened the box.
This review turned into a complete sugar overload as I ranked multiple Mike and Ike flavors from worst to best, including original fruit flavors, tropical candy, sour varieties, and some truly bizarre experiments that honestly should probably never have happened.
There is something timeless about Mike and Ike candy. Unlike many modern candy brands that constantly chase trends, Mike and Ike built its reputation around chewy fruit flavor and consistency. The candy has survived for decades because it delivers exactly what people expect: colorful, chewy pieces packed with sweet fruit flavor that are incredibly easy to keep eating.
For this review, I tested a variety of Mike and Ike flavors side by side and ranked them based on flavor, balance, sweetness, overall enjoyment, and whether I would actually want to finish the box.
Some flavors were outstanding.
Some were absolutely brutal.
In the video below, I rank multiple Mike and Ike flavors from worst to best while breaking down the sweetness, chewiness, flavor balance, and overall candy experience. This one was fun to do. I told myself that I woudl get rid of all the boxes of Mike & Ike candies after the tsatet test, but sadly, I kept them around, and after a few days, they were indeed all gone as I coudl not stop consuming them.
The History of Mike and Ike
Mike and Ike was introduced in 1940 by the Just Born candy company, the same company responsible for Hot Tamales, Peeps, and Goldenberg’s Peanut Chews. The chewy fruit candy quickly became one of the company’s biggest successes because of its colorful appearance, simple fruit flavors, and easy-to-eat texture.
The exact origin of the name “Mike and Ike” has been debated for decades. Various stories have circulated over the years, including connections to vaudeville performers, comic strips, and advertising concepts, but the company has never officially confirmed a single explanation.
By the 1950s and 1960s, Mike and Ike had become deeply connected to American movie theater culture. The small cardboard boxes were inexpensive, easy to carry, and perfect for sharing during films. The candy’s popularity exploded across supermarkets, convenience stores, candy counters, and concession stands nationwide.
The original fruit flavor lineup became iconic because it balanced sweetness and chewiness without becoming overwhelming. Over the years, the brand expanded into tropical, berry, sour, and seasonal varieties while still maintaining the classic fruit mix that built the company’s reputation.
Original Fruits Review
The original fruit mix immediately brought back childhood memories. Cherry, lemon, strawberry, lime, and orange flavors all hit with that classic chewy sweetness that made Mike and Ike famous in the first place.
These candies remain dangerously addictive. Once you start eating them, it becomes very difficult to stop. The fruit flavors tasted balanced and natural, keeping everything enjoyable without feeling overwhelming.
This flavor scored a very strong 9 out of 10.
Jolly Joes Grape Review
Jolly Joes completely shocked me. The grape flavor exploded immediately with rich dark grape sweetness that tasted much stronger and more focused than expected.
Honestly, this was one of the best grape candies I have ever had.
The flavor felt bold, smooth, and addictive all at once. After the second handful, this flavor jumped directly into first place.
Jolly Joes earned a huge 9.5 out of 10.
Red Rageous Review
If Jolly Joes brought the grape flavor, Red Rageous brought the heavy artillery for cherry candy lovers. This mix featured strawberry, raspberry, cherry, and watermelon flavors all working together.
This was the flavor where everything seemed to peak. The sweetness, chewiness, fruit balance, and overall flavor intensity all came together perfectly.
Red Rageous officially took over first place with a score of 9.6 out of 10.
Tropical Typhoon Review
Tropical Typhoon delivered a colorful mix of tropical fruit flavors, including banana, mango, and strawberry punch-style candy combinations.
These were fun and extremely sweet, especially when grabbing multiple flavors at once. The candy almost felt designed to create a giant tropical sugar explosion in your mouth.
While enjoyable, the flavor became slightly overwhelming over time compared to the more balanced fruit flavors.
Tropical Typhoon scored an 8.9 out of 10.
Ice Cream Truck Review
This was where the ranking took a strange turn.
Ice Cream Truck flavors included combinations like orange twist, strawberry shortcake, chocolate waffle cone, and cherry pie. On paper, it sounded interesting.
In reality, this was the first major disappointment of the entire review.
The flavors tasted artificial and strangely medicinal. Honestly, it reminded me of old children’s aspirin from decades ago. The dessert flavor concept simply did not translate well into chewy candy form.
This flavor scored a disappointing 1 out of 10.
Sour Blue Raspberry Review
I have never been a huge sour candy fan, and this flavor did absolutely nothing to change my mind.
The sourness completely overwhelmed everything else. Instead of tasting actual blue raspberry flavor, the candy just delivered an aggressive wall of sour coating that buried the fruit underneath it.
This one earned a brutal 0 out of 10.
Sour Mega Mix Review
Sour Mega Mix somehow pushed things even further. The box contained a huge collection of sour fruit flavors, but honestly, the sour intensity became overwhelming almost immediately.
I actually had to spit these out.
If you genuinely love extremely sour candy, you might enjoy these. But for me, this was simply too much acid and not enough flavor.
Another 0 out of 10.
Final Ranking
7, Sour Mega Mix, 0 out of 10
6, Sour Blue Raspberry, 0 out of 10
5, Ice Cream Truck, 1 out of 10
4, Tropical Typhoon, 8.9 out of 10
3, Original Fruits, 9 out of 10
2, Jolly Joes, 9.5 out of 10
1, Red Rageous, 9.6 out of 10
Winner
Red Rageous
The cherry-focused flavor mix completely dominated this ranking. The balance of sweetness, fruit flavor, and chewiness pushed it slightly ahead of Jolly Joes in one of the closest candy battles I have done so far.
Conclusion
This review turned into one giant nostalgic sugar rush from start to finish. Mike and Ike remain one of the great old-school American candies because the basic formula still works after all these decades.
The classic fruit flavors still hold up beautifully, while some of the newer experimental varieties felt far less successful. But when Mike and Ike get it right, especially with flavors like Red Rageous and Jolly Joes, these candies become almost impossible to stop eating.
My head may have felt like it was about to explode from all the sugar by the end of this video, but honestly, this was one of the most fun candy rankings I have done in a long time.
If you want to see how some of our other candy rankings rank, check out our Best Candy Taste Tests and Rankings for more honest comparisons.
