The Southern Living Test Kitchen taste-tested over 300 of the newest artisan products to find the best Southern-made foods. These are our 24 favorites and 22 runners-up.
The 2015 Southern Living Food Awards
We kicked off our three-day taste test by sampling nearly 60 jars of jams and jellies and ended with a side-by-side comparison of 46 different kinds of coffee. In between the sugar headaches and caffeine rushes, not only did we find the perfect pickle and the most refreshing summer beer, but also we discovered the stories of the people who make them. They all remind us that the best Southern recipes mix innovation with tradition.
Best Pickles: Texas Sweet Heat Pickles
Pogue Mahone Pickles
Made in Austin, TX
Cool, crisp, and zingy all at once. The sweetness of these bread-and-butter-style pickles—our favorite of all the food we tasted—tempers the piquant punch of jalapeño, mustard seeds, and black peppercorns.
$10 for 16 oz.; poguemahonepickles.com
Summer Basil Farmhouse Ale
Fullsteam Brewery
Made in: Durham, NC
The beer equivalent of lemonade. The intensity of the North Carolina-grown basil varies depending on when the basil is harvested during summer.
$6 for 22 oz.; fullsteam.ag
Pork Clouds
Bacon's Heir
Made in: Atlanta, GA
A gourmet take on gas station rinds, kettle-cooked in olive oil for a light and airy texture with a satisfying crunch. In flavors like Malabar Black Pepper, Rosemary-and-Sea Salt, and Cinnamon Ceylon, it's an extraordinary high-low snack.
$12 for 6 bags; baconsheir.com
Tupelo Honey Shortbread Bites
Willa's Shortbread
Made in: Madison, TN
Tiny cookies sweetened with buttery, floral Tupelo honey.
$12.25 for 6-oz. tin; willas-shortbread.com
Original Salted Caramels
Shotwell Candy Co.
Made in: Memphis, TN
Semi-hard caramels, infused with Kentucky bourbon and vanilla for a rich, deep flavor.
$9.75 for 12 pieces; shotwellcandy.com
Buttermilk Ice Cream
Southern Craft Creamery
Made in: Marianna, FL
Supremely creamy with a subtle lemon-like tang. Milk from the creamery's own family-run dairy provides the velvety base.
$8 for 1 pt.; southerncraftcreamery.com
Wildflower Honeycomb Chocolate Bar
Chocolat by Adam Turoni
Made in: Savannah, GA
Gilded dark chocolate bars that ooze with raw wildflower honeycomb at first bite. Nearby business Savannah Bee Company supplies the honey. Almost too pretty to eat, they've come our hostess gift of choice.
$6.25 for 1 bar; chocolatat.com
Jalapeño, Serrano, and Habanero Sauces
Yellowbird Sauce
Made in: Austin, TX
A brighter, less astringent hot sauce that uses citrus juice as the backdrop for fiery peppers in its three different varieties. This bottle has become our main squeeze.
$8 for 19 oz.; yellowbirdsauce.com
Habanero-Infused Vinegar
Frankie V's Kitchen
Made in: Dallas, TX
That tired bottle of green pepper vinegar has met its match. Frankie V's high-octane pepper sauce, made by steeping organic habaneros in organic white vinegar, is our new go-to for field peas and greens. It delivers blazing acidity.
$6 for 8.5 oz.; frankievskitchen.com
French Picnic Salt and Friends Forever Salt
Beautiful Briny Sea
Made in: Atlanta, GA
Hand-harvested sea salt blended with herbs and spices. Granulated honey makes Friends Forever savory-sweet; French Picnic adds Dijon mustard and herbes de Provence with a subtle hint of lavender.
$9 for 8 oz.; e-mail info@beautifulbrinysea.com
Ghost Pepper Whipped Honey
Cloister Honey
Made in: Charlotte, NC
Thick, spreadable honey with a creamy sweetness that soothes the slow-burning bite from notoriously hot ghost peppers. A dollop heats up a ho-hum cheese board—or try it as a glaze on smoked wings.
$8 for 9 oz.; cloisterhoney.com
Strawberry Balsamic Preserves
Blackberry Farm
Made in: Walland, TN
A scarlet jam made with strawberries grown in the gardens of the farmstead-style resort. The tart twist of balsamic vinegar keeps the chunky preserves vibrant, not cloyingly sweet, and the chunky texture is a perfect match to the fluffy interior of a biscuit.
$19 for 8 oz.; blackberryfarm.com
Mission Almond Butter
Big Spoon Roasters
Made in: Durham, NC
A three-ingredient nut butter that blends wildflower honey and sea salt with heirloom Mission almonds, which are creamier and richer than regular almonds.
