Let's face it: Americans love to snack. Even if you don't snack often, most of us have fallen victim to a bag of chips or a box of candy at some point in life. Whether you snack to do something while studying or watching TV, to #treatyourself, or just because you're actually hungry, snack foods are heavily integrated into our lives.
The thing about the most snack foods is that no matter what state you live in, people tend to stick to popular national brands. When people strive to eat locally, they tend to focus more on meals from local restaurants and forget about snacks. There are so many delicious products, both healthy and indulgent, being made right here in Kentucky that people are missing out on, and I want to share them with you!
Now, I know there are a lot of small Kentucky businesses that sell awesome goodies, but I wanted to share products that can be accessed in or sent to all parts of the state. The criteria of these items are that they can be found in common grocery stores, pharmacies, gas stations, or have a website and the ability to ship online orders.
Disclaimer: This post is not sponsored, and none of these companies knew I was writing this. I wanted to be authentic, so I only included companies I have purchased products from unless stated otherwise.
Without further ado, I present you a guide to snacking like a proud Kentuckian!
Chips
Did you know there is a potato chip company located in Kentucky? Spudz was founded in 2015 by Irish immigrant John Good. A Louisville resident for over 17 years, he decided to start this business after transitioning from the thoroughbred world. This brand of chips is well known in Louisville, Western Kentucky, and the Bluegrass region, but it isn't as common in Eastern Kentucky (where I'm from). My favorite flavor is the Kentucky BBQ, and the flavor I would love to try next are Cheese and Onion!
Where to buy: On their website or these stores.
Products: Begeezus Spicy BBQ, Caramel Popcorn, Cheese and Onion, Cheesy Popcorn, Hot & Spicy Popcorn, Kentucky BBQ, Kettle Corn Popcorn, Original, Ripple, Salt & Vinegar
Okay, so technically Grippo's are produced in Cincinnati, Ohio, but it's just over the river from Kentucky! And let's be honest, ya'll. If you didn't grow up inhaling Bar-B-Q Grippo's while pounding back an Ale-8-One, are you really a Kentuckian? This brand is so ingrained into our culture, and with good reason. They produce a lot of delicious snack foods, including the most flavor packed BBQ chips I've ever had! (Another favorite of mine are the Cheddar and Horseradish chips, but they seem to be out of stock at the moment.)
Where to buy: Their website, Kroger, Food City, Walmart, Amazon, Ebay, Gas Stations.
Products: Bar-B-Q, Original, Carolina Classic, Pretzels (loop, ring, rods), Pork Rinds, Caramel Corn, Cheese Popcorn, Cheese Nibs.
Soda
The formula for Ale-8-One was developed by soda bottler G. L. Wainscott in the 1920s, and the soda's combination of ginger and citrus has ruled the state ever since. Ale-8-one is the most widely distributed soda from Kentucky, and is now considered by many to be a symbol of our commonwealth. No matter where you're from, a trip to Kentucky is not complete without trying an Ale-8.
Where to buy: Kroger, Food City, Walmart, Multiple gas stations, their website (basically almost every store in Kentucky)
Products: Ale-8-One, Diet Ale-8-One, Caffeine-free Diet Ale-8-One, Cherry Ale-8-One
This brand of soda is a bit harder to find, but that doesn't mean it isn't worth the hunt. These craft sodas are made in the Butchertown area of Louisville, and deliver a fresh take on soda flavors we're all familiar with. Butchertown Sodas are produced using natural ingredients, are preservative free, and use organic cane sugar.
Where to buy: Whole Foods in Lexington and Louisville are the only places I know for sure, but I assume that these sodas are more common in the Louisville area. There isn't much information about their locations online.
Products: Root Beer, Mandarin Mint, Ginger Beer, Cream Soda, Cola Superior, Tonic Water, Seltzer & Aromatic Bitters
Nuts
This Kentucky owned business makes delicious flavored nut products, as well as other types of gourmet foods and snacks! (I myself am partial to the Honey Bourbon Pecans.)
Where to buy: Thier website, Kroger, Liquor Barn
Products: White Cheddar Jalapeno Peanuts, Honey Bourbon Pecans, Spicy Beer Cheese Peanuts, Bourbon Bluegrass trail mix.
Salsa
One thing I discovered while writing this article is that there are A LOT of Kentucky made salsas. Who knew? I also discovered that they are all super delicious. Check out this list of Kentucky salsas to look out for!
This salsa is probably one of my favorite salsa ever. It is the perfect combination of sweet, spicy, and fruity. I can't help but eat bowls of it with chips whenever I buy it! I haven't been able to locate the website or contact information for this company, but they make excellent salsa!
