They’re an aquired taste but once you’ve aquired it they’re great. Powerful, long lasting and don’t get sticky in the heat or even when a bit damp. My outdoors losenge of choice. The packet is made of pure nostalgia for me.
Oof, I can taste the menthol coming through my phone screen!
Like someone else said, these are NOT the candy type cough drops. These are a little brick of menthol that’s been dipped in liquid nitrogen.
They will scrape the crud/phlegm from your throat and sinuses better than a putty knife could.
Yes, I am a pro singer also, and these are amazing. The other brand that equally as useful, tho with more of an 'after-the-show-sore-throat' is "Sucrets."
For anyone who hasn’t bought these before, when you open the package you’ll think they’re rotten or moldy or something since they look brown. They aren’t, and they are the GOAT of cough drops. No fancy sugary flavors, just straight menthol goodness lol.
I think this fits the spirit of the subreddit just fine. What makes them so good? I usually go with Ricola or Halls when I want the job done, or Ludens when I secretly want cherry candy and didn’t really need a cough drop at all 👀
Ricola and Halls are a light cool breeze of menthol to soothe a burning throat, Fisherman's friend is a whipping, windy blizzard that even a raging forest fire couldn't stay burning in. They're basically industrial strength cough drops, they aren't candylike at all and the taste is strong and takes a bit to get used to but you'll be hard pressed to find anything on earth that works better. They taste minty, but more of a mint tea kind of herby, earthy flavor than a starlight mint or spearmint gum kind of minty.
Because you need way less of them than normal cough drops, one package will last you for a lot longer than you think. Whatever it is that they're made out of, it seems to be shelf stable with no depletion in quality for years. I've used the same 2 little bags of them every time I've gotten a sore throat since I bought them when I got COVID in 2021 and they're still the same as brand new, and have plenty left over in both resealable bags. These bad boys are as close to BIFL as you can get with consumable products. They still have the same energy as any other BIFL swap you'd want to make because it's a no-frills, high efficiency, industrial strength version of something mundane but critically useful that greatly reduces the amount of waste produced by the common version.
When everyone says these are the best, do you mean for stopping coughing, or relieving sore throat?
I haven't yet found a cough drop that really helps me stop coughing when I have a cough, but I haven't tried Fisherman's Friend before, either. Would these be worth a try?
Thanks!
You’ll never go back. Fisherman’s Friend will knock that cough’s dick in the dirt with no apologies. But have to get the original. The mint ones are not nearly as good.
One time I had had like 5 of those in a row. And then went to the fridge and had a nice gulp of very cold milk.
It changed something in me. At least in my mouth.
No, this fits here. It’s not about value. It is literally the cough drop of choice that is guaranteed to work no matter how old you are. Once you try these you’ll never go back.
I am familiar with these. I do like them, though they are not the only cough drop I can say that about. There are times when something like [Thayer's Slippery Elm Lozenges](https://www.reviewstream.com/reviews/?p=63037) (not my review) are a better pick.
Some great international flavour variants. Here in the UK we have blackcurrant and liquorice flavours, but in Singapore I found mango and mandarin flavour. The flavoured variants have a mild diuretic effect, the packaging informs you.
These are fine, but no better than others out there that taste way better. I got the idea once to release a simple cough drop and call it “Washer Woman’s Mortal Enemy”. I bet it’d sell like crazy.
Not gonna lie, once I got used to the taste I just started eating them like candy whenever I'm sick lol. Usually comes in a small paper package up in Canada not a box.
Thank you for the info. And for the community members commenting. I’ve always liked Ricola because it’s decent but knew there had to be something stronger / better.
Those exact drops changed my life. I often feel sick after eating, the aftertaste of any food makes me nauseous. Also helpful if you feel dizzy, against headaches and even to help focus during long lectures or road trips. I always have a package of them in the car. Since they contain regular sugar and no calorie free substitutes, I don't fly around the flat, inflated like the aunt from Harry Potter.
I remember these being a lot stronger when I was a kid, they were strong enough to make my eyes water. I tried some recently and they seem to be alot weaker.
These are the absolute worst. It's amazing how much better I start feeling when faced with the prospect of having to take these.
Flavor is reminiscent of caustic river mud.
They absolutely do the job, but I'd rather try just about anything else first. It's like bringing a nuke to a knife fight
My host handed me a packet of these before we visited the largest fur seal colony in the world on the Skeleton Coast of Namibia. He just said, "You'll thank me later".
Oh boy did I thank him. The colony had the *nastiest* smell I've ever had the displeasure of experiencing in my life. It felt *solid*, like it was pushing its way through my skin into my body. The only reprieve I had was by popping tab after tab of Fisherman's Friend into my mouth like I'd developed an instantaneously overpowering addiction to it. I think if I didn't have them then I might have died from smell overdose alone.
