Nine Products Made in Colorado
Buying local has never been so tasty. And it’s becoming easier than ever as more Colorado entrepreneurs create culinary delights taking over store shelves across the front range. We set out to find a bounty of nine products rooted in the Centennial State. The spread includes cowgirl popcorn, gourmet peanuts, innovative ice cream flavors and sausage made with old world tradition. Whether you prefer sweet or savory, something is sure to make your taste buds tingle.
Ricky’s Lucky Nuts
1. Ricky’s Lucky Nuts (Durango, C0)
Scribbled on a tattered piece of yellow paper and tossed in a drawer, the recipes for
Ricky’s Lucky Nuts were nearly forgotten. Durango restaurateur, Paul Gelose initially shrugged off the potential of the gourmet peanuts. “It surprised me. I thought we are doing much bigger things than peanuts,” said Gelose. “We used to put them on the bar. People loved them so much they weren’t buying appetizers so we stopped.” The rave reviews of a local caterer and a visit by Oprah has since put Ricky’s Lucky Nuts on the map. Gelose, Oprah’s personal chef in Chicago, was among those she visited while road- tripping from coast to coast. “When Oprah was driving across the country with her best friend Gale, she surprised us. So of course I sent her home with a test batch.”
The innovative take on peanuts amps up flavor by dry roasting small batches and seasoning them with spices from around the world. Among the four savory flavors are tastes of Bombay Curry Coconut and Spicy Chile Chipotle. For the sweeter palette, Cocoa and Vanilla Bean is sure to cure any sweet tooth.
*Available online, City Markets, Whole Foods, Tony’s Markets and other specialty grocers.
2. Sweet Action Ice Cream (Denver, CO)
Turning heads by churning up innovative flavors, Sweet Action Ice Cream has become a South Broadway staple serving up scoops of Salted Butterscotch, Lemon Ricotta and their famous Stranahan’s Whiskey Brickle. Vegan options – made with coconut milk – and sorbets are among the myriad of flavors that change daily. A true local establishment, the ice cream is handmade with Colorado milk and cream.
Sweethearts, Sam Kopicko and Chia Basinger took a leap of faith and pooled their savings to see if their home hobby could stand as a business. ”We had a lot of good feedback on our homemade ice cream. We both weren’t thrilled with our jobs and thought what if?” says Kopicko. Nearly four years later, “What if?” has become “What next?” as they delve into new ice cream territory.
*Available at Tony’s Markets, Marczyk Fine Foods Denver, Tattered Cover on Colfax, Two Mile Ranch.
MM Local
Denver’s largest cannery, MM Local, is teaming with 15 Colorado farmers to make Colorado-grown, organic produce accessible regardless of season. “Our goal is to make this food available year round, and easier for people to eat local foods,” says co-owner Jim Mills. “I remember when we were just recipe testing in my kitchen and using my basement as storage. A lot of people were wondering who these two crazy guys are starting up a canning company,” smiles Jim.
Mills founded the company in 2009 with business partner, Ben Mustin. Having outgrown a commercial kitchen in Arvada, orders are now filled out of a Denver warehouse. Last fall alone, MM Local canned 140,000 pounds of produce including Paonia Pears, Spicy Dill Cucumber Pickles, High Desert Peppers, Jonny Applesauce and Boulder beets
*Available at Tony’s Markets, Whole Foods and King Soopers
From three hundred pounds of fresh basil and one local farmer’s candid observation, a business idea was born. A tour through the Colorado countryside to purchase ingredients for her family’s restaurant led to the chance meeting that sparked Loredana (fill in) successful line of Northern Italian, artisanal products. “We bought so much basil it filled the back of my Dad’s Ford truck,” recalled Loredana. “The farmer couldn’t imagine why we needed so much. When I told her we make pesto, she suggested I started selling it at farmers markets.”
And so it began. When Loredana wasn’t working at her family’s restaurant, she was making pounds of pesto and handwriting labels, promoting her products all over the Front Range. As demand grew, Loredana expanded her selection to include small batches of marinated cheeses, marmalades and tapenades adapted from coveted, traditional family recipes.
Loredana remembers the moment her farmer’s market hobby turned into a fledgling business, “I was 23 at the time. My father came to me and said ‘Loredana, we have no cheese and no garlic! I am proud of you but you have to buy your own ingredients!’” The following day she opened her first supplier account, and the rest is delicious history.
*Available online, Whole Foods and Great Harvest Bread Company
5. POMM Chocolate (Denver, CO)
Tempting aromas waft from the Denver Urban Homesteading Market where chocolate entrepreneurs Katelyn Fox and Damaris Graves create handcrafted bean-to-bar chocolate. These inventive POMM Chocolatiers offer chocolate lovers unique flavors like Espresso Brittle and Sea Salt, Cranberry Ginger and Puffed Amaranth using fair trade cocoa beans imported from the Dominican Republic and Peru.