Where to buy: Liquor Barn
Products: Honey Apple, Black Bean and Corn, and blueberry peach salsas, with mild and spicy versions of each
Mossy Oak, a widely recognized brand in hunting apparel in the United States, also sells salsa to outdoor enthusiasts. This business is located in Burlington, Kentucky!
Where to buy: Liquor Barn, Walmart Online (When in stock), Instacart
Products: Honey Apple Salsa, Black Bean and Corn Salsa, Roasted Garlic Salsa
What do you get when you put Kentucky's most popular soda in salsa? Spicy sweet goodness! I've only had the spicy flavor, and it was pretty sweet, so I can't imagine how sweet the 'Sweet' flavor is.
Where to buy: Liquor barns, select Kentucky gas stations, other retail stores, Ale-8-One website
Products: Spicy Tomato Salsa, Sweet Tomato Salsa
This Lexington-based company makes a lot of products, including sauces, marinades, and jams. They make 4 varieties of salsa, including BOURBON salsa. How Kentuckian is that??
Where to buy: Click this link
Products: Mild, Hot, Chipotle, and Bourbon salsa
Another Bluegrass Snacking Company Product! I haven't gotten around to trying this salsa yet, but if it's as good as their nut products, I'm sure it's delicious.
Where to buy: Online, Kroger, Liquor Barn
Products: Sweet Heat Salsa
This Kentucky Proud Company makes a salsa recipe that's been in the family for 4 generations! You can choose your spice level with 3 different varieties.
Where to buy: Their website, Liquor Barn, Kroger, Instacart, Etsy
Products: Sweet Hot, Sweet Hotter, Sweet Hottest
Beef Jerky
This Kentucky company uses solid pieces of beef and classic all-natural recipes to create delicious jerky!
Where to buy: Their website, Kroger
Products: Mild, Hot, Cajun, BBQ, Garlic and Onion, Bourbon, Sweet and Hot, Meatsticks
Kombucha/Probiotic Drinks
Has anyone else hopped on the kombucha train within the last couple years? After drinking it for the first time, seeking out and trying different probiotic drinks became my new hobby. As I did my research, I was thrilled to learn that delicious versions are being produced right here in Kentucky!
Elixir Kombucha is brewed in Louisville, Kentucky. Their slogan is: Raw. Local. Weird, but it's definitely the best kind of weird. They make delicious flavors of Kombucha that are available in multiple parts of the state.
Where to buy: Click this link.
Products: Lavendar Lemonade, Hemp Hop, Blueberry Pomegranate, Gonzo Fruit, Harvest Cider, Pineapple Ginger
This product is Jun, another type of pro-biotic drink. Kombucha is made with black or green tea and a scoby that feeds on white sugar, while Jun is made with green or white tea and a different type of scoby that feeds on raw honey. If you are a Kombucha connoisseur, then you should definitely check out this Kentucky Proud company! It'll set you free ;)
Where to buy: Click this link
Products: Original, Vanilla Rose, Lavendar Blackberry
Kentucky Kombucha
Kentucky Kombucha was the first company to brew in Kentucky. While I was writing this article, the owners released an announcement that they are shutting down the business to pursue other ventures. There are still some products in stores so make sure to get them before they're gone!
Where to buy: Whole Foods, Good Food Co-Op, other
Flavors: Black and Red, Black and Green, Lemongrass, Jasmine, Ginger
Beer Cheese
If you're from Kentucky and you haven't tried beer cheese, I feel obligated to inform you that you are missing out. It's a spread made of beer, cheese, and spices that pairs well with crackers, pretzels, veggies, and even sandwiches! The cheese spread was first served in Clark county, Kentucky, and now multiple companies all over central Kentucky are selling their take on beer cheese. There is even a beer cheese trail in Winchester, where you can visit all the beer cheese businesses in Clark county to earn a free t-shirt. Every June, Winchester, Kentucky hosts a Beer Cheese Festival, where companies give free samples of beer cheese to win a competition. Yeah, beer cheese is that big a deal. This would be an ideal way to try beer cheeses and figure out which brands you prefer!
If you are from Kentucky and don't know much about beer cheese, don't worry, you are not alone! It's not always available in other parts of the state. I'm from Eastern Kentucky, and my local grocery stores don't sell Kentucky Beer Cheese. I had never heard of the stuff until I was in college. It may be more difficult to find in certain places, but I say that all Kentuckians should try it once, in honor of our heritage.
There are so many brands of beer cheese in the bluegrass that I could write an entire blog post about them alone. This is why I'm going to skip the reviews and just list the brands that I've seen in Grocery stores. If you see any of these, check them out!
Vegan
Some of the snacks in other categories are already vegan, such as the salsa, kombucha, butchertown sodas, and part of the candy. I also wanted to mention a few other Kentucky vegan snacks, because we all deserve to snack local, no matter our dietary preferences. Besides, these snacks are so good that even a meat eater like me would purchase them again.
