Photo courtesy Back Pocket Provisions
History: “I have always been passionate about food,” says Back Pocket Provisions owner and co-founder Will Gray. Gray has experience in kitchens, food and beverage production, brewing and wine making, and meat processing. Gray was working for a nonprofit before he created Back Pocket Provisions in 2015 with his sister Jennifer — an idea sparked from their tradition of drinking bloody marys on Christmas morning.
Specialties: Back Pocket Provisions offers three different types of bloody mary mixes. Bloody Brilliant is the classic, tried-and-true mix with familiar ingredients like horseradish, cayenne and Worcestershire sauce. Bloody Baja, made with sweet corn and green chiles, exudes Southwestern flavors, while Bloody Bangkok is an Asian-inspired spin with fish sauce and lemongrass. Gray plans on releasing a new flavor in collaboration with craft breweries this fall.
Production methods: Gray crafts the mixes in Charlottesville at the beginning of every tomato harvest. He uses fresh tomatoes from about 10 farms throughout Virginia and utilizes every part of the fruit.
Where to find in RVA: Stella’s Grocery, Union Market, Libbie Market and online.
