June is Pride Month and we're hungry to support the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer community through something everybody loves — food!
There are countless people creating amazing food and drinks that can be enjoyed no matter where you live in the U.S. From sweet treats to savory spices, these LGBTQ-run businesses, many of which are family-owned, are just a few we can't get off our minds (or our plates). In addition to buying exceptional sauces, desserts, pantry staples and other ingredients from these fab companies, we're also celebrating by cooking delicious dishes created by LGBQT chefs.
If you haven't yet discovered these folks who are making the food aisle more flavorful than ever, you are soon to have some new go-to staples. Whether you prefer spicy accompaniments for a lively meal or some irresistible cookies, you can count on having several products reappear on the grocery list for years to come. Luckily, many can be purchased online or at a grocery store nearby.
Cocktail Curations
Headed by engineer-turned-mixologist Nicole Hassoun and chef Thy Parra, this Washington D.C.-based company serves up cocktail classes in-person and virtually and on video conferences to enliven spirits (pun intented) and help people perfect their bartending skills.
Coolhaus
This LGBTQ women-owned ice cream brand is pioneering adventurous flavors and trying to empower people along the way. Natasha Case and Freya Estreller started the brand out of an ice cream truck (aka an old postal van they bought for $2,500 on Craigslist) in 2009 at Coachella. There, it went viral, and now they sell their swirly, colorful pints nationwide at grocery stores as well as out of (far less run down) ice cream trucks in Los Angeles and New York City.
Cowgirl Creamery
This organic cheese brand can be found nationwide at cheese shops, grocers, retailers, restaurants and at its retail location and cafe in Point Reyes Station, California. The company began in 1997 as a pioneering force in the dairy industry driving farm-to-table, organic foods. Founded by college friends and business partners, Sue Conley and Peggy Smith, the brand's decadent cheeses focus on local craftsmanship and sustainable agriculture in Marin and Sonoma counties of Northern California.
Diaspora Co.
When she was just 23, Mumbai-native Sana Javeri Kadri founded Diaspora Co. after wondering why not much had changed in the spice trade since the colonization of India. After thorough research and total immersion, she learned that most spices from her motherland went on a such a long journey, passing through so many hands, to get to U.S. shelves, by the time they got to consumers, they'd lost their spark. She also found that the Indian spice farmers were making virtually no money. Above all, Javeri Kadri's mission through Diaspora Co. is about "complicating and deepening what 'Made in South Asia' means, and how we tell our own stories of freedom, struggle, and diaspora through food."
Five North Chocolate
Founded by Ben Conrad, this California-based brand creates rich chocolate snacks from Fair Trade Certified cacao around the world, particularly West Africa. Each product pouch includes mostly cacao with a combination of other good-for-you ingredients like goji berry, pistachio or cinnamon almond.
Grinding Coffee Co.
When you're looking for some rich roasted coffee beans packaged up with the kind of fun label that looks good on the kitchen counter, look no further than Grinding Coffee Co. It has a range of flavors, from the caramel-kissed Cowboy Blend to the more chocolatey Turtle Dreams. The online coffee shop is Black-, LGBTQ- and woman-led.
Lick Honest Ice Creams
Co-founders and partners Anthony Sobotik and Chad Palmatier launched this artisanal ice cream brand in 2011 with a goal to craft flavors around seasonal ingredients sourced from farmers in their community. With multiple locations through Texas, this family-owned ice cream company works towards sustainability and supporting their local community through dessert.
Peanut Butter & Co.
Peanut Butter & Co., which now has an extensive line of classic and flavored non-GMO peanut butters, started in 1998 with a little shop that sold nothing but peanut butter sandwiches. They weren't happy with the peanut butters available in the mass market, so from day one, they made their own. The high-quality butters caught on, and can now be found at retailers nationwide. This brand is celebrating Pride Month with a giveaway with Maxine's Heavenly cookies.
Pipcorn
It's not just popcorn, it's Pipcorn! From delectably flavored popcorn to cheesy balls, this family-owned company was named one of Oprah's Favorite Things several times in a row. The first time was shortly after the company launched in April 2012, and helped the women-, minority-, LGBTQ- owned family biz surge in popularity — and for good reason! Pipcorn began when Jeff Martin helped his sister, Jen, move, and all they had to eat in the empty house was a bag of kernels from a health food store. It was the best they ever had, so the siblings tracked down the Indiana farmer for his heirloom seed stock and created Pipcorn along with Jeff's wife, Teresa. The rest is snack history.
Rancho Gordo
Headquartered in Napa, California, Rancho Gordo has been leading the revival of heirloom beans in the U.S. The company focuses on a wide selection products that are indigenous to the Americas, from Alubia Blanca beans to Ayocote Morado beans. While heirloom beans typically yield less than more typical strains and are harder to grow, the result is an incredible variety of flavor and texture. The company's online shop is also a wonderful resource for indigenous spices like Mexican oregano, stoneground chocolate and New Mexican red chile powder, as well as grains and corn products.
Republic Restoratives
This women-owned, LGBTQ-led, crowdfunded distillery meets your adult beverage needs with liquor kits like their own Civic Vodka with WithCo's Hey Girl, a cucumber, mint, lime mixture perfect to blend on a warm day. They also have the fixings for a Honey Bourbon Sour, sangria, in addition to all classic, a la carte bottles for those who prefer their bourbon neat.
Shaquanda's Hot Pepper Sauce
What all began with an immersive drag show performance in Brooklyn, New York, starring Shaquanda Coca Mulatta, evolved into a booming hot sauce business. Shaquanda's Hot Pepper Sauce is owned by Brooklyn native Andre Springer (aka Shaquanda) and his business partner Dominic Mondavi. They specialize in spicy, smoky, sassy hot sauce flavors that will makes food taste as exciting as a drag performance.
Stonewall Kitchen
Making jams, sauces, pantry staples and home goods, Stonewall Kitchen is a Northeastern brand that makes products tailor-made for gift baskets. The company makes a wide range of shelf-stable goods, from dressings and marinades to dessert sauces and toppings, from baking mixes and cookies to pantry staples like oils, pastas and soups. Based in Maine, it makes, perhaps unsurprisingly, an unforgettable Wild Maine Blueberry Jam.
Third Culture Bakery
Home of the famous Mochi Muffin, this Berkeley-California bakery started when chef Sam Butarbutar created the dessert based on a recipe for an Indonesian dessert his mom used to make. Today, the husband-and-husband team supplies delicious baked goods to the local community at their flagship store (and across the country, online), which was designed to deliver the company's mission to demonstrate diversity, inclusivity, acceptance and love.
Wunderkeks
When you're craving cookies or something sweet, this online bakery by Guatemalan couple and co-founders Hans Schrei and Luis Gramajo is a must-try. The bakery got its beginnings in Austin, Texas at pop-up shops around dozens of farmers markets and now ships nationwide. Don't worry, the cookies will be just as chewy, crispy and delicious when they arrive at your doorstep.
