Flocks of Flavor: Benno Nelson of Five Corners (ft. Unbothered Foods & Local Style) | Summer Sippin'

Answers by Benno Nelson (Co-Founder of Five Corners Beverage Co), Morgan Murdock (Founder of Unbothered Foods), & Laura Gardner (Founder of Local Style) 

Intro & Questions by Tina Alhani, HHM Chief of Staff 

It’s officially Chicago summer, and you know what that means- EVERYbody’s outside. That’s not even an exaggeration- when the sun’s out, Chicagoans are on outdoor patios, in backyards, and all along the lakefront. And no matter the setting or occasion, summer outings always come with fun flavors. I thought this would be a great opportunity to ask some of our Chicago-based creators what they love about summer in Chi, and how they think their products fit during different summer moments! 

We’ve got Benno (from Five Corners Beverage Co) in virtual conversation with Laura (from Local Style) and Morgan (from Unbothered Foods) to showcase different flavors & foods to pair. Enjoy!

Shared Questions (for all founders) 

What is your favorite summer moment? 

Benno: I love the first warm day of summer - when it feels like the city collectively wakes up and explodes into the streets. Somehow all of these new puppies and babies emerge from nowhere, and the city feels full and the energy is electric. It gets me every year.

Morgan: I agree that the best summer moment is at the beginning when you start seeing more people connecting in an organic way. People take more time to chat outside or connect with a neighbor - everyone is smiling more in general. And nothing beats the first day you can bike to the lake and jump in.

Laura: There's nothing quite like a Chicago rooftop on a summer night. The skyline, the breeze, the drinks, the music, the company. It's world class. Special shoutout to Cindy's for one of the best rooftops in town.   

When you were first starting your business, did you make it with summer in mind? 

Benno: We thought a lot about the moments where people are drinking alcohol and someone (like us) might be looking for something delicious and complex that’s also booze-free. And there are a lot of those moments in the summer: picnics, patios, cookouts, campouts, bonfires, and beach days. We want to be in those places in those moments and give people a way to participate and celebrate without alcohol.

Morgan: We didn't have summer specifically in mind, but we did have a portable, communal snack in mind and I think that is perfect for summer. Bring to a picnic, to the beach or on a roadtrip!

Laura: Summer in the city is what this brand was made for. Summertime is chip time. The cute characters on the front of our bags were designed to feel like a group of best friends - we call them the foodies - hanging out on a summer day in Chicago. 

When do you find yourself reaching for your product most often?

Benno: I love drinking one while cooking dinner for the family. Especially out by a grill!

Morgan: When I want something quick. I find myself pairing our crackers with hummus, chicken salad, or some kind of hearty dip. 

Laura: Beach days!! We're a big beach family, and Local Style Chips is the go-to snack in our beach bag.  

Has there ever been a surprising time, place, or pairing that you’ve heard from customers about your products?

Benno: I had a guy tell me at a tasting event once that he was going to use our Sangrita as a meal replacement on gym days. I don’t really recommend that, I think you should probably eat food? We also have a customer that always buys two 4-packs of Salted Lemonade. One to drink and one to use in a marinade!

Morgan: Not surprising, but we are seeing so many people pair our crackers with cottage cheese. Cottage cheese EVERYTHING. Literally just dipping into the container, specifically paired with our rosemary crackers seems to be the move.

Laura: We're fully embracing the chip bag charcuterie trend. Here's an easy recipe: cut open a bag of Local Style Deep Dish Pizza Chips, chop up a D'amatos chicken cutlet, drizzle with vodka parm sauce, garnish with fresh basil and a sprinkle of parm. Delish!! 

What flavor pairing do you think goes best with your product? 

Benno: I love anything salty and crispy with our drinks. Pickleback goes perfectly with Local Style’s Hot Dog chips and Sangrita is really nice with Unbothered Food’s Rosemary & Sea Salt crackers. A surprising but delicious pairing for the Salted Lemonade is crisp veggies and good hummus!

Morgan: Our crackers are truly made to pair with anything. We didn't want the flavors to be too zesty for this exact reason. For our cheddar & chive flavor a savory pairing is best and for the other two (sea salt and rosemary) they can be paired with savory or sweet!

Laura: We agree that 5 Corners Pickleback + Local Style Hot Dog Chips is a summertime must-try. We also love pairing our chip flavors with the iconic Chicago foods that they represent: Hot Dog, Deep Dish Pizza, Italian Beef, and Hot Giardiniera. 

Questions for Benno (Five Corners Beverage Co)

How did you come up with your flavors? They’re quite unique. 

 

All of our drinks are inspired by real non-alcoholic drinks from around the world. While people often think of sophisticated adult drinks as requiring alcohol, the great news is that there are so many amazing recipes enjoyed around the world that are complex, delicious, and boozeless.

Salted Lemonade is inspired by a drink from India called Nimbu Pani - that’s where it gets its blend of cumin and coriander, mineral-rich black salt, and nice tartness from lemon and lime. Sangrita is a drink from Mexico that evolved alongside tequila, we just think with its blend of savory tomato, tart citrus, and spicy chili pepper it deserves its own time in the spotlight. And Pickleback has been a dive bar staple in the midwest for years - but tastes even better if you sip it instead of shoot it. We put a “Five Corners” spin on these recipes (tweaked ingredients and ratios, dialed down the sugar, added carbonation), but our drinks have just as much history and complexity as boozy ones.

 

Do you have any fun ideas for future flavors? 

We’ve got a list of dream recipes we’d love to bring to life - it’s been so exciting to research complex n/a drinks from around the world and the good news is that there are a ton. You’ll be the first to know when they’re ready! :)

Questions for Morgan (Unbothered Foods)

Were there any challenges in creating your crackers? 

A: Yes! Many challenges. Traditional sourdough is very hard to scale - many different factors going into it like time, temperature and humidity. Once you get those elements down and consistent it becomes easier, but it was difficult for us to find the right rhythm. We now have a great manufacturing partner that has helped us scale!

Do you have any fun ideas for future flavors? 

Yes - keep your eyes peeled for our next flavor getting released this fall! Hint: a classic pasta dish

Questions for Laura (Local Style)

I noticed that your Italian Beef and Chicago Hot Dog chips don't have any meat- how are you able to capture that taste?

With these chip flavors it's about the toppings as much as the meat. We carefully prepare each seasoning blend to capture the flavors of the entire bite: the mustard, sport pepper, celery salt and crisp pickle on the Hot Dog chips. The Italian Beef features a brothy au jus and sweet & hot peppers. These foods are so much more than just the meat, so we had to capture it all. 

Do you have any fun ideas for future flavors?  

The most requested Chicago chip flavor has definitely been a Malort-flavored chip! Is that a dare, Chicago?