Woo hoo! Congratulations to all of the indie makers who took home gold at this year’s Summer Fancy Food Show, the annual trade event put on by the Specialty Food Association.
Really, any passionately crafted, Mouthwateringly tasty food is an award-winner in our book (seriously, each one of our makers deserves a gold star). But some standout goodies earn extra-special top marks from the expert industry tastemakers of the Specialty Food Association, who emphasize the craft, the care and the joy behind indie food.
WINNERS
Best Cold Beverage
Bittermilk's Smoky Whiskey Sour Cocktail Syrup is our favorite secret-weapon for amazing drinks. Bitter orange peel, sweet cane sugar and acidic lemon juice build a balanced base, taken one step further with bourbon barrel-smoked honey. We like to pair that wisp of smoke with the heat and spice of Kinnickinnic Whiskey.
Best Confection
Made with fresh milk from free-reigning goats, Big Picture Farm’s Sea Salt + Vanilla Caramels are soft and smooth dreams. Perfectly sweet, milky, and just a hint of salty, they’re our desk drawer ticket to salted caramel happiness. And co-owner Louisa Conrad draws all of the cute little goat illustrations on every box, inspired by the actual goats on her farm. Baaa!
Best Cracker
We are never – literally, never – surprised when someone says Jan Gorham’s Farmhouse Crisps are “the best cracker ever!” Once we open a box, we find that we can’t stop. They’re crispy. Elegant. Studded with nuts, seeds and chewy dried fruit, plus a fragrant hit of savory rosemary. And if there’s also a salty cheese or a jar of French Onion Confit around? Forget it!
** The company’s in the process of moving operations to a larger facility in Vermont (yay, growth!), so sign up to receive an email when we’ve got a new batch of these awesome crisps back in stock!