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GOURMET NEWS NOVEMBER 2014 www.gourmetnews.com SPECIAL FEATURE 1 8 adding heat with sriracha, Poole created a buffer against the dilution that comes from adding ice and vodka, ultimately preserv- ing the mix's briny/tangy and sweet tones. Preservation & co., which produces a va- riety of pickled and other vegetable prod- ucts and seasonings, also offers a sriracha salt bloody mary rimmer. Spicy rimmers like this one have risen in popularity along- side spicy mixes. Bacon-flavored rimmers are also trending. Just a year old, Austin, Texas-based Bloody Revolution, has taken variety to a new level, recently expanding its reach to over 600 locations, including gourmet shops and major retailers, like one of the largest grocers in the state, HEB. The com- pany offers five mixes, with the unique twist that none of the four "variation" fla- vors are based on the company's original recipe. The company's four co-founders started Bloody Revolution to fill what it saw as a gap in the marketplace, crafting unique flavors like wasabi ginger, ribeye, pickle zing and smoked habanero. "We had the idea to do something totally different from what we'd ever seen," said Chantz Hoover, Managing Partner of Bloody Revolution. "We decided to mix things up." While the company's more unique flavors have proven a hit among ad- venturous cocktail enthusiasts, Bloody Rev- olution's standby original and smoked how the bloody mary can serve as a "meal in a glass." While possibly alarming some fans of the classic recipe, elaborate versions of this classic cocktail may be contributing to an overall boost in the category. "I'd say the Bloody Mary is getting more popular," said Shelley Buchanan, author of "The Drunken Tomato: A Definitive Guide to the Best Bloody Marys in Los Angeles and Orange County." "Especially with everyone sharing all these pictures of the crazy garnishes, bloody marys are really coming out in so- cial media a lot more, and they're getting more attention that way." GN habanero offerings serve as a point of entry for bloody mary beginners. "Customers will try the original or the smoked ha- banero first," Hoover said. "Retailers are telling us that they come back and say, 'Hey, that was awesome, I'm ready to try one of these other flavors now.'" Bloody Revolution's offerings fit perfectly with another bloody mary trend: the bloody mary "bar within a bar" concept. Restaurants and bars across the country are setting up bloody mary carts or mini-bars where customers can choose their own gar- nishes, extra spices and rimmers. While es- tablishments typically offer only one or two mixes at the "front" of the cart, Bloody Rev- olution clients have found success when they choose to offer a more extensive selec- tion of mixers. The renowned Austin hotel, The Driskill, whose popular Saturday bloody mary bar had featured two house- made original mixes for 30 to 40 years, re- cently added three Bloody Revolution mixes, with impressive results. "Their beverage director said, 'This is going to take our bloody mary bar to an- other level,'" said Hoover. "And now, six months later, it's gone really well for them. They've given us great feedback." The com- pany's mixes have performed similarly well at other clients' bloody mary bars. The growing preference among con- sumers for natural and healthy products is also driving today's bloody mary market. While the drink uses vodka or another type of alcohol, it also contains a healthy dose of tomato juice and often cayenne and other beneficial spices. "I find that a lot of our customers are vegetarians," said Mel Gonzalez, COO of Backyard Mary, a Huntington Beach, California company whose medium heat mix is sold in four western states. "They look at it as a liquid salad, basically as a meal in a drink." Backyard Mary Bloody Mary Mixer, which carries just enough heat derived from horseradish, Worcestershire sauce and peppers, gives the drinker a light kick, yet it is still bright and flavorful. The mixer was a Platinum Best of Class winner at the Spirit Interna- tional Prestige Awards. Of course, some bloody marys are not so healthy, and consumers can thank the blo- gosphere in part for that. Spurred on in a "can-you-top-this" fashion, some restau- rants, bloody mary bloggers and individual consumers are carving out a spot at the bar (or on the internet) by posting outrageous pictures of lavishly garnished bloody marys. A bacon cheeseburger, King Crab claw, and chicken and waffles are just a few of the indulgent garnishes that demonstrate Bloody Mary Continued from PAGE 17 Wixon Foodservice Group Offers Bold Beverage Options The Wixon Foodservice Group has introduced its latest beverage mixes. The mixes – hot, cold, alcoholic or nonalcoholic – can also be customized for use across all day parts. The comp.any's on-trend menu solutions in beverages include Café Olé Cappuccino, Captain's Favorite Cucumber Pomegranate, Honeydew Mint Lemonade, Mango Tango, Sir Francis Drake's Cuban Cocktail and Viva Horchata. For more than 100 years, Wixon has been a trusted provider of flavors, seasonings and technologies for food and beverage manufacturers. With its scientific and culinary capabilities combined with a passion for service, Wixon drives innovation and solutions for its customers. Wixon ingredients are globally-sourced and go beyond FDA standards to ensure quality and cleanliness. Wixon also offers spice grinding and blending services, as well as a complete line of package engineering options. Located in St. Francis, Wisconsin, a suburb of Milwaukee, Wixon is GFSI certified to FSSC 22000, ISO9001 certified and QAI Organic certified. More information on Wixon or any of its products may be obtained at www.wixon.com or by calling 414.769.3000. Foodland Products Brings Granny's Secret Line to American Consumers In addition to its vegetable specialties, including traditional Ajvars, Lutenicas and a wonderful Red Pepper Bruschetta, Foodland is cornering the market on unique fruit preserves and specialties using the wild, naturally occurring fruits of Serbia. These include products made from wild blueberries, cranberries, strawberries, quince and aronia. Unhappy with current industrial production methods, such as the overuse of chemical preservatives, pesticides, gluten-based thickeners and other tricks, Foodland has championed the cause of all-natural, preservative-free, pesticide-free, non-GMO, fresh-tasting and healthy products, bringing their all-natural Granny's Secret (Bakina Tanja) line of products to America. In crafting Granny's Secret, Foodland first chooses the best hand-picked fruits and vegetables. The produce is then cleaned and brought to a very slow boil on wood burning stoves in large pots. This is the traditional, "grandmotherly" way of cooking. This slow process of maintaining and slightly increasing heat over time takes hours, but it preserves many of the nutrients and vitamins. Foodland's Granny's Secret line is not so much of a secret as a revelation. It shows that with a little care, fresh, homemade tastes are possible without the introduction of artificial preservatives, colors or flavors. The Granny's Secret line now also includes juices made from 100 percent fruit, using the same methods that have made their vegetable and fruit products so popular. Some bottles contain hundreds of fresh squeezed fruits, and all have their nutrients, vitamins and healthy properties preserved thanks to Foodland's unique processes. The sweetness and unique flavor of each fruit is kept fresh by using white grapes as a sugar substitute. Granny's Secret redesigned products won the World Packaging Organization's "Worldstar" as Best Packaging for 2013. More recently, Granny's Secret Jams won "Best Jam or Preserve" in England, with the delicious Pear Jam walking away with special accolades. For more information, call Foodland's agents in the United States at 201.293.4757, email sales@fastpakstore.com, or visit the company online at www.fastpakstore.com or at www.foodland.rs.

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