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GOURMET NEWS APRIL 2019 www.gourmetnews.com SUPPLIER NEWS 1 1 Makabi & Sons Adds New Flavors to Sandwich Cookies, Infused Honeys something my friends and I were exposed to living in the city, but coming from a packaged food perspective, there wasn't anything out there that appealed to our tastes." Each cookie flavor is inspired from a dif- ferent region. The Bombay, for example, is inspired from Indian fla- vors, with masala chai shortbread and vanilla cream. The Habana is Cuban-inspired, with lime zest shortbread and mojito mint cream. There's also the Oaxaca for a spicy choco- late, Oxford with Earl Grey and bergamot, and the Uji with matcha and toasted black sesame. All the cookies are made by a team of bakers, along with Behmanesh himself, in an L.A. pastry dough facility. "They're a copacker, but it's a hybrid of sorts," he said. "I'm in there baking with them, mixing with them, so it's not completely hands off." The cookies are then packaged in a plas- tic tray, with individual pockets to keep them from breaking, in a white box with designs representing the flavor's region. These are new designs for Makabi & Sons. As for what's next, he said to watch for more florals, a design element the company used to emphasize, though it'll probably focus the florals on a variety pack. The sug- gested retail price for the cookies is $9 per package, and they come in cases of nine for retail, with a tabletop display coming this summer. Behmanesh said to watch for more flavors this year, including the comeback of Bahia, a cardamom and pis- tachio flavor. "We're going to bring that back," said Behmanesh. "We're actually trying to coordinate it with the time the Aladdin movie comes out, since it's an Ara- bian-influenced cookie." That would make six fla- vors in total, though there's potential for seven, as Behmanesh is in talks with an- other company for a cookie with island fla- vors like pina colada. Makabi & Sons also makes infused craft honeys, available in three flavors: rose water, saffron and cardamom, and star anise. "We work with a beekeper who makes these beautiful, infused honeys," said Behmanesh, adding two new flavors might come out this year. One is golden milk, with cinnamon, ginger and turmeric, and then there's a lavender flavor. The hon- eys come in labeled 12-ounce jars inside a box, with floral designs and a bee in the middle of a floral crown, for $15 each. However, Behmanesh said he wants to bring down the cost closer to $10, so the jars are likely to be downsized to 9 ounces. He added that the price point is impor- tant because Makabi & Sons is a brand for premium gifting. "Everything we produce is made for gifting. Some people are say- ing that, given the packaging, this is a pretty low price point, but I don't feel good about charg- ing so much for a cookie," he said. "I like to keep the prices at- tainable, at something that makes sense. The process of making them right now is so labor-inten- sive [that] the cost of labor is pretty high." Despite a name that suggests there's a whole family behind the labor and opera- tions, Behmanesh is the only one really running Makabi & Sons. The name is his mother's maiden name. "I had just moved back from New York, I would go to these oldschool Jewish delis like Russ & Daugh- ters, Dean & Deluca, so it was somewhat influenced by that. It was basically named after my mom," he said." He said that the website and social media accounts are currently getting a makeover, so for more information, call 818.383.8082. GN BY GREG GONZALES Makabi & Sons is a brand of globally-in- spired sandwich cookies and infused hon- eys that made its debut at the 2019 Winter Fancy Food Show's New Brands section. The small company is getting new atten- tion, setting its sights on fresh packaging and branding for the Summer Fancy Food Show. Makabi & Sons was born in Los Angeles, California, the re- sult of Founder Eiman Behmanesh and his friends eat- ing out around the city. "When I created this, I essentially created it for my friends," said Behmanesh. "We love checking out restaurants around the city, ethnic food in particular. We love ethnic desserts and ethnic drinks. This is how it came to be ― it's for people who really enjoy going out and trying new flavors, exploring new tastes." Behmanesh, born in Iran, said he grew up watching the Food Network after mov- ing to the U.S., which inspired his desire to work in the food industry. "I explored dif- ferent opportunities and thought there isn't really anything out there that taps into our desire to learn about new flavors, under- stand different cultures and different parts of the world through food," he said. "That's Knob Creek has undergone a label upgrade to its core expressions: Knob Creek Bour- bon, Knob Creek Straight Rye Whiskey and Knob Creek Single Barrel Reserve. "Over the past 25 years, Knob Creek has set the standard for what great whiskey ought to be, and now, we're doing the same with our label," said a company spokesper- son. "While the liquid inside remains the same award-winning bourbon and ryes our fans know and love, the updated labels now evoke the brand's big, full flavors and super-premium credentials even more." Knob Creek has set the standard for super-premium for more than 25 years by crafting extraordinary full-flavored bour- bon with a rich taste. Knob Creek ® bour- bons and ryes are aged to perfection in new, maximum charred American Oak barrels to impart the biggest and fullest flavor on its whiskey. No matter the expression, Knob Creek is crafted without shortcuts and embodies the preprohibition style that founding distiller Booker Now set out to create. Since then, Knob Creek has lived up to such standards with the introduction of Knob Creek Straight Rye Whiskey in 2012. In recent years, Knob Creek has ex- panded its rye portfo- lio, introducing Knob Creek Single Barrel Se- lect Rye Whiskey (115 proof), Knob Creek Cask Strength Rye Whiskey, a limited- edition offering, (119.6 proof) and Knob Creek Twice Barreled Rye (100 proof). GN Harvest Snaps Launches New Flavors in Bigger Bags Calbee North America is introducing big- ger resealable bags for its Harvest Snaps brand along with two new flavors: South- ern Style BBQ Black Bean Snack Crisps and White Cheddar Green Pea Snack Crisps. They join the Original Lightly Salted Green Pea Snack Crisps in updated 10-ounce packaging. Made with farm-direct vegetables as the first ingredient, each flavor features the same baked crunch. With 30 to 60 percent less fat than fried potato chips and only 130 calories per 22 crisps, these snacks are made with high- quality ingredients and are free of artificial flavors, colors, cholesterol and the com- mon allergens soy, nuts, wheat and eggs. The new Southern Style BBQ Harvest Snaps offer naturally smoky flavors and just the right amount of red pepper heat, along with 4 grams of plant protein, 50 mil- ligrams of calcium and 240 milligrams of potassium per serving. The new White Cheddar flavor provides 5 grams of plant protein, 4 grams of fiber, 70 milligrams of calcium and 250 mil- ligrams of potassium along with sharp, creamy cheddar flavors. "Harvest Snaps has found a natural home in the produce department with our 3- ounce and 3.3-ounce products," said Paul Laubscher, Calbee North America's Direc- tor of Marketing. "In addition, we have lis- tened to consumers who consistently request a larger bag format, especially with a resealable zipper." Visit www.harvestsnaps.com and follow @harvestsnaps on social media for more in- formation. GN Knob Creek Upgrades its Labels

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