2017 Southern Living Food Awards: Best Southern Made Products
Clyde May's Bourbon Whiskey
Auburndale, FL
mayswhiskey.com
This craft whiskey is layered with the legend of Clyde May, a moonshiner in the Conecuh Ridge of Alabama who was imprisoned in the 1970s for his illegal recipe that contained dried apples, local grains, and spring water. Sip it straight, or mix it in a cocktail.
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Big Spoon Roasters Peanut Butter
Durham, NC
bigspoonroasters.com
Inspired by his experience with spicy peanut butter in Haiti, Mark Overbay adds ancho, guajillo, and habanero chiles to his jar. Smear with strawberry jam on crusty bread for a grown-up PB&J, or warm it up and drizzle over a noodle bowl.
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Big Easy Bucha Kombucha
New Orleans, LA
bigeasybucha.com
Brewed with the exotic flavors of New Orleans—satsuma, cayenne pepper, mayhaw—Big Easy Bucha is a delicious introduction to this style of fermented tea.
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Radio Roasters Coffee
Scottdale, GA
radioroasters.com
Launched by former NPR producer and current CNN editor Chip Grabow, Radio Roasters roasts, packs, and ships seasonally selected beans to order.
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Oliver Pluff & Co. Iced Tea
Charleston, SC
oliverpluff.com
When our editors want to whip up a pitcher that pleases, we brew this bold, bergamot-tinged blend slowly in front of a sun-filled window.
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Louisville Cream Ice Cream
Louisville, KY
louisvillecream.com
With flavors like Cayenne Honey Butter; Bourbon Smoked Pecan; and our favorite, The Red Queen (goat cheese, cherry, and pistachio), it's a wonder anyone makes a decision at the counter of Louisville Cream's new shop.
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Pappy & Company Maple Syrup
Louisville, KY
pappyco.com
Drizzle this family farm-produced maple syrup (aged in Pappy Van Winkle bourbon barrels for six months) over homemade pancakes.
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McEwen & Sons Grits
Wilsonville, AL
mcewenandsons.com
We take the title "best grits in the South" seriously, and our Test Kitchen unanimously named these family-made white grits just that.
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Pogue Mahone Pickles Hot Sauce
Austin, TX
poguemahonepickles.com
Pickle juice has been the umami mysterious ingredient in many Southern recipes, from barbecue sauce to a famous fried chicken sandwich. This new creation from three-time Food Awards winner Pogue Mahone Pickles takes the concept to a whole new level.
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Martine Honeysuckle Liqueur
Austin, TX
martinehoneysuckle.com
Gary Kelleher bottled up the universal Southern childhood memory of tasting sweet honeysuckle blossoms. Add an ounce of nostalgia to a gin and tonic, or use it as a substitute for sugar in an old-fashioned.
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Roots Hummus
Asheville, NC
rootshummus.com
It's not uncommon to see a tub or two of this hummus in our office refrigerator—or spooned into a bowl when we're entertaining at home. We're partial to the herbaceous Lima Bean variation complemented by parsley and thyme, but the Roasted Garlic follows closely behind.
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AtlantaFresh Buttermilk
Atlanta, GA
atlantafresh.com
Most grocery store buttermilk is pretty disappointing. This one is thick and rich, and there is nothing that it can't make better—from homemade cornbread to pancakes to chess pie to a chicken marinade. It's the Meryl Streep of ingredients.
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Holmsted Fines Chutney
Birmingham, AL
holmstedfines.com
Last-minute party planners know that chutney is the real game changer on the cheese board. Rebecca Williamson's Green Tomato Chutney combines her European culinary training with her Alabama roots.
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Harvest Roots Ferments Kimchi
Mentone, AL
harvestrootsferments.com
A crowd-pleasing kimchi? It's possible. Crisp and perfectly piquant, this made believers out of fermented-food novices and superfans alike.
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Mod Squad Martha Vinaigrette
Nashville, TN
modsquadmartha.com
Emmylou Harris' go-to catering chef Melissa Ann Barton has started bottling the dressings and marinades that made her a hit with her list of musician clients. Our favorite is this fruit-forward vinaigrette.