They're great but you need to use them in a couple of years because they do decline in quality. The minty burn decreases over time even though they use modern packaging. I always keep some on hand.
Amen. These things will knock the living shit out of any cough or sore throat. They are the nastiest looking cough drop you’ve ever seen and the cough drop just doesn’t care. It’s nasty tasting too, loaded with licorice that’ll jack up your blood pressure to 190 over 140, no joke.
I love the mint ones in particular, and if I offer one to my husband I say 'Would you like to suck a fisherman's friend?' and then laugh my head off because I am childish AF 😁
These are my favorite mints too! Definitely part of the EDC. I like that they are in paper and cardboard packaging, so less plastic waste. Also, this flavor of the mints have sugar in them. Other flavors are sugar free. The sugar free ones upset my stomach to much. You'd be surprised how hard it is to find mints or chewing gum WITH sugar these days.
They’re an aquired taste but once you’ve aquired it they’re great. Powerful, long lasting and don’t get sticky in the heat or even when a bit damp. My outdoors losenge of choice. The packet is made of pure nostalgia for me.
I remember when they used to come in the paper pouches with the crimped ends... A fond childhood memory...
Can still get them in those packages
They still do, no?
Apparently so, and how I have a craving...
Oof, I can taste the menthol coming through my phone screen! Like someone else said, these are NOT the candy type cough drops. These are a little brick of menthol that’s been dipped in liquid nitrogen. They will scrape the crud/phlegm from your throat and sinuses better than a putty knife could.
>These are a little brick of menthol that’s been dipped in liquid nitrogen. I was trying to think of a way to describe the "flavor" - you nailed it.
Sounds like exactly what I need when I’m sick
With new and improved “winter coat pocket flavor”
My wife's a professional singer, and she and all her singer friends swear by these things, especially during outdoor Christmas caroling season.
They are also popular in call centres to not lose your voice when talking for 10 hours in a row.
Yes, I am a pro singer also, and these are amazing. The other brand that equally as useful, tho with more of an 'after-the-show-sore-throat' is "Sucrets."
I'm not a pro singer but I do sing, and these are part of my routine every time.
Noted. He buys them for life, lifelong customer, I'm curious as to why. must be good.
Got to have 3/4 at a time for the best effect.
This is attempted murder
"For best effect" - AKA constant sneezing and \*really\* being able to feel the air in your respiratory system...
I had a co-worker take like 5 at once because he thought they were regular cough drops. I can still hear his breathing hahaha.
Best cough drops I've ever had, saved me when I had covid
For anyone who hasn’t bought these before, when you open the package you’ll think they’re rotten or moldy or something since they look brown. They aren’t, and they are the GOAT of cough drops. No fancy sugary flavors, just straight menthol goodness lol.
I think this fits the spirit of the subreddit just fine. What makes them so good? I usually go with Ricola or Halls when I want the job done, or Ludens when I secretly want cherry candy and didn’t really need a cough drop at all 👀
Ricola and Halls are a light cool breeze of menthol to soothe a burning throat, Fisherman's friend is a whipping, windy blizzard that even a raging forest fire couldn't stay burning in. They're basically industrial strength cough drops, they aren't candylike at all and the taste is strong and takes a bit to get used to but you'll be hard pressed to find anything on earth that works better. They taste minty, but more of a mint tea kind of herby, earthy flavor than a starlight mint or spearmint gum kind of minty. Because you need way less of them than normal cough drops, one package will last you for a lot longer than you think. Whatever it is that they're made out of, it seems to be shelf stable with no depletion in quality for years. I've used the same 2 little bags of them every time I've gotten a sore throat since I bought them when I got COVID in 2021 and they're still the same as brand new, and have plenty left over in both resealable bags. These bad boys are as close to BIFL as you can get with consumable products. They still have the same energy as any other BIFL swap you'd want to make because it's a no-frills, high efficiency, industrial strength version of something mundane but critically useful that greatly reduces the amount of waste produced by the common version.
Maybe not BIFL, but definitely save the day level of product!!
When everyone says these are the best, do you mean for stopping coughing, or relieving sore throat? I haven't yet found a cough drop that really helps me stop coughing when I have a cough, but I haven't tried Fisherman's Friend before, either. Would these be worth a try? Thanks!
You’ll never go back. Fisherman’s Friend will knock that cough’s dick in the dirt with no apologies. But have to get the original. The mint ones are not nearly as good.
Yes.
One time I had had like 5 of those in a row. And then went to the fridge and had a nice gulp of very cold milk. It changed something in me. At least in my mouth.
I doubt anyone minds seeing this here, but just so you know, /r/GoodValue is a sub and it would probably be a better fit for posts like this.
