Two niche St. Louis brands are receiving national attention for their Bloody Marys. The Drunken Tomato awards, an international Bloody Mary competition, is honoring both Todd Brutcher with Southside Alchemy and Carrie Zehner of Carrie’s Merries. The awards are assigned by a blind taste-testing platform led by industry influencers spanning the globe. The full results of the competition are available here.
Southside Alchemy earned two gold medals, one for its Mild Mannered Mary bottled mix and another for its Mary Makings, an instant Bloody Mary dry spice.
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Company founder Todd Brutcher has received accolades from Drunken Tomato before, for Sweat & Tears, as a new release in 2020 and again in 2021, garnering a gold in the spicy category.
As its name would suggest, Mild Mannered Mary is a tamer mix. Although the toned-down recipe—made without horseradish and with just a touch of black pepper “for the more sensitive palate”—received recognition at last year’s awards, Brutcher wanted to go for the gold. So he tweaked the recipe and resubmitted.
“I’m really blown away that it placed with a gold medal this time,” he says. “It is truly an honor to be among what many consider to be the best in our industry.
Although it’s the new kid on the block, Carrie’s Merries racked up three awards.
Zehner started the company two years ago. A single mom, she found herself traveling for work more often than was sustainable with a young son, so she took the Bloody Mary mix she had perfected in her home and built a brand around it. She says that her product line, which includes the mix, beef sticks, rim salts, hot sauce, and pickles, was based on the idea of a Bloody Mary brunch bar.
She received a gold medal in the same “mild” category as Brutcher. The Drunken Tomato also awarded her a platinum medal—its highest recognition—for her hot sauce as well as a silver for her rim salt.
Zehner says that the recognition feels validating for her young business.
“I created things I love, hoping other people would, too,” she says of her startup. “It reinforces that you’ve done the right things. You’ve followed your dream and trusted your instincts. That acknowledgement and reinforcement—there’s no better feeling.”
Southside Alchemy, which now has six products under its label, including two sangria mixes, has been a mainstay at the Tower Grove Farmers’ Market since 2019. Brutcher’s products can also be found at 40 Schnucks stores and 50 local retailers. Find a map of the locations here.
Carrie’s Merries are available at local stores including Schnucks, Friar Tuck, Dogwood Wine & Spirits, and The Wine and Cheese Place, as well as at some stores in Kansas City and on the company’s website.