$14 for 8 oz.; bigspoonroasters.com
Twenty Strong
King Bean Coffee Roasters
Made in: Charleston, SC
A dark, chocolaty roast with a fruity hint of berries. These beans, the company's 20th anniversary blend, produce a black-coffee lover's dream: a full-bodied brew, with low acidity and plenty of pep.
$12.99 for 12 oz.; kingbean.com
Front Porch Special
Piper and Leaf Artisan Tea Co.
Made in: Huntsville, AL
A black tea blend dotted with cornflowers that produces the perfect pitcher of iced tea. It's spiked with delicate notes of cooling spearmint, jasmine, and a tinge of bittersweet orange from bergamot peel.
$9 for 15 servings; piperandleaf.com
Goat Cheese Cheesecake
Belle Chèvre
Made in: Elkmont, AL
A light and airy cheesecake, delicately scented with vanilla and lemon zest. Alabama-made goat cheese, the signature ingredient, lends a cloud-like texture and some tangy tartness.
$35 for 6-inch cake; bellechevre.com
Bloody Mary Mix
Debutante Farmer
Made In: Oxford, MS
Bursting with the vine-fresh verve of summer tomatoes and fresh lime juice (for zip without the sinus-clearing horseradish). This bottle is our new brunch must-have.
$14 for 25.4 oz.; elizabethheiskell.com
No. 6 Oaxacan Old Fashioned
Bittermilk
Made in: Charleston, SC
A subtly spicy blend of Mexican chiles, cocoa nibs, spices, and sweet raisins. Mix with mezcal or rum.
$15 for 8.5 oz.; bittermilk.com
Pineapple Gum Syrup
Liber & Co.
Made in: Austin, TX
A fruit-forward mixer, made with fresh pineapple juice and cane sugar, that tastes like a tropical resort bar in a bottle.
$8 for 8.5 oz.; liberandcompany.com
Bristow Gin
Bristow Gin
Made in: Jackson, MS
A botanical—not piney—gin with hints of orange peel and minty hyssop. It pairs perfectly with Jack Rudy's Elderflower Tonic.
$35 for 750 milliliters; bristowgin.com
Belle Meade Bourbon Sherry Cask Finish
Green Brier Distillery
Made in: Nashville, TN
A special batch of nine-year-old bourbon, matured in sherry casks from Spain for a darker color and sweeter, nutty taste.
$75 for 750 milliliters; greenbrierdistillery.com
Richland Rum
Richland Rum
Made in: Richland, GA
A butterscotch-like rum made with sugarcane grown on the owners' estate. It goes down so smooth we love to drink it straight up.
$52 for 750 milliliters; richlandrum.com
Elderflower Tonic
Jack Rudy Cocktail Co.
Made in: Charleston, SC
A floral twist on traditional tonic, with subtle hints of pear and lychee. We recommend trying it with gin, bourbon, rum, or even tequila.
$16 for 17 oz.; jackrudycocktailco.com
Cucumber & Lavender Bitters
El Guapo Bitters
Made in: New Orleans, LA
Nonalcoholic bitters that impart herbal freshness. Just a few drops elevate a gin and tonic. SL
$24 for 7 oz.; elguapobitters.com
Runner Up: Woodford Reserve® Bourbon-Smoked Chef's Spice Blend
Bourbon Barrel Foods
Made in: Louisville, KY
A savory mix of spices, salt, and sugar—all smoked over whiskey-soaked oak—with dried parsley and garlic.
$10 for 2 oz.; bourbonbarrelfoods.com
Runner Up: Small-Batch Bourbon Truffles
Art Eatables
Made in: Louisville, KY
Our drink of choice distilled into gorgeous chocolate truffles; pick from makers like Buffalo Trace, Maker's Mark, Four Roses, and Wild Turkey.
$10 for 4-piece box; arteatables.com
Runner Up: Gourmet Ice Pops
The Hyppo
Made in: St. Augustine, FL
Available in fresh flavors like Pineapple-Cilantro, Straight-Up Strawberry, Berry-Cheesecake, and Honey-Pear.
$40 for 12 pops; thehyppo.com
Runner Up: Green Martini Mater Pickles
beta verde
Made in: Winston-Salem, NC
Our new favorite martini garnish; these green cherry tomatoes are soaked in an garlic-and-herb-flavored brine.
$8 for 6 oz.; betaverde.blogspot.com
Runner Up: Shrimp Dip
Big T Coastal Provisions
Made in: Mount Pleasant, SC
Not your typical store-bought seafood dip; it's packed with chunky shrimp complimented by a blend of cheddar cheese, cream cheese, lemon juice, and spices.
