The 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.

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

See following slides for category winners.

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

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

See following slides for category winners.

Willa's Shortbread
Made in: Madison, TN

Tiny cookies sweetened with buttery, floral Tupelo honey.

$12.25 for 6-oz. tin; willas-shortbread.com

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

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

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

See following slides for category winners.

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

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

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

See following slides for category winners. 

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

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

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

See following slides for category winners.

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

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

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

See following slides for category winners.

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

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

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
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

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
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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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 

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

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 

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 

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 

Banner Butter
Made in: Atlanta, Georgia

Made with grass-fed milk from locally soured milk; this is a butter worth setting out for company.