This vegan jerky is made from a textured soy product and packed with flavors that give off the sense of umami you crave in jerky. I'm not really a fan of meat jerky due to the texture, so I actually enjoy the softer texture of the vegan jerky.
Where to buy: Store Locator or their online shop.
Products: Smoked Black Pepper, Smoked Chipotle, Perfect Pepperoni, Smokey Carolina BBQ, Maple Bacon; Small Batch: Cowboy Steak, Sweet Chili Garlic, Buffalo Dill, Chorizo
These snack bites infuse organic fruits and veggies together in the most delicious way possible. Ellie Finn's Veggie Go Bites are produced in Crab Orchard, Kentucky. They are gluten free, vegan, paleo, non GMO, and do not contain any refined sugars. Basically, almost anyone can enjoy these tasty bites. Plus, they are a delicious way to get an extra half serving of veggies!
Where to buy: Good foods Co-Op, Whole Foods Lexington, Select Krogers, Amazon
Products: Strawberry & Pomegranate, Apple & Cinnamon, Chocolate & Sunflower
Candy
Like any true snacker, let's end things on a sweet note. There are a lot of types of candy being made in Kentucky. Some of these businesses have been making classic recipes for 50 to 100 years. Others are new to the candy scene, creating candy that is vegan/vegetarian with products once considered controversial. No matter what the story is behind these companies, they all have a common ground: decadent, delicious sweets.
Ruth Tharpe Hunt began to sell confections from her home store nearly 100 years ago. Today, the business has grown to a comprehensive factory and two storefronts selling approximately 70 varieties of her candies. Ruth Hunt candies are a Kentucky tradition, making generations of Kentuckians smile one Blue Monday Bar at a time.
Where to buy: Company website, Runt Hunt stores in Mount Sterling and Lexington. Kroger, Pharmacies, Liquor Barn, multiple other retail stores in the region.
Products: Pulled Cream Candies, Caramels, Chocolates, Ruth Hunt Blue Monday, Bourbon Balls, Woodford Reserve Bourbon Balls, Toffees
Mom Blakeman’s Candy Company was established in 1961 by Mom Blakeman in Lancaster, Kentucky. They are famous for their cream pulled candy, which comes in original as well as other flavors. "Pull Candy" (as I call it) was my favorite candy growing up, and Mom Blakemen's was my brand of choice. Pulled Candy, to me, is one of those Kentucky treats that never receives enough credit. I'm proud to share this awesome company!
Where to buy: Company Website, CVS, Kroger, other retail stores
Products: Original, Orange, Peanut butter, Chocolate Original, Strawberry, Peppermint, Bourbon, Potato Candy
Old Kentucky Chocolates is based in Lexington, Kentucky, and produces a variety of chocolates and candies. You can browse their website or any of their 4 shop locations to see all the goodies they make. My favorite are the chocolate-covered potato chips! (Pictured below)
Where to buy: Their website, or these shops.
Products: Click Here
When I came across Laura's hemp candies, it was a complete accident. I was in a Lexington Kroger, looking for Spudz chips to take pictures of for this article, actually. When I found the chips, there was a special display that included these Kentucky Proud Hemp Dark Chocolate Truffles. In that moment, I knew I HAD to try them. These delicious candies are vegan (containing no animal products) and include hemp hearts and raspberry filling. They come in packs of 4, and are perfect for when you want to savor a sweet treat. These and the majority of Laura's hemp candies are vegan!
Where to buy: Their website or this link.
Products: Hemp Dark Chocolate Truffles, Hemp and Dark Chocolate Wafers, Hemp and Cranberry Dark Chocolate Bark.
Okay, I know what you're thinking right now, and you have every right to be angry and confused. Yes, Moon Pies are made in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Yes, that city is not even close to the Kentucky border. However, it may surprise you to find out that the origin of Moon Pies has some Kentucky influences.
If you click on the "about us" section of the Moon Pie Website, you will find this paragraph in the story of how Moon Pies came to be:
"It all began in 1917 when a KY coal miner asked our traveling salesman for a snack “as big as the moon.” Earl Mitchell reported back and the bakery obliged with a tasty treat aptly named MoonPie. It was filling, fit in the lunch pail and the coal miners loved it. The rest, as they say, is history. "
That's right, ya'll! Kentucky coal miners were the inspiration behind this famous dessert! Now whenever you snack on moon pies, you can smile to yourself and remember that there's a little bit of Kentucky in this Tennessee treat.
Spring has just begun. People are already taking more road trips and camping trips, and ya’ll KNOW the majority of Kentucky’s population is sitting in front of the TV watching March Madness. You’ll already likely be snacking during these activities, so why not support a local business while you’re at it?
The next time you have a snack attack, consider supporting local businesses while you do it!
