Editor’s Top Picks: – March Issue 2025

Editor’s Top Picks:  – March Issue 2025

Chef Merito Seasonings

Chef Merito Seasonings, the healthy-alternative seasoning brand. A  Latino-founded, CPG business with its home in Los Angeles, CA (plus a longtime sponsor of the Dodgers). The brand has spent generations delivering quality seasonings, marinades, breading mixes, batters, and other specialty products via supermarkets, super mercados and eCommerce. For over three decades, Chef Merito has been a leader in the creation, production, and distribution of seasonings, spices, and blends catering to the ever-growing Hispanic market. With each seasoning and spice based on the brand’s own unique recipes designed especially for consumers of Latin American, Mexican, and Spanish foods, Chef Merito additionally provides specialty foods of the highest quality to families, retailers, distributors and institutional customers, throughout the U.S. and Mexico.

 

Editor’s Top Picks:  – March Issue 2025

22 Salute

22 Salute is more than a spirits brand—it’s a mission in a bottle. As a woman and minority-owned company, it blends exceptional craftsmanship with a deep commitment to veterans and first responders, donating a portion of every sale to mental health and suicide prevention initiatives. Among its standout products is the Double Gold-winning Fig-Vanilla Bourbon, an ultra-premium, handcrafted spirit infused with real Madagascar vanilla beans and mission figs. This one-of-a-kind bourbon boasts an all-natural, smooth, and richly flavored profile, setting a new standard in the industry. Its award-winning excellence and distinctive flavor make it a go-to for those seeking a rich, nuanced pour with a purpose. 22 Salute is proving that a brand can be both exceptional in quality and impactful in mission. This is bourbon with a purpose—every sip is a salute to those who serve.

 

Editor’s Top Picks:  – March Issue 2025

Broth Masters

Broth Masters was created in 2015 by Dorothy and Laya Barak, a mother-daughter team on a mission to harness the power of food as medicine. Each batch of the artisanal bone broth is made using pasture-raised ingredients and does not contain GMOs, antibiotics or hormones. The unique 48-hour cooking process ensures a bone broth that is full of flavor and nutrients. Learn more on their website and follow the company on Instagram and Facebook.

 

Editor’s Top Picks:  – March Issue 2025

Cake Life Bake Shop

Lily Fischer + Nima Etemadi, co-founders of Cake Life Bake Shop describe their woman-, trans-, and immigrant-owned award-winning small-batch artisanal bakery as a labor of love — a love for feeding people, celebrating good times together, and Beyoncé… whose birthday cake they have baked TWICE! While reality TV baking champion, Fischer, expertly pipes custom cakes and more, Etemadi imbues his family’s Persian roots in several of Cake Life’s seasonally rotating flavors. In addition to baking decadent confections, Cake Life is committed to inclusivity, hosting body- and sex-positive events, such as a BDSM body-shaped cookie decorating social. Some of Cake Life’s beloved baked goods include: Alfajores – A take on the iconic Argentinian cookie! Housemade de Leche Sandwiched between buttery vanilla shortbread cookies and rolled in coconut flakes, and Petal Pistachio Cookies – Crisp, buttery honey shortbread, iced and decorated with dried flower petals, crushed pistachios, freeze-dried raspberry dust, and rose sugar.

 

Editor’s Top Picks:  – March Issue 2025

Desolas Mezcal

Desolas Mezcal is an artisanally crafted spirit that is thoughtfully produced from 100% Salmiana Agave found in the state of San Luis Potosi, Mexico. The Salmiana agave, also known as the “green giant,” is cooked in above-ground ovens resulting in a mezcal with a fresh botanical aroma and gentle smoke. Its grassy, earthy and agave-forward character is a product of the arid and chalking soil of San Luis Potosi. The female-founded, 2024 NYSWC Best of Class Winner, premium mezcal brand can be found in 6 states – New York, Florida, Georgia, Texas, Colorado, and California and can be shipped nationwide.

