The Screw Bar from Lotte Confectionery Co. - retro ice cream stick with a crunchy twist

Reviewed: ad hoc news Classics & Longseller desk. Edited and checked on 2026-06-28, 06:57. Details in the imprint.

The Screw Bar from Lotte Confectionery is the kind of ice cream stick that squeaks softly against your teeth when you bite in and leaves sticky cola-lime stripes on your fingers on a humid Seoul evening.

How the Screw Bar tastes

The Screw Bar builds its appeal around a spiral shape, cola-flavored ice on the outside and a contrasting lemon or lime core inside. Each twist gives a slightly different mix of sweet cola and sharp citrus.

You do not just crunch it, you peel it in spirals with your lips, feeling the ridges as they melt and drip, which makes it more of a small ritual than a quick snack.

Why it became a classic

The Screw Bar has been in Korean convenience-store freezers for decades, sitting next to newer premium sticks yet still chosen by students and office workers who grew up with it. That continuity turned it into a quiet benchmark for cheap, fun ice cream.

Design and everyday use

On the wrapper, the Screw Bar stays raw and playful, with bright red and yellow graphics that look almost unchanged from older print ads. Marketing staff under CEO Kim Dong-woo know that any big redesign would irritate the loyal base more than attract new fans.

In daily use, the bar is robust enough not to snap instantly when pulled from the freezer, yet soft enough to bite without hurting sensitive teeth, which matters when children share it outside small neighborhood minimarts.

Price and positioning

In South Korea, the Screw Bar typically sells at a low, rounded price point in won that places it in the mass-market tier rather than the premium imported brands. It is the kind of ice cream you add to your basket without thinking when refueling or buying instant noodles.

That practical pricing keeps it attractive during inflation phases when households trade down from more expensive desserts but still want a small, consistent treat after work.

Strengths and annoyances

The main strength is the instantly recognizable flavor combination, which tastes clean and sharp rather than overly sugary when eaten slowly. Its spiral form also makes it easy for parents to split between two kids along the ridges.

What can annoy some buyers is the sticky hand it leaves as it melts quickly in midsummer heat, especially near the southern coast, and the limited flavor variation compared with new seasonal lines from competitors.

Role inside Lotte Confectionery

For Lotte Confectionery, the Screw Bar sits alongside other long-running brands in ice cream and frozen desserts, giving the company a stable base of recurring revenue in convenience channels. Managers use these classics as anchors when they introduce spin-off flavors or cross-promotions with drinks.

It also acts as a subtle brand ambassador abroad, appearing occasionally in specialty Korean supermarkets and K-culture snack boxes, where the retro aesthetic resonates with foreign fans of Korean dramas.

Company context and shares

All told, the Screw Bar illustrates how Lotte Confectionery leans on familiar products to defend shelf space in Korean convenience stores while experimenting with limited editions around them. Lotte Confectionery shares (ISIN KR7280360009) are listed on the Korea Exchange in Seoul, where investors track such everyday brands as part of broader consumer spending trends.

This article was AI-assisted and editorially reviewed. Product information without guarantee; prices and availability may change at short notice. No investment advice, no buy or sell recommendation. Stock-market transactions involve risks up to total loss.

en | KR7280360009 | LOTTE CONF | boerse | 69644012 | bgmi