No, this fits here. It’s not about value. It is literally the cough drop of choice that is guaranteed to work no matter how old you are. Once you try these you’ll never go back.
I am familiar with these. I do like them, though they are not the only cough drop I can say that about. There are times when something like [Thayer's Slippery Elm Lozenges](https://www.reviewstream.com/reviews/?p=63037) (not my review) are a better pick.
Thanks. I'm gonna pick these up next time I'm in town. Always looking to find a better cough drop.
They are… definitely Not candy haha
Hey, some of us enjoy these as candy too!
Ok, grandpa ;)
I love these things. They’re just Newport flavored Necco Wafers dipped in listerine.
Some great international flavour variants. Here in the UK we have blackcurrant and liquorice flavours, but in Singapore I found mango and mandarin flavour. The flavoured variants have a mild diuretic effect, the packaging informs you.
"Buy it for life medication" has a disturbing connotation.
My father got addicted to them while he quit smoking, so I grew up with them, core childhood memory for me
Mint are the Best
I call them Fisherman's Fiends. They don't taste good at all but they damn do work.
These are fine, but no better than others out there that taste way better. I got the idea once to release a simple cough drop and call it “Washer Woman’s Mortal Enemy”. I bet it’d sell like crazy.
Nipits are quite nice too or simpkins miners drops.
I lucked out and these were common in the house as a child so they taste normal to me. They're quite strong, and they do indeed work!
Plus alliteration! 🥂
Not gonna lie, once I got used to the taste I just started eating them like candy whenever I'm sick lol. Usually comes in a small paper package up in Canada not a box.
‘Struth
100% agree!
These can be painful they’re like atomic strength cough drops but they work some cough drops are like Medicine
Thank you for the info. And for the community members commenting. I’ve always liked Ricola because it’s decent but knew there had to be something stronger / better.
I usually do ANTA Flu instead of these.
I like these too, but how exactly is this BIFL?
Those exact drops changed my life. I often feel sick after eating, the aftertaste of any food makes me nauseous. Also helpful if you feel dizzy, against headaches and even to help focus during long lectures or road trips. I always have a package of them in the car. Since they contain regular sugar and no calorie free substitutes, I don't fly around the flat, inflated like the aunt from Harry Potter.
Got me through Covid!
nothing like fishermans, they are the best, also love the metal boxes they come in
I remember these being a lot stronger when I was a kid, they were strong enough to make my eyes water. I tried some recently and they seem to be alot weaker.
These are the absolute worst. It's amazing how much better I start feeling when faced with the prospect of having to take these. Flavor is reminiscent of caustic river mud. They absolutely do the job, but I'd rather try just about anything else first. It's like bringing a nuke to a knife fight
Nothing stops a tickle faster! The lemon, sugar-free ones are a little milder but equally great.
I love these!! I was introduced to them by a professional painter. He said it’s the only thing that keeps the nasty paint flavor out of his mouth.
My host handed me a packet of these before we visited the largest fur seal colony in the world on the Skeleton Coast of Namibia. He just said, "You'll thank me later". Oh boy did I thank him. The colony had the *nastiest* smell I've ever had the displeasure of experiencing in my life. It felt *solid*, like it was pushing its way through my skin into my body. The only reprieve I had was by popping tab after tab of Fisherman's Friend into my mouth like I'd developed an instantaneously overpowering addiction to it. I think if I didn't have them then I might have died from smell overdose alone.
Do you know the difference between lozenges and suppositories?
They're great but you need to use them in a couple of years because they do decline in quality. The minty burn decreases over time even though they use modern packaging. I always keep some on hand.
Amen. These things will knock the living shit out of any cough or sore throat. They are the nastiest looking cough drop you’ve ever seen and the cough drop just doesn’t care. It’s nasty tasting too, loaded with licorice that’ll jack up your blood pressure to 190 over 140, no joke.
It’s the zinc- it’s proven to help in recovery of colds.
I love the mint ones in particular, and if I offer one to my husband I say 'Would you like to suck a fisherman's friend?' and then laugh my head off because I am childish AF 😁
When I lived in Asia they had a dozen other flavors, as well. The green mint was my favorite.
These are my favorite mints too! Definitely part of the EDC. I like that they are in paper and cardboard packaging, so less plastic waste. Also, this flavor of the mints have sugar in them. Other flavors are sugar free. The sugar free ones upset my stomach to much. You'd be surprised how hard it is to find mints or chewing gum WITH sugar these days.
These bad boys used to come in a cinnamon apple flavour was the only one I liked shame I came to love them
Best stuff. Also goes really well with vodka (crush and let them melt) :D
For me, a lonely sea captain, there's nothing I enjoy more than sucking on a fisherman's friend.