 

Editor’s Top Picks:  – March Issue 2025

DreamWorld Bakes

Ashley Huston, the chef and owner of new bakery DreamWorld Bakes, the Black- and woman-owned community café concept specializing in fanciful custom cakes, Huston’s baked goods — often iced with pastels and dusted with glitter — draw heavily from a wide range of cultures and culinary traditions. Due to her voracious desire to seek out new flavors and her love of international travel, DreamWorld Bakes offers treats as whimsical in flavor as they are in presentation, such as: Adulting – Malt milk funfetti cake, toasted milk custard, funfetti crumbles & vanilla, Baby Spice – Cardamom cake base layered with passionfruit curd, mango chai mousse, and tonka bean Italian meringue buttercream, and Cherry Cherry – Brown butter cake with black cherry/sour cherry pie filling, dark chocolate sea salt mousse, and American sour cream chocolate frosting.

 

Editor’s Top Picks:  – March Issue 2025

Duke & Dame

Duke & Dame, the salted caramel whiskey with only 1g of sugar per serving, is a small, Black-owned business, fighting for shelf space with big-brand liquor (and succeeding). The brand sets an example as one of the few independent-Black owned and operated liquor brands out there. Duke & Dame was founded by Amani Macaulay and Chima Burey, two friends who worked in the corporate finance world and decided to pursue their passion of creating a whiskey for everyone. They felt there was a hole in the whiskey market for a salted caramel flavor, and the other flavored whiskey options available were loaded with sugar. After experimenting and coming up with the recipe, the South Florida-based duo was ready to bring their product to market. Since then, Duke & Dame continues to catch the attention of major hospitality brands and liquor stores throughout the country with their unique product offering.

 

Editor’s Top Picks:  – March Issue 2025

Fior Scotch

Fior Scotch is the only U.S. veteran-owned Scotch, and only Black-owned Scotch, available on the market. Fior Scotch stands out not only for its exceptional quality but also for the remarkable journey that led to its creation. After a distinguished 20-year military career with three tours in Iraq and two in Okinawa, Dominijanni started to mix a variety of his good scotches into a mixture which ultimately turned into a super blend! To fulfill his dream, Major Dominijanni tapped an industry expert to help recreate it. Fior has earned a number of impressive accolades since its 2023 inception. Fior Scotch is now conveniently available for online purchase nationwide. With each bottle purchased, a donation is given to veterans’ causes, including Operation Gratitude.

 

Editor’s Top Picks:  – March Issue 2025

Korean BBQ Roasted Seaweed Snacks

With Gimme’s new Korean BBQ flavor, the brand aims to pay homage to South Korea, the birthplace of the brand’s Founder, Annie Chun, and the country where they grow their organic seaweed. This flavor brings a perfect balance of salty, sweet, and spicy flavors—think of the bold kick of a spicy miso soup in a crisp, savory bite. It takes the traditional flavors of Korean BBQ – garlic, pepper, soy sauce, and miso – and marries them with gochujang for a kick of heat. As Korean-inspired flavors have come to the forefront, gochujang has become a go-to sauce for chefs to add a hint of spice to their dishes. While traditional Korean BBQ is actually not heavy on the gochujang flavor, Annie wanted to do things a little differently and created this recipe intentionally to have a unique, spicy flair. This product is currently available at Whole Foods and Amazon.

 

Editor’s Top Picks:  – March Issue 2025

Good Dee’s Sprinkle

Sweeten your treats without the guilt with Good Dee’s Sprinkles! Indulge in a delightful sprinkle experience that’s both guilt-free and flavorful! Good Dee’s Sprinkles are the perfect addition to your dessert repertoire, offering a low-carb and dairy-free option that sweetens without compromise. Each serving contains just 1g net carbs and is sweetened with erythritol, ensuring a sugar-free delight that’s safe for all dietary needs. Good Dee’s Rainbow Sprinkles are naturally colored with no toxic dyes or chemicals, making them a wholesome choice for families. They don’t melt when baked, allowing you to create vibrant, beautifully decorated treats that retain their charm in the oven. Naturally gluten-free and vegan, their sprinkles are ideal for anyone watching their sugar intake, embarking on a low-carb lifestyle, or following a Weight Watchers program. Whether you’re decorating a cake or adding a fun twist to your child’s lunchbox snacks, Good Dee’s Sprinkles are the perfect way to brighten up any dish!

