Almond Roca was invented in 1912 by Harry Brown and J. C. Haley, founders of Brown & Haley Company. The candy’s name is said to have been inspired by Tacoma’s head librarian, Jacqueline Noel, who chose the Spanish word “roca”, meaning “rock” in English, to describe the hard, log-shaped confection. Brown & Haley first used Almond Roca’s trademark pink tin can containers in 1927 to extend the product’s shelf life and the same pink tin is what makes it stand out on the shelves.