Courtesy Hot Charlie's
INSIDER TIP #1
Courtesy Hot Charlie's
In less than three years, St. Louisan Charlie Backer went from having a pipedream to becoming a hot local hot sauce producer. In early 2020, Hot Charlie’s two sauces were being sold in over 1000 grocery and specialty stores across Missouri, Kansas, Wisconsin, Iowa, and Illinois. Backer’s sauces are thicker than the norm, and aficionados claim that the flavors (of peppers, real garlic, etc.) are discernible through the heat. When the epidemic forced a temporarily lapse in production, Backer became inundated with messages and emails from customers throughout the country asking for updates on product availability.The wait is now over. Last month, the Original and Ghost Pepper Sauces began rolling out to select stores throughout the Midwest. Asked what his goals were, Backer says he'd "love to see both sauces at Dierbergs and Schnucks." Early on, when he was making the sauces at home, he would buy the ingredients from the Oakville Schnucks or Dierbergs stores. “So it would be cool to come full circle.” In the meantime, Hot Charlie’s sauces can be found online, at the Oakville Butcher Block, The Beef Jerky Outlet, Saucy-One, Fireside Hearth & Home, and all Supplement Superstores (10 are in the metro area).
INSIDER TIP #2
Hallo, Bierschnaps!
Urban Chestnut Brewing Company recently partnered with local distillery Switchgrass Spirits to introduce Schnickelfritz Bierschnaps. To create the novelty, brewers in Bavaria would distill a batch of beer to capture the essence of the aromas and flavors. Nick Colombo, founding member of Switchgrass Spirits, says bierschnaps is rare in the U.S. and that few breweries or distilleries are making it. Released just yesterday, the small-batch, limited-edition spirit is distilled entirely from Urban Chestnut’s classic Bavarian wheat, Schnickelfritz. The Bierschnaps presents bready, fruity aromas with hints of clove and spice, according to Urban Chestnut brewmaster and co-founder Florian Kuplent, who adds that Bierschnaps is best sipped as a digestif, either neat or over ice. The 750-ml bottles are $30 plus tax and can be purchased through Urban Chestnut’s online store (along with other products) and picked up from the Bierhall in The Grove. 4465 Manchester, 314-222-0143.
MICRORANT
Lukewarm Pickup Pizza
brown54486/Getty Images/iStockphoto
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While we praise any restaurant that is pivoting to succeed, any new concept must be followed through. Case in point: Non-pizza restaurants that are now offering pizza must understand the parameters. When customers show up at the specified pickup time, they deserve a fresh, hot pizza. Receiving a lukewarm product means the pizza was cooked in advance and held too long or it was not transferred to a heated cabinet designed for that purpose. If the customer upholds their end of the bargain, then the restaurant should do the same.
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