 

Editor’s Top Picks:  – March Issue 2025

Housewife Rebellion’s Defiant Pinot Grigio

Housewife Rebellion’s Defiant Pinot Grigio isn’t just a wine—it’s a movement in a bottle. This crisp, vibrant Texas Pinot Grigio took home a medal at Grapefest, the largest consumer-judged wine competition in the U.S., proving that rebellion can be award-winning. With subtleties of fresh pear and floral aromas, this medium-bodied Defiant Pinot Grigio delivers a refreshing finish. It’s a wine for those who challenge the status quo, wrapped in Housewife Rebellion’s signature artistry—a label as daring as the wine itself. More than just a drink, our Defiant Pinot Grigio is a toast to independence, a tribute to those who refuse to settle. Whether sipped in celebration or defiance, this award-winning wine is proof that breaking the mold tastes absolutely delicious. 

 

Editor’s Top Picks:  – March Issue 2025

Jam Vino

Jam Vino is a one-of-a-kind wine-infused jam that will take your taste buds on a culinary adventure. All-natural and antioxidant-rich, Jam Vino is a delight crafted with just five simple ingredients. Each jar blends a premium wine profile with fresh fruit, delivering a flavor that’s both indulgent and wholesome. Kid-friendly, vegan-friendly, and gluten-free, Jam Vino is also a great source of daily fiber. Whether spread on breakfast favorites or paired with savory dishes, Jam Vino is a versatile condiment that elevates every meal. Jam Vino is the culinary creation of Lori (Chef Lorious) Rogers, celebrity chef and cookbook author who tapped her southern Alabama roots and northern California upbringing to blend the traditions of jam-making and wine-making. The result? An entirely NEW category of jam–Wine-Infused Jam, aptly named Jam Vino!

 

Editor’s Top Picks:  – March Issue 2025

Lavender Coffee Boutique

New from Lavender Coffee Boutique, single origin Rwandan coffee from the Abadatezuka Cooperative offers vibrant tasting notes of ripe berry jam and red wine. Grown at 2,200 meters in the Nyungwe forest, its exceptional flavor reflects volcanic soil, a cool lake-influenced climate, and natural pollination by native honeybees. Lavender Coffee Boutique, founded by Lindsey Sozio, is a renowned Denver coffee shop, roaster, and online retailer dedicated to providing high-quality, sustainable coffee that’s easy on the stomach and full of flavor. Their mission is to offer a unique coffee experience with a focus on clean, mold-free beans, low-acid roasts, and a soft, smooth profile. From farm to cup, Lavender CB prioritizes ethical sourcing, small-batch roasting, and the well-being of their customers.

 

Editor’s Top Picks:  – March Issue 2025

Lodestar Whiskey

Lodestar Whiskey was founded by Anna Axster and Wendelin von Schroder, two whiskey lovers & entertainment industry veterans who set out to break the mold and follow flavor, not rules. They crafted Lodestar to be bold, smooth, and approachable—perfect for both newcomers and seasoned sippers. But their mission goes deeper: they’ve built an inclusive brand that embraces diversity and brings people together. For Anna and Wendelin, whiskey is more than a drink—it’s a way to create shared experiences and meaningful connections. And with Lodestar, everyone’s invited to the celebration!

 

Editor’s Top Picks:  – March Issue 2025

Los Hermanos 1978 Reposado

Los Hermanos 1978 Reposado is redefining premium tequila, crafted with tradition and innovation by a Black-owned brand making waves in the industry. Aged to perfection in white oak barrels, this award-winning reposado delivers a rich, velvety profile with warm caramel and vanilla undertones, balanced by a subtle spice that lingers on the palate. Founded by Navy veteran Donta Henson and his brother William, Los Hermanos Tequila is more than just a brand—a movement celebrating culture, heritage, and excellence. With a growing list of accolades, including multiple gold medals, their 1978 Reposado is a testament to quality and craftsmanship. For those looking to support minority-owned businesses while savoring top-tier tequila, Los Hermanos 1978 Reposado is an undeniable standout. Whether sipped neat or in a craft cocktail, it delivers an experience as bold and refined as its founders’ vision.

