Florida Cracker – Datil Pepper Bloody Mary Mix

Bitter: 🟡🟡○○○

Salty: 🟡🟡🟡○○

Sour/Tangy:🟡🟡🟡○○

Sweet: 🟡🟡○○○

Umami: 🟡🟡○○○

Heat: 🟡○○○○○○○○○

Quick Flavor Notes: Tomato, Fruity Chile, Black Pepper

Recommended: Yees

Texture: Medium-thin with some nice spices floating around

Ingredients: Water, Tomato Paste, Worcestershire Sauce, Fresh Datil Peppers, Key Lime Juice, Horseradish, Salt & Spices

Florida Cracker began as a restaurant run by brothers Blair & Ethan Hensley in Brooksville, FL, a small town situated between Tampa and Orlando. The name comes from early British settlers in Florida and their descendants. The development of the term is in dispute, some saying it came from the early settlers habit of boasting and joking or “cracking” while others say it’s a reference to the sound of the whip they used to herd cattle, and yet others believe it’s a reference to their use of cracked corn to brew moonshine. Regardless it’s now a term embraced by families who’ve lived in Florida for generations especially in more rural areas. the Florida Cracker company makes a number of hot sauces and other products and I decided to start first with this Datil pepper Bloody Mary mix as I do love a good Bloody Mary and I’ve never seen one incorporating Datil peppers before.

The history of the Bloody Mary dates back to 1921 invented in the famous Harry’s New York Bar in Paris France however that early cocktail consisted of only vodka and tomato juice. It wasn’t until the 1930s at the St. Regis hotel in NYC where the modern Bloody Mary was developed including the addition of Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, black pepper, and lemon juice in addition to the tomato juice and vodka. Florida Cracker uses a mostly traditional recipe with a Florida twist. The use of Datil peppers, a pepper native to St. Augustine, FL, is the most obvious but they also substitute the typical lemon juice for another Florida favorite – Key Lime juice. Tomato paste, horseradish, salt, and spices (which from what I can tell include a heavy dose of black pepper as well as some garlic) round things out. Consistency is that of a somewhat looser tomato juice. This isn’t quite as thick as V8 for example but is thicker than soda or water. You can see some pepper and spice bits floating inside which adds to the appeal. The spices come through in the aroma with the horseradish, black pepper, and Worcestershire being especially prominent.

Tasting this fresh the tomato and black pepper are prominent but there is a fruity sweetness from the Datil peppers that adds a great new dimension not found in mixes that just use a basic Louisiana style sauce as the heat. I also appreciated the Key Lime juice as it’s a bit sweeter than traditional lime which goes well with the Datil peppers and the general salty flavor of Bloody Mary mixers. I tried this as a drink first in the classic Bloody Mary style with vodka over ice. I was impressed with the strong black pepper element, there’s so much it even leaves a spice residue in the bottom of the glass. I also enjoyed the Datil pepper flavor which seemed to come forward more when in a mixed drink. As compared to the High Mesa Bloody Maria mix which uses roasted poblano and roasted jalapeno chiles this lacks the smoky flavor that that has, and the horseradish flavor isn’t as strong, but with the Key Lime juice and Datil peppers there’s more pepper fruit sweetness and freshness than the High Mesa mix. Like that mix, however, I found that I enjoyed this even more when combined with beer to make a Michelada, one of my favorite refreshing drinks. I’d still give the edge for those to Salsa Sinaloa’s Adios Cruda Michelada Mix which adds shrimp broth, soy sauce, and tamarind into the mix for a big umami punch plus a more complex sourness, but this came very close. Also as opposed to the Salsa Sinaloa mix which contains artificial preservatives, Florida Cracker Bloody Mary Mix is all natural. While Datil peppers can be nearly as hot as habaneros in this mix they’ve somehow toned them down so that you get the pepper flavor without much of any heat, with this being milder than even basic hot sauces.

I’m a fan of Bloody Mary drinks as well as Bloody Mary flavored anything so this is an easy recommend for me. Not only does this have a unique Florida twist with the Key Limes and Datils it’s delicious. This mix is also all natural with no artificial preservatives, colors, flavors, or thickeners.