Chops Beef Jerky - Red Chili Pepper

Chops Beef Jerky is a brand owned by Chops Snacks, Inc. based out of New Haven, CT. The company was started in June 2016 by two recent Yale University undergraduates, Luke Sellers and Aaron Jones, along with food industry veteran Dusty Jaquins.

The company claims their jerky is made from 100% USDA Choice and Select beef brisket, sourced from cattle within the United States. They use no MSG, no nitrites, and no artificial preservatives. Their jerky is labeled as "all natural" and "exceptionally tender", while their website further claims to be gluten-free.

This Red Chili Pepper is described by Chops as, "How about some heat?" It goes on to say that this is for "jerky lovers that crave spicy flavors packed with heat", and that it's for, "the most diehard of spice lovers".

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Katie's Beef Jerky - Black Cherry Bourbon

Katie's Premium Jerky & Snacks is a brand owned by Katie's Snack Foods, LLC based out of Hilliard, OH. It was started in 2014 by Katie Levesque, a graduate of The Ohio State University.

Katie loves jerky so much, that she actually sleeps with it under her pillow (in a plastic bag), and prefers spicy jerky (so that other people won't ask for some). She loves it so much, she left her career as an engineer to launch her own jerky company. Katie's Premium Jerky & Snacks is made in its own USDA inspected facility.

This "Black Cherry Bourbon" variety won an award at the 2017 ZestFest Fiery Food Challenge. It's described as "gluten free", and offering, "the sweet taste of black cherries soaked in bourbon!".

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Shiner's Stash Jerky - Cajun Spice

Shiner's Stash Jerky is a brand launched by Swen Altis, based out of Conover, NC. Marketed with the tagline, "Made in the foothills of North Carolina", Altis started Shiner's Stash in 2016 after a successful career as an executive chef, working in professional sports for major league baseball teams, hockey teams, and football teams.

Shiner's Stash uses 100% Prime Beef Eye-Round & Pork Loin, sliced thick and cut against the grain. They make all their jerky themselves, in their own USDA inspected facility, as opposed to contracting it out to a co-packer. They currently have 19 varieties of beef and pork jerky.

This Cajun Spice variety is described by company as, "the perfect blend of southern Cajun spices. Combination of "TWANG" overtones and delicate sweetness with a Louisiana Cajun punch. No spice/heat."

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Smokehouse Jerky Co. - Smokey Sriracha

Smokehouse Jerky Co. is a brand of Tender Heifer Snack Co., based out of Beaumont, CA. It was started in 2008, and is currently run by a husband and wife team, Franco Fonseca and Patti Fonseca.

The company takes pride in its beef brisket-based jerky, using