 

Editor’s Top Picks:  – March Issue 2025

Bella Sun Luci Champagne Vinaigrette

The Bella Sun Luci product line continues to expand, now featuring an award-winning 100% Olive Oil Salad Dressing collection. Crafted with premium ingredients, their dressings stand out for their taste and quality.  The Champagne Vinaigrette is handcrafted in small batches. This vinaigrette combines the subtle sweetness of California champagne vinegar with the perfect balance of herbs, resulting in a flavor profile that is fresh, unique, and flavorful! A clean, simple salad dressing for the modern consumer. 100% pure olive oil and contains no artificial colors, flavors, preservatives, or seed oils. It’s the refreshing alternative to the cluttered salad dressing category, filled with seed oils and unhealthy ingredients. Mooney Farms is a third-generation, certified woman-owned, family-operated company rooted in quality, integrity, and strong family values. As the premier producer of Bella Sun Luci products, Mooney Farms is dedicated to excellence in every product they create.

 

Editor’s Top Picks:  – March Issue 2025

New Dawn Distilling

New Dawn Distilling was founded by bourbon lover Dawn O’Neal, who is passionate about saving the planet. She saw a chance to combine her passions using entrepreneurship as a force for good, and New Dawn Distilling was born in 2023. Its pursuit of fair and eco-friendly practices is intertwined with authentic collaborations and investments in diverse communities, from the farmers who cultivate the grains to the moment you savor the whiskey. 1% of  the proceeds go to water and climate initiatives. New Dawn Distilling’s inaugural product, a 6-year-old cask strength bourbon sourced from New York, features a mash bill of 70% corn, 15% rye, and 15% barley—all organic and locally sourced. This bourbon defies expectations, boasting a flavor profile that delights both connoisseurs and newcomers. Its unique characteristics include a rich nose of cherry, chocolate, and vanilla, with a palate that invites both sipping and mixing.

 

Editor’s Top Picks:  – March Issue 2025

Pizza Girl Organic Arrabiatta Sauce

A delicious sauce with just the right amount of spice, slow-simmered with the best tomatoes, herbs, onions, and garlic. It offers a clean, delicious taste that enhances any dish. No need for added sugar or loads of fat – the taste is in the organic ingredients and Pizza Girls’ family recipe!

 

Editor’s Top Picks:  – March Issue 2025

Poi Dog Huli Sauce

After the 2020 closing of Kiki Aranita’s Philadelphia-based restaurant, Poi Dog, Chef Kiki Aranita breathed life back into the Poi Dog brand with a line of highly versatile, nostalgic sauces representing the multicultural flavors of her childhood spent in Hawai’i and Hong Kong. Whether it be through her cooking, collaborations with other creators and chefs, or fiber artistry, each of Aranita’s endeavors tie together themes of nostalgia (particularly surrounding the flavors she grew up with) and care for the ocean. As a chef, she specializes in Hawai’i’s fresh fish dishes and low-waste cooking. Poi Dog Sauces is the ultimate culmination of these interests, as a sustainably sourced condiment line that celebrates the underrepresented cuisines of Chef Aranita’s own multicultural origins: Poi Dog Huli Sauce — Sweet pineapple, savory miso, and Chinese five-spice — this sauce is versatile. Use it to baste chickens, mushrooms, vegetables, burgers, and more.

 

Editor’s Top Picks:  – March Issue 2025

Profanity Jam

Profanity Jam, a spicy new addition to the specialty foods market, brings the heat with the sweet. One of the newer additions to the line, the sweet-tart pineapple mingles with the heat of habanero and aji peppers giving this jam a sweet and spicy bite that is perfect with sharp cheese and Latin food (fish tacos, anyone?) and is sublime mixed into a margarita – pun intended! Available to retail in 9 oz jars, or in a Tropical Picnic Pack that also includes its partners in peppers, Blood Orange Habanero, and Passion Fruit Habanero. Other size options for wholesale or food service are also available. The attention grabbing, Scovie award winning, stand-out packaging lends itself to center market, deli counter and gift giving. All Profanity Jam flavors are a little naughty, and very nice!

