Things You Didn't Know About Big League Chew

Category: Food & Drink

1. It's partially responsible for breaking a Guinness World Record Back in 2014, 721 people came together at the Cal Ripken Babe Ruth League World Series and blew some very coordinated bubbles to win the world record for Most People Blowing Bubble Gum Simultaneously. The previous title achieved with 544 people was set June 6th, 2013 by the Lester B. Pearson School in Aurora, Ontario, Canada. Yes, we beat the Canadians! 2. A real-life ball player invented the stuff. Inspired by the game he loved and the players around him, Portland Mavericks ball player Rob Nelson first came up with the idea for Big League Chew in the summer of 1977. Almost 40 years later, Nelson continues to stand behind his creation and maintains full rights and creative control over the product. And you better bet that come Halloween, his door is the best one to knock on. 3. It wasn't always pink! Nelson first developed root beer- and maple extract-flavored Big League Chew so that it would be brown and truly mimic its inspiration, chewing tobacco. "I really wanted it to be the fun alternative to chewing tobacco," Nelson shared with us. Wrigley loved his pitch but told him to stick to regular pink bubblegum because it didn't want to be seen as condoning tobacco. 4. It's Bubble Tape's cousin Ron Ream, the chemist and VP of marketing and corporate development for Amurol Products, a division of Wrigley's, between 1979-2004, invented the technology behind both bubble gums. Today he is the owner of MyBigLeagueChew.com, a site where you can go and custom order your very own pack of Big League Chew with your name on it. Ream also recently produced a military-geared gum that is aimed to pack in enough caffeine to keep our troops going. Now that's some powerful gum! 5. There have been some experimental flavors over the years Like Cherry Sparks, which was cherry with crushed Life Savers. But for the most part, Big League Chew sticks to the flavors it loves and knows best: Outta' Here Original (your regular bubble gum flavor and the company's most popular flavor) and grape, which owner Rob Nelson says tastes like cabernet franc. At the moment it also features watermelon and sour apple.