$8 for 8 oz.; bigtcoastalprovisions.com
Runner Up: The Filthy Liar Cocktail Mixer
White Whale Bold Mixers
Made in: Durham, NC
Made with delicately sweet and floral lychee fruit, rosemary, and spicy clove; add it to your next gin and tonic for a fruity twist.
$10 for 8 ozz; drinkwhitewhale.com
Runner Up: Valines Famous Cocktail Sauce
Valines Famous
Made in: Columbia, SC
A Southern-made cocktail sauce fitting of Southern-caught seafood; it has the perfect hit of horseradish.
$16 for 2 9.6 oz. jars; valinesfamous.com
Runner Up: Bourbon Marshmallows
Wondermade
Made in: Orlando, FL
Adds boozy sweetness to S'mores and hot chocolate; these little squares have a fluffy texture that sets them apart from store-bought marshmallows.
$8 for 16 piece box: wondermade.com
Runner Up: Fleur de Sel Pecan Toffee
Lambrecht Gourmet
Made in: Herber Springs, AR
A toffee take on chocolate-pecan pie with the perfect sprinkle of savory sea salt.
$16 for 18 piece box; lambrechtgourmet.com
Runner Up: Sweet Garlic Vinaigrette
T. Lish
Made in: Birmingham, AL
Subtly sweet from the mellowed taste of roasted garlic; it's divine on pasta salad.
$7 for 12 oz; tlish.com
Runner Up: Wicked Pickle Chips
Wickles Pickles
Made in: Dadeville, AL
Sweet bread-and-butter-style pickles with that pack a punch from dried chili peppers; they're an essential ingredient for a great cheeseburger.
$5 for 16 oz.; wicklespickles.com
Runner Up: Prairie Standard Hoppy Farmhouse Ale
Prairie Artisan Ales
Made in: Krebs, OK
A crisp, hoppy saison with a little zing of lime; it's our go-to light beer.
$12 for 4 12 oz. bottles; prairieales.com
Runner Up: Organic Sprouted Gluten-Free Yellow Corn Grits
The Sprouted Flour
Made in: Fitzpatrick, AL
Creamy, course-ground grits with the added beneifts that come from sprouted corn.
$3.80 for 1 lb.; healthyflour.com
Runner Up: Cold Brew Coffee
Highbrow Cold Brew Coffee
Made in: Huntsville, AL
Made with beans allowed to blossom for 3 days in cold water; it makes for a smooth sipper.
$30 for 2 32 oz. bottles: highbrowcoldbrew.com
Runner Up: Beer Vinegar
Back Forty Beer Co.
Made in: Gadsden, AL
Pleasantly tart blanaced by the malty taste of Back Forty's craft beer; bring a bottle to your next fish fry.
$8 for 12 oz.; backfortybeer.com
Runner Up: Buddascotch-Oatmeal Southern Style Bite Size Cookies
G Momma's Southern Style Bite Size Cookies
Made in: Selma, AL
Crispy cookies made with butterscotch chips, oats, and cinnamon; their tiny size provides a convenient excuse to have more than just one.
$10 for 2 5.5 oz. bags; gmommas.com
Runner Up: Revival Sorghum Whiskey
High Wire Distilling Co.
Made in: Charleston, SC
Distilled with earthy sorghum sourced from farms in Eastern Tennessee; it brings a maple-syrup-like sweetness to cocktails.
$62 for 750 ml.; highwiredistilling.com
Runner Up: Blueberry BBQ Finishing Sauce
The Chef and the Farmer
Made in: Kinston, NC
A vinegar-based sauce in keeping with Carolina tradition with regionally sourced blueberries; slathered it on at the end when grilling for fruity caramelization.
$13 for 16 oz; chefandthefarmer.com
Runner Up: Fast Forward
Counter Culture Coffee
Made in: Durham, NC
Similar beans sourced from Counter Culture's latest grower connection in Latin America; each bag provides a slightly different take on a medium, nutty roast.
$15 for 12 oz; counterculture.com
Runenr Up: Bourbon-Barrel Smoked Flake Sea Salt
Bulls Bay Saltworks
Made in: Charleston, SC
Adds smokey, woodfire goodness to whatever it's sprinkled on; the salt is smoked over bourbon barrels used by another Southern Living Food Award winner, Bittermilk.
$18 for 4 oz.; bullsbaysaltworks.com
Runner Up: Callie's Cheese Crisps
Callie's Charleston Biscuits
Made in: Charleston, South Carolina
Our favoirte take on classic cheese straws; they're not too spicy or too greasy. We always keep a bag handy for an instant party snack.
$20 for 2 6 oz. bags; calliesbiscuits.com
