Rocko s Gourmet – Bloody Mary Seasoning Blend – Interview With Glen A. Firth & Review Of Product

Interview Done By Mike Wilkerson

MW: Tell me about how your product came about?

GF: For years I would always have the responsibility for bringing the Bloody Marys to parties, vacations, and family get together.  All my friends and family loved my recipe and said that I made the best Bloody Mary that they had ever had.  Many times over the years I heard people say that “You have to sell this stuff”.  I figured out that it is a hassle to cart around all the ingredients that I used in my recipe, so I came up with the idea of making a concentrated spice blend that you can add at the time you make your drink.  That way you do not have to measure out all the ingredients every time you go to mix a drink.  It makes it easy to make by the glass or by the pitcher and it comes out perfect every time.  I became spoiled by enjoying my own mix and I refuse to order a Bloody Mary out at a bar or restaurant because you never know what you will get.  Even two bartenders at the same place can make a drastically different tasting drink and most of them use some cheap mix that tastes like garbage.

MW: How me different lines do you have?

GF: I have learned that Bloody Mary fans are very passionate and very particular about their drinks.  I do not wish to compete directly with the many pre made mixes already available on the market.  Instead, I want my product to be different.  It not only makes the best cocktail (even just with tomato juice I call it a Bloody Shame, but it is still a tasty drink!) but it also makes a great spice to add a kick to your favorite recipes.  It goes great in chili, cocktail sauce, soups, dips, and all kinds of sauces.  I have a page full of recipes on my website and ask people to contribute recipes that they come up with.

MW: Do you have any other products coming out?

GF: Rocko’s Bloody Seasoning Blend is my first and only commercial product so far.  I am currently in around 25 stores and a dozen restaurants in the Metro Boston area.  I need the product to grow and expand before I branch out into other products.  I have some ideas about some other spicy condiments and marinades that I hope to produce in the future.

MW: Can consumers buy it from your website?

GF: Rocko’s Gourmet can be found on the website www.rockosgourmet.com.  It lists all the retail locations and restaurants that currently sell the product.  You can buy the product from the website using PayPal and pay a small shipping fee.

MW: Do you do food trade show?

GF: I have attended the Boston Food Show for the past couple years but have not had a booth.  It is very costly and I would have to sell alot of product to make it worthwhile.  Instead of having my own booth, I have concentrated on connecting with other vendors and distributors to try to keep expanding my business and supply chain.  I hope to connect with some small to mid sized distributors that will help me to continue to grow my business across New England and beyond.

MW: What would you like to say in closing?

GF: My motto on my logo is “Life is too short to consume bland, boring food and drink”.  I really believe that you should live each day to the fullest…like it could be your last.  That includes enjoying every meal like it could be your last.  Life is just too short to waste on anything less than great.

The video review I did of  their product:

Jimmy Luv’s Bloody Mary Mix Interview With John Becwar & Review Of Product

Interview Done By Mike Wilkerson

MW: What made you decide to make a Bloody Mary Mix?

JB: Basically, it came down to timing. Jimmy is a CPA by trade. After being downsized twice in four years, he decided to take the advice of several friends that encouraged him to market his mix. For over 20 years, Jimmy was a staple at all of his friends’ tailgates and house parties, making bloody marys by request. During that time, as he perfected his recipe, the response consistently heard was, “This is the best bloody mary I’ve ever tasted.” So, after the second layoff, he decided to follow his passion and develop Jimmy Luv’s Bloody Mary Mix.

 

MW: How long has the company been around?

JB: Jimmy Luv’s Bloody Mary Mix was launched on November 9, 2009, so we’re about to celebrate our 3^rd anniversary.

 

MW: How many types of Bloody Mary Mix do you have?

JB: We have two mix options. Our original blend is spicy and includes about 16 different ingredients, including horse radish, Worchester sauce, garlic, a steak sauce, ground cumin, and much more. The Sneaky Hot blend was introduced in April, 2010. It is our original blend plus habanero, jalapeno, chipotle, and cilantro.

 

MW: Do you plan to add any other mix to the line?

JB: Yes, we are currently in the early stages of developing a clamato based version and a bacon flavored version.

 

MW: What makes your Bloody Mary Mix better than the others?

JB: Incredible flavor that does not require any “doctoring up”. All you need to do is add ice and vodka, mix, and you have a great bloody mary.

 

MW: What are some of the other uses people have said they used your Bloody Mary Mix for?

JB: The most common use we hear is for a chili base. In fact, we’ve heard from people that used our mixes in chili competitions and have placed well. However, many fans have told us that they use it as a marinade for chicken, steak and beef.. Please refer to our website, http://jimmyluvsbloodymarymix.com/bloody-mary-recipes.html, for a complete list of recipes submitted by our fans.

 

MW: What was the most unusual use?

JB: In addition to a local restaurant, Freddie’s Freaky Tiki Bar, using it as a marinade for their Jimmy Luv’s Steak Sandwich, they also came up with a Jimmy Luv’s Catsup.

 

MW: What trade shows will Jimmy Luv’s be at?

JB: The next two on our calendar are both consumer food shows, the Grand Rapids (Michigan) Wine, Beer, and Food Festival, November 8-10, and the Fabulous Food Show (Cleveland, OH), November 9-11

 

MW: How did the name Jimmy Luv come about?

JB: The Jimmy Luv nickname came about on river rafting party weekend several years ago. Without going into specifics, it was a party and there was alcohol involved.

 

MW: Where can Jimmy Luv’s be found for purchase?

JB: We are now distributed in several states, including Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, Ohio, Missouri, Arkansas, Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee, Kentucky, Rhode Island, Texas and the US Virgin Islands. We are also close to gaining distribution in Iowa, Pennsylvania, and Arizona. The largest retail chains in which you’ll find our mixes are Pick n Save in Wisconsin and Giant Eagle in Ohio.

 

MW: What would you like to say in closing?

JB: There are a lot of bloody mary mixes on the market that claim to be the best. We do too, but base our claim on the foundation of the incredible consumer response we’ve received in nearly 300 tasting events and the awards we’ve received in national competitions over the past three years. Those competitions include the Fiery Food Challenge, Scovie Awards, and the Los Angeles International Wine & Spirits Competition. In addition, we just learned today that our two mixes placed first place in all four categories entered for the 2013 Scovie Awards. The four categories are Spicy Beverages, Alcoholic (sampled with vodka) and Non-Alcoholic, and Not Spicy Beverages, Alcoholic and Non-Alcoholic. We were also informed that Jimmy Luv’s is the first company ever to sweep all four beverage categories.

The video review I did of 2 of their products: