Weekly Pickups: Date-sweetened pickles, Portuguese protein, and more...
Ft. Brian Folmer
Welcome back to Weekly Pickups!
Jenna is somehow still traveling and still having fun without me. But at least I have fun snacks to keep me sane while she’s gone.
Excited to share that We’ll be at BevNet Live in NYC June 11 + 12! It’s one of my favorite beverage conferences of the year.
You can use this LINK for $100 off a ticket!
This week, we’ve been thinking about…
How crazy it is that AG1 is just launching their first brick-and-mortar retail partnership ever. They’re kicking off nationwide at Costco, and I think it’s genius. Reaching a mainstream audience will take a partner like Costco. - Nate
The sheer number of choices there are in a typical American grocery store. While I’ve been loving the Euro style of fewer, fresher options, I’m equally grateful that the colossal inventory of American grocers breeds so much innovation. - Jenna
And now, onto our weekly pickups… →
Nate’s Pickups
Good Girl Snacks - bread&butter 𝒉𝒐𝒕 𝒈𝒊𝒓𝒍 𝒑𝒊𝒄𝒌𝒍𝒆𝒔
I got to go to the launch party last night at Popchew Burger, where they partnered on a pickletini, pickle-y fries, and a delicious smash burger with the pickles on them. Safe to say I'm already counting down the days until these hit shelves.
Quick Facts: Date-sweetened pickles that somehow nail the perfect balance between tangy and sweet. Made with clean ingredients and no artificial sweeteners. They're still in pre-launch mode, but after trying them in multiple formats last night (including that incredible pickletini), I can confidently say these are going to be everywhere soon.
Reasons to love:
Dates > sugar, always. I'm obsessed with anything sweetened with dates instead of regular sugar, and these pickles are exactly why. The dates give the sweetness so much more depth and complexity than you'd get from a typical sweet pickle. It's not that artificial, one-note sweetness, it's rich and layered.
Perfect on everything. Obviously they're incredible straight from the jar (guilty as charged), but I tried them on a burger at the event and they were *chef's kiss*
Where to buy: Keep your eyes peeled—launching soon online and in select retailers
Pizza Wine!
Canned wine gets a bad rap these days…but this sparkling number designed for pizza is up there with the Defy’s, Nomadica’s, and Maker Wines of the world (some of my favorite canned wines). Oh, and they just launched their DTC store so you can get some for yourself!
Quick Facts: Sparkling wine that's literally made to pair with pizza (hence the name), but honestly great on its own too. This is natural wine crafted specifically for the can format—light, bubbly, and designed to be highly crushable (as their site perfectly puts it). Made by a powerhouse team of hospitality veterans who know exactly what makes great wine, and it shows in every sip.
Reasons to love:
The dream team behind it. This isn't some random wine brand. It's from the hospitality powerhouse trio of Liz McDonnell (Wine Enthusiast Top 50 natural wine bar owner of Fortnight), Robert Andreozzi (two-time James Beard nominated chef of Pizza Marvin), and Jesse Hedberg (Bombay Sapphire Most Imaginative Bartender). Plus the branding and marketing minds, Alaina Andreozzi and Christiana Dandakis.
Actually clean wine. A lot of commercial wines are loaded with additives like sugar, extra alcohol, and tartaric acid. Pizza Wine only makes stuff they'd happily drink themselves (which they drink lots of). The sparkling format is also perfect for cans.
Where to buy: Online
Jenna’s Pickups - Reporting live from Portugal!
If there’s anything you should know about me, it’s that I will always find a way to sneak a grocery store visit into any travel itinerary. There’s nothing I love more than perusing aisles in a new place, scoping out novel finds and familiar faves.
I’ve been in Portugal for the past ~9 days (shoutout Nate for holding down the fort), and I’ve already been to the grocery store at least three times. 🙃 Here are some of my fun finds:
Catch of the Day Omega 3 tablets: Name something unsexier than fish oil. And yet… 👀 This packaging, an ode to Portugal’s unofficial-official packaged food (tinned fish), makes a lame daily supplement into a fun, countertop-worthy collector’s item and I just adore the innovation. I would love to see more of this kind of form-factor-bending action in the US supplement aisle!
Ehrmann High Protein Hazelnut Pudding: The protein craze is alive and well in Portugal. Though the selection is much smaller (as it is with every category) and the protein count sits closer to 20g than 40g (the US is pushing out 35g+ products on the daily), the masculine packaging, varied formats, and fun flavors ring familiar.
What I’d love to see in the US: The pudding. This was close to a flan in texture—a bouncy, light, non-cloying cream—and didn’t have any funky aftertaste. If I was served this as a dessert, I wouldn’t complain.
✨ Special Guest ✨ Brian Folmer, founder of FirstLook VC
Brian is the founder of FirstLook, a subscription box service that delivers emerging consumer brands to early-stage investors, think "Shark Tank in a box." He also manages FirstLook Ventures, a syndicate that invests in consumer brands and founders, typically writing checks from $50K to $100K for pre-seed through Series A rounds.
With 8 years total in the VC world, the last 6 of which has been focused on consumer goods, Brian has an incredible pulse on what's next in consumer products. Before founding FirstLook, he worked in BD & Strategic Partnerships at XRC Labs, a startup accelerator, and has experience in International Operations at Victoria's Secret.
(Editor's note: I'm a proud advisor and friend of FirstLook—I love what they're doing! - Nate)
Let’s dive in! →
What was your favorite pickup this week? Tony's Chocolonely - Dark milk pretzel toffee bar
What about this product intrigued you? I initially got hooked on these because my wife bought them one day. Without a doubt, it's the best damn chocolate bar ever. I've tried so many, but always keep coming back to this one. Portion size is incredible, and I like the packaging. Looks and feels different than most other bars.
Where did you purchase it, and why that channel? I get it at either Thrive Market, Target, or World Market, whoever is having a sale.
Why do you love it? Besides taste, I like how breaks in a way where I get different sized chunks. When I get a really big piece, I basically tell myself "Welp, I guess this is how it broke. I have no choice now but to eat this entire chunk" I should also note, I eat chocolate to indulge. I don't want "BFY" chocolate.
If you want to share a brand you’re loving for us to review, or if you have the perfect special guest in mind, email us: nate@expresscheckout.co and jenna@expresscheckout.co :)
That pickle cake is incredible + I really need to try Pizza Wine! I've been sipping on Nomadica consistently for the past few months, big fan & Kristin is the coolest