With the emergence of the war in Europe in 1914, nearby Camp Lewis (now Joint Base Lewis McCord) swelled with doughboys training to fight “over there”. The soldiers had a collective sweet tooth that yearned to be satisfied, and Brown & Haley happily supplied them with everything from taffy chews to butterscotch balls.

By 1923, the company had developed a delicious buttercrunch confection dubbed the Almond Roca by a local librarian. Four years later, the company decided to seal it in the now-famous pink tin, extending its shelf life threefold. It traveled with US troops to Europe, the Middle East, and the Pacific during World War II, then to Korea and Vietnam. Today, it continues to be a favorite among our troops and an iconic Washington brand.

Brown & Haley are still headquartered in the factory where Almond Roca buttercrunch toffee was invented.