 

Editor’s Top Picks:  – March Issue 2025

QuikLid

QuikLid is revolutionizing food service with the first stackable, reusable, patented lid designed specifically for aluminum food pans. Made from durable, heat-resistant polycarbonate, QuikLid locks in freshness, prevents spills, and provides easy access without the hassle of flimsy foil or plastic wrap. Perfect for caterers, event hosts, and home cooks, it eliminates single-use waste while offering a sleek, convenient solution for serving and storing food. To bring QuikLid to kitchens everywhere, the company has launched a crowdfunding campaign on Indiegogo. Supporters will help fund the first production run and drive innovation in sustainable kitchen solutions. By backing this campaign, contributors play a role in reducing plastic and aluminum waste while supporting a product designed for convenience and long-term use. The campaign goes live on March 4, offering exclusive updates and early supporter benefits. Visit their website to stay informed and be part of the movement toward smarter, eco-friendly food storage.

 

Editor’s Top Picks:  – March Issue 2025

Cookies & Creme Poppers by REAL

Indulge in a better-for-you take on a childhood classic with new Cookies & Creme Poppers by REAL. Crafted from simple, thoughtfully sourced ingredients, the new bite-size snack features a deep, rich cocoa chocolate cookie paired with vegan white chocolate chips—the first gluten-free, grain-free, and vegan cookie of its kind. Naturally sweetened with maple syrup and coconut sugar, Cookies & Creme Poppers deliver big flavor in every bite—without the junk. Founded by longtime best friends Lauren Berger and Marla Felton, REAL Cookies strikes a balance between healthy and delicious—always made with clean, non-GMO ingredients such as almond and coconut flour, vanilla, real fruit, and dark chocolate. Available on Amazon, online, and select retail stores.

 

Editor’s Top Picks:  – March Issue 2025

Renais Gin

Renais Gin is a testament to heritage, innovation, and female entrepreneurship. A portfolio company of Freedom Trail Capital and Samyr Laine, Renais is co-founded by Emma Watson, who brings a fresh, sustainable vision to the world of spirits. Inspired by her family’s Burgundy winemaking roots, Renais transforms upcycled French wine grapes into a refined gin that blends tradition with modern sophistication. Crafted with sustainability at its core, Renais challenges conventional gin-making while celebrating culture, craftsmanship, and the strength of women in the industry. Elevated yet inclusive, it’s a spirit designed for those who appreciate artistry in every sip. Renais is more than just a gin—it’s a movement redefining excellence in spirits, led by a woman who honors the past while shaping the future.

 

Editor’s Top Picks:  – March Issue 2025

RINGA

RINGA® is consciously crafted, plant powered, holistic hydration that combines the benefits of organic apple cider vinegar and organic prebiotic fiber with the vitamins, minerals, amino acids, antioxidants, and nutrients found in one of nature’s most nutrient dense plants; Moringa oleifera. These ready-to-sip sparkling beverages can help support healthy blood sugar balance, are an antioxidant powerhouse, use organic and non-GMO ingredients, are vegan, gluten-free and contain 0 grams of added sugar (using NO sugar alcohols, sugar alternatives, natural flavors, or synthetic ingredients) making them a great alternative to sugary kombuchas, sodas, social tonics, and all their high sugar, high calorie friends. Perfect for summer, cool-as-a-CUCUMBER plus a hint of MINT flavor gives that fresh-from-the-spa feeling and is the light and bubbly vacay your mind and body needs. Perfect sipped straight from the can or used as a mindful mixer (think mojito vibes).  Welcome to everyday hydration that’s better for you and the planet. RINGA®. It’s for life.

 

Editor’s Top Picks:  – March Issue 2025

Saint Spritz

Saint Spritz was founded by sisters-in-law, Joelle “JoJo” Fletcher and Mallory Patton. This wine-based cocktail brand captures the essence of spritzes in a convenient ready-to-drink format inspired by a memorable family wedding in Italy in 2022. The brand debuted shortly after that through DTC channels and select Target stores, offering three refreshing flavors: Amalfi, a bittersweet orange spritz; Hugo, an elderflower lime spritz; and Sicily, a basil limonata spritz.  Saint Spritz meets a growing market demand, especially as interest in the Aperol Spritz has surged over 10x since 2016, solidifying its place in American culture. Their portfolio provides a healthier low-alcohol option at just 5% ABV, catering to the growing interest in mindful drinking with a full-bodied approach. Each spritz is free from added sugars, artificial sweeteners, toxic dyes, and gluten, featuring a proprietary blend of fruit and vegetable juices for natural coloring—providing a refreshing alternative to sugary cocktails.

