Brunch, football games, holidays — all are perfect settings for a bloody mary, according to Diana Allen, co-founder of the popular Bloody Darn Good mixer company based in Little Rock.
For 20 years, Diana made her signature cocktail for friends and family on special occasions. She would talk about wanting someone to start a bloody mary business with her, but considered it a “pipe dream.” Then a few years ago, through their mutual love of tennis and bloody marys, she met Marisa Thames, who helped turn the dream into a reality.
“Marisa has her law degree and suggested that she could get us ready for that,” Diana says. “She is the brain behind this.”
While Marisa may have been the brain behind the business, Diana’s grandma Elizabeth was the inspiration behind the recipe. Serendipitously, in April 2023, on Grandma Elizabeth’s 95th birthday, Bloody Darn Good officially received its permit, and the women were allowed to launch. Grandma’s smiling face, holding a cigar, adorns every glass bottle.
“We had to ask her to use the photo, and she said, ‘Oh my gosh, people are going to think I smoke,’ because she’s holding a cigar, but it’s really just a photo op,” Diana says. “But now she’s really liking the attention. My whole family has really enjoyed it and embraced it for sure.”
What makes the bottle stand out beyond its colorful appearance are its all-natural ingredients.
“One thing we love about our mixes is that we try to keep all the bad stuff out of it,” Diana says. “So, they’re all-natural, gluten-free and low in sodium.”
Varieties include the smooth and versatile OG; the sangria-inspired Morning Light; the spicy Hot Mama; and the dill-infused Dyl Pickle.
The mixes aren't just for bloody mary making. Consumers can add them to taco sauce, poached eggs, pasta sauce or as a chili base.
Marisa and Diana made the test batches in their home kitchens and commercially started producing bottles out of AR Kitchen. Still, it was a labor-intensive process, so they welcomed the help of their friend and tennis coach, Kent Wood, who had all the machinery in place to bottle the mixes and was happy to co-pack their products.
Now, local restaurants, including Hill Station, U.S. Pizza, 42, Capital Bar, El Sur, Fassler Hall, Flying Saucer and many more, are using their mix. It also is sold in more than 160 stores in Arkansas and in other nearby states.
Diana and Marisa have been stay-at-home mothers since their kids were born, so they say it’s been a fun change for them to get out, meet new people and share their passion with the community.
Over glasses of bloody marys, the two agree that what they love most about their business is bringing people together to enjoy a drink they love.
And the public seems to love them, too.
“I’ve never found a person who liked bloody marys who didn’t love ours, so our feedback has been really good,” Diana says.
In fact, most would say, it's bloody darn good.
For more information about Bloody Darn Good, visit bloodydarngood.com.
“One thing we love about our mixes is that we try to keep all the bad stuff out of it. So, they’re all natural. Gluten-free and low in sodium.” — Diana Allen