However, for Graves and Fox, POMM Chocolate is more than just creating hand-crafted treats. “We have hired two people with autism,” says Graves. “A lot of businesses might not give them a chance. Chris is very detail orientated. He always notices the beans that should have been sorted out. And Andrew is so so strong. I don’t know how we would break the blocks of cocoa butter without him.” Graves says the team of four is passionate about chocolate. It is evident that their passion is also fueled by a purpose, and that makes any chocolate extra sweet.
*Available at the Denver Art Museum, Two Mile Ranch Market, Denver Urban Homesteading Market
6. Blake’s Ugly Dawg Salsa (Colorado Springs)
Crisp autumn air has always signaled salsa-making season for the Hyche family. Made from Pueblo-roasted chilies and other Colorado-sourced ingredients, Blake’s Ugly Dawg Salsa is handcrafted in small batches. Salsa aficionados can choose between mild, medium or hot chunky green chile. “We never use frozen ingredients and jar our salsa immediately,” says creator Geoff Hyche.
Spurred on by friends and family, Hyche delved into the salsa-making business after losing his son, Blake, for whom the salsa is named. Blake’s commitment to the salsa served as a source of inspiration, jump starting the business. “I could hear him [Blake] say ‘Dad we got to get this on the market,’ every time I opened a jar,” recalled Hyche. “We decided to make it available to the public to fulfill Blake’s dream.”
*Available at Whole Foods, King Soopers and other specialty grocers.
7. Mulay’s Sausage (Crested Butte, CO)
“Get your sausages hea’, peppa’s n-onions on’a homemade bun!” With this battle cry, a family recipe that’s been passed down for five generations and a desire to make an all- natural product, Mulay’s sausage was born. Loree Mulay Weisman first started toying with the idea of starting her own sausage company after attending an Italian Street Festival in New York. “Everyone was eating sausage and peppers. They were just as bad as I thought they would be,” recalled Weisman. “I thought, we can make ones better than this.” Recreating her Nana’s recipe from Sicily, Weisman and husband, Ward, successfully debuted their homemade sausage and pepper sandwiches at a 4th of July Festival in their hometown of Crested Butte, serving up over 400 to the crowd.
Twenty-four years later, the sausage, made of freshly ground pork and spices from Rocky Mountain Spice Company, is sold across 20 states. Flavors include original, hot, mild and killer hot Italian sausage, in addition to a breakfast and chorizo sausage.
*Available online, at Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage, Whole Foods in the Southern Pacific Region and other specialty grocers.
8. Too Haute Cowgirls Popcorn (Basalt, CO)
When popcorn addicts, Deanna Liebl and Amy Tarrant teamed up for business, they aspired to create sophisticated popcorn with a western touch. Too Haute Cowgirls popcorn breaks the mold from typical butter and caramel flavors; freshly popped kernels are generously coated in unconventional ingredients like homemade peanut brittle, pretzels and trail mix.
Armed with culinary degrees, these cowgirls are not afraid to experiment with new flavors. Whether you prefer sweet or salty, or just plain witty, there is a flavor for you. The Good The Bad And The Peanut Butter, End of the Trail Mix and Mutton Bustin’ Milk Chocolate are among customer favorites. Rest assured, these gourmet flavors have passed the ultimate taste test. “Deanna doesn’t like sweets, which means I get to be the taste tester,” says Tarrant. “She will try 100’s of versions until she finds the one that sticks. She is relentless when it comes to perfecting the popcorn.”
9. Sosis’s Healthy Pleasures (Littleton, CO)
Cherished Armenian family recipes are the bread and butter of Sosi’s Healthy Pleasures. Combining vegetables with yogurt, owner and creator, Sosi Bocchieriyan creates unique yogurt dips that include Roasted Red Pepper, Artichoke Dill and Spinach Jalapeño. Set apart from other yogurts by a multiple straining process, Sosi’s yogurt is both thicker and creamier than other variations.
After leaving Europe in high to escape political unrest, Sosi discovered a passion for cooking in her new surroundings – Colorado. She is now passing her Armenian heritage and recipes on to her daughters, Arpi and Salpi. “We learn a lot about managing business interaction and pushing forward against all odds says Arpi.” Salpi adds, “Seeing my mom’s business makes me think of starting my own. I think we are pretty lucky to experience something most people don’t until much later in life.”
*Available at Whole Foods, Natural Grocers By Vitamin Cottage, Marczyk Fine Foods and other specialty grocers.