 

Editor’s Top Picks:  – March Issue 2025

SirDavis

Founded by Beyoncé Knowles-Carter in partnership with Moët Hennessy, SirDavis offers an unexpected take on American whisky with a bespoke recipe and one-of-a-kind taste profile perfectly suited to Knowles-Carter’s whisky ideal. SirDavis challenges category norms by combining the complex, rich character of rye with the soft elegance of malted barley for a uniquely harmonious blend of fruit and spice. Made to delight whisky enthusiasts while inviting newcomers into the whisky category, SirDavis is the future of whisky, reimagined. Whisky has long been Knowles-Carter’s drink of choice (just revisit some of her lyrics and Instagram posts) and the discovery that her great-grandfather Davis Hogue, the brand’s namesake, worked as a farmer and moonshiner in the American South during Prohibition made the idea of creating a legacy whisky brand feel predestined. The striking bottle tells a singular story of heritage through intentional design elements that honor Hogue and Knowles-Carter’s Texas roots.

 

Editor’s Top Picks:  – March Issue 2025

Striped Pig Distillery

Striped Pig Distillery is redefining Southern spirits with bold flavors and a commitment to quality. Founded by Forbes award-winning entrepreneur Pixie Paula Dezzutti, the family-run distillery continues to push boundaries in craft spirits, blending tradition with innovation. Striped Southern Pecan Bourbon Whiskey is a celebration of the rich, nutty sweetness of the South, infused with natural pecan and vanilla flavors for an exceptionally smooth and balanced experience. Crafted in Charleston, SC, this full-bodied bourbon opens with velvety toasted pecan notes, followed by a hint of warm vanilla bean on the finish. Whether sipped neat, on the rocks, or mixed into a creative cocktail, it’s a whiskey like no other—bold, smooth, and irresistibly Southern.

 

Editor’s Top Picks:  – March Issue 2025

Sweet Diplomacy

Sweet Diplomacy draws inspiration from its communities and lived experiences, especially for its Diplomatic Boxes—carefully themed collections inspired by global locations and special moments. Each box offers a curated selection of gluten-free, dairy-free, nut-free, and vegan treats, catering to diverse dietary needs. The Formosa Box reimagines Taiwanese flavors through founder Melody Hu’s childhood memories. Featuring five distinct baked goods, it brings a taste of Taiwan to any occasion. Includes 2x Boba Tea Cookies, 2x Lychee Osmanthus Cookies, 2x Chocolate Chip Cookies, 2x Sesame Swirl Muffins, and 2x Taiwanese Pineapple Cakes.

 

Editor’s Top Picks:  – March Issue 2025

Ten To One

Ten To One is breaking the mold of what rum can be. A portfolio company of Freedom Trail Capital and Samyr Laine, this minority-owned brand is the brainchild of Marc Farrell, a proud Caribbean native determined to push rum beyond outdated stereotypes. More than a spirit, Ten To One is a celebration of culture, community, and craftsmanship. Its name, inspired by Trinidad and Tobago’s first Prime Minister, reflects the strength of unity and the beauty of blending. With a modern, inclusive approach, Ten To One shifts the conversation—rum is no longer just for tropical vacations or sugary cocktails; it’s a spirit worthy of sipping, savoring, and sharing. This is more than rum—it’s a movement, a reimagination, and an invitation to experience the Caribbean in a whole new way.

 

Editor’s Top Picks:  – March Issue 2025

TRUBAR

TRUBAR is redefining the protein bar experience with clean ingredients and crave-worthy flavor. As a trailblazing brand in the better-for-you snack industry, TRUBAR has reimagined what a protein bar can be. Founded by Erica Groussman, it proves that clean eating doesn’t mean sacrificing indulgence. 100% plant-based and free from gluten, dairy, soy, sugar alcohols, and seed oils, TRUBAR is crafted for those who want a protein bar that tastes like dessert—without the regret. No bland bites, no chalky textures—just pure, snackable joy in every bite. Available at Whole Foods, Amazon, Costco, and more, TRUBAR is making it easier than ever to snack better without compromise.