Philanthropy is in his blood, no pun intended.
Meet Charles Lovejoy, maker of the Lovejoy’s Bloody Mary Mix and Lovejoy’s Burn Yo Face Hot Sauce… right in time for– you guessed it– Love Day!
“Lovejoy’s Bloody Mary Mix, Inc. has a mission to provide superior, quality products while inspiring, by way of our actions, solutions to supporting at-risk youth and curtailing homelessness. Our vision is to inspire all businesses to institute responsible giving into the work that they do. We are doing our part by collaborating with or donating to the nonprofits listed.” – lovejoysbrand.com
Charles Lovejoy’s story began 28 years ago as a bartender at the Happy Gnome, a local bar in St. Paul. It’s where he discovered his love of combining flavors to create cocktails, plus as the new guy, he was always in charge of the Bloody Marys. The Happy Gnome was a perfect spot for testing his original Bloody Mary mix, tweaking it until he finally got the recipe down. The key to his perfect mix? A secret ingredient: strawberries (One pound of strawberries per batch!). After perfecting his mix, The Happy Gnome became the first bar to carry it on the menu.
As he began to lock down the recipe, Lovejoy knew that love for his community was going to play a major part in both his recipes and his burgeoning business. Anything he did in the for-profit world would be matched in effort in the non-profit arena.
And that is exactly what the Lovejoy’s brand does. Every bottle sold of the original Bloody Mary Mix gives back to organizations dedicated to supporting at-risk youth and homelessness. Lovejoy takes great pride in knowing his business and brand are socially responsible, and working to fulfill its mission of redistributing wealth. Each week, Charles and his crew are in the kitchen making batches, ensuring the freshest product for his customers, which now include over 120 Twin Cities metro-area bars and restaurants!
As the brand continues to grow, Lovejoy’s product line has expanded from the original Bloody Mary Mix to include Thai Basil Bloody Mary Mix, Burn Yo Face Hot Sauce, and Lovejoy’s uniquely flavored rim seasoning. You’ll also find many recipes for interesting, creative uses for Bloody Mary Mix, from roasted crab, to viniagrette, to salsa. But you can’t go wrong with classics; Charles told me his favorite Bloody Mary pairing is celery, and his favorite hot sauce pairing is eggs. The Lovejoy brand is always looking for recipes and collaborations from chefs. So go ahead and follow this socially responsible, local brand on social media. Send them your recipe and creations to be featured on their page!
Pick up some Lovejoy’s and share the love. These products are sure to make your Valentine feel the heat and sparks!
