This post was originally published on March 20, 2015.
A few weeks ago, I was lucky enough to receive a few samples of Hoosier Momma’s Bloody Mary products. KC Cranfill, one of the women behind the company, sent me a bottle of the original Bloody Mary Maker, as well as the Spicy Bloody Mary Maker. Hoosier Momma came to fruition in 2010 during Super Bowl XLIV when the Indianapolis Colts were playing and Indiana-themed products were needed for gift baskets. The founders decided to create a Bloody Mary mix with Indiana-grown tomatoes. Indiana is known for their tasty tomatoes, so what else would be better for a gift basket than an alcohol-inspired, tomato-y product? The surplus mix was sold at farmers’ markets in the area and was praised for being original and full-flavored by customers. After realizing this could in fact become a booming business, Hoosier Momma was created. Now the mix is distributed to various restaurants, national grocery market chains, as well as liquor stores, bars, and hotels. Another partner in the business is Cat Hill.
INGREDIENTS
Water, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce concentrate (vinegar, molasses, sea salt, sugar, spices, tamarind), lemon juice concentrate, horseradish (horseradish, distilled vinegar, water, salt, artificial flavoring), sugar, spices, salt, cayenne pepper puree (cayenne pepper, salt, vinegar), potassium sorbate and sodium benzoate (preservatives), orange juice concentrate, celery seed, onion powder, garlic powder
KEY NOTES
Something I really like about Hoosier Momma’s Bloody Mary Maker is that it was made originally for small distribution at farmers’ markets and for Indiana-themed Super Bowl gifts (when the Colts went to the Super Bowl back in 2010). I’m from the Midwest and love anything and everything (well, maybe not everything) from the area that is crafted with downhome love. I pride that Hoosier Momma has expanded immensely, while still maintaining the fresh flavor and ingredients that most big name brands don’t continue to do once they hit superstar status. Hoosier Momma is also women-owned, which exhibits the great success female entrepreneurs can attain and is thus inspiring to women around the world.
WHAT MAKES HOOSIER MAMA'S MIX DIFFERENT
Hoosier Momma’s Bloody Mary Maker uses orange juice concentrate in their mix, which adds for a touch of acidity, while being a bit more basic than lemon or lime juice. The mix also contains the lowest sodium content when compared to nationwide competitors (think big brands sold in traditional grocery stores) at 18%. Although Hoosier Momma is now produced on a much larger scale, the ingredients used are still GMO-free, gluten-free, and vegan. Unlike many nationwide bestselling mixes, Hoosier Momma’s Bloody Mary Maker does not contain high fructose corn syrup and tastes relatively fresh. Another interesting addition that I often don’t see in pre-made Bloody Mary mixes is Worcestershire sauce concentrate. Usually, you have to add Worcestershire sauce to bring that full-bodied kick to your drink, but Hoosier Momma makes crafting a Bloody a lot easier with this already-there-for-you addition.
FROM THE LOOKS OF IT
Hoosier Momma’s Bloody Mary Maker is presented nicely in a large bottle with an intriguing label containing a pin-up girl decked out in red. When looking at a bottle of Hoosier Momma’s Bloody Mary Maker, you can see many spices floating around throughout the mix, most notably chunks of black pepper and horseradish. From the looks of it, the mix seems to have a nice consistency.
TASTE TEST
Prior to making a Bloody Mary, I tasted Hoosier Momma’s Bloody Mary Maker by itself. It tasted nice and subtle, while giving a minor hint of heat. The Bloody Mary Maker is obviously not very spicy because Hoosier Momma also has a spicy mix. If you don’t like spicy Bloody Marys, this mix is spot on in flavor. It has the perfect bit of tang for the non-spicy Bloody Mary drinker. I also liked how you could really taste the horseradish, along with the pepper. Both flavors were quite distinct. The addition of the orange juice concentrate left for a delicate hint of acidity, while not being as powerful as lemon or lime juice. After tasting Hoosier Momma’s Bloody Mary Maker, I came to the conclusion that I could drink the mix by itself because of its heartiness and full-flavor. On a side note, I did a scent test as well, and the mix smelled nice and deep, exploding with scents of pepper and tomato.
THE BLOODY MARY
When making a Bloody Mary with Hoosier Momma’s Bloody Mary Maker, I used Bakon Vodka, which is bacon-infused potato vodka. For this Bloody Mary, I decided to use strictly only the mix, vodka, and ice. I wanted to taste everything the mix had to offer instead of adding the usual lemon juice, horseradish, and Worcestershire and hot sauces. As Hoosier Momma’s Bloody Mary Maker is already crafted with horseradish, Worcestershire concentrate, orange juice concentrate, and pepper, I did not want to alter the flavor with adding more of those ingredients. I rimmed the glass with garlic salt and garnished the Bloody Mary with a Wisconsin cheddar cheese curd (since Hoosier Momma started in the Midwest, I wanted to keep it Midwest!), pickled okra, a slice of bacon, a blue cheese-stuffed olive, a cocktail onion, and a pickle. While drinking my Bloody Mary, I could definitely taste a kick at the end of each sip like I mentioned in the “Taste Test.” Throughout the duration of sipping the cocktail, I could taste pretty big chunks of horseradish and pepper. The drink had a nice thickness and texture, though it was pretty hearty at times. At one point, I gulped down a fat chunk of ungrinded pepper. Toward the end of the drink when the spices were settling, it got a lot spicier.
SO HOW WAS IT?
I truthfully enjoyed Hoosier Momma’s Bloody Mary Maker and, as mentioned before, could drink it by itself. It is perfect for people who don’t like their Bloodys too spicy, while still being full-flavored and hearty. The only drawback I saw with the mix was that the presence of some large chunks of spices (pepper and horseradish) made it intense at times and they were hard to gulp down.
Check out Hoosier Momma’s website here, where you can check out their various products, along with an informative blog.