From a Swedish delicacy to a worldwide best seller.

Unsatisfied with the tobacco of his time, revered Swedish craftsman Johan A. Boman sets out to craft a higher quality product.

After four years of painstakingly crafting his recipe, Boman introduces an elevated tobacco experience to his home country. Crafted using only the finest ingredients, it was an upper-lip snus unlike anything seen before.

Snus becomes an identifying mark for the millions of Swedes immigrating to America. Main streets in Swedish neighborhoods even earn the name “Snus Boulevard.”

The first portion-packed pouch is developed in Sweden, making snus convenient and more appealing to the broader public.

General Snus begins selling its snus in temperature-controlled chillers, ensuring the product is at its freshest, the very moment it’s purchased. Once opened, it will stay fresh for up to a week without refrigeration.

Swedish Match introduces the Gothiatek Standard, which guarantees that every can of General Snus exceeds even the toughest Swedish food-grade requirements. It also promises to ensure every can meets our standards through a quality-controlled process, starting with the very soil where the tobacco seed is planted. 

General Snus is the first to take cleanliness to the next level by introducing “white portions” – a new process that delivers cleaner, white pouches that are still sold today in wintergreen, white and mint.

General develops a new type of can with a unique disposal compartment that holds used portions of snus.

General’s signature Star Formation makes its first appearance in select cans. Not only does it maximize the number of portions per can, but each pouch is shaped to fit more comfortably under the upper lip.

General Snus is first introduced to retailers in the United States. Today, it can be found in more than 20,000 stores nationwide and has earned the title of best-selling snus in the world.

General Snus celebrates 150 years of elevating the tobacco experience, and pledges to continue its pursuit for years to come.