MEMORIES:
eightieslady remembers...These things work wonderfully when I'm stopped up from a cold More »
Posted on 12/08/07
"The Original Celebrated Curiously Strong Peppermints"
The founder and precursor of all things breath-freshening, Altoids have been a part of our day-to-day since the reign of King George III back in the eighteenth century. The simple combination of sugar, gum arabic, and gelatin, need only be treated with various syrups, oils, and natural flavors to produce the zest of peppermint, spearmint, wintergreen, cinnamon, ginger, and licorice. But the Altoid is more than just the mere sum of its parts. It's a breath of fresh air condensed into a tablet no bigger than a dime. It's a shock, a rush, and a wave of refreshment all packed into one.
But as utterly splendid as the Altoid is (Harrison Ford admitted an addiction to them, calling them "acting pills"), it is perhaps the Altoid tin that is the true celebrity. It seems that the small container is useful for just about anything. Field & Stream even boasts its functionality as a survival kit that can house an arsenal of tools for your worst-case scenario. And as if that isn't enough, the tin can be emptied and used as a makeshift camping stove.
But say you're not one to challenge the great outdoors in such a way. If you are not already amazed by the Altoids tin, brace yourself for these other fine possibilities: Altoid tins have been used to make pinhole cameras, battery packs, switchboxes, pocket amplifiers, pocket thumb pianos, Random Oscillating Magnetic Pendulums, mini portable strobe lights, and even a cheese grater; they can house amateur radios, playing cards, geocaches, and MP3 players, and even various illegal and illicit substances. The winner of the ReadyMade Altoid Tin MacGyver Challenge even turned two Altoid tins into a pair of mini speakers.
But at the end of the day, Altoids remain the curiously strong (insert flavor here) loved by people the world over. Whether inspiring the mint vs. sours debate or simply sparking romance, Altoids are not only curiously strong but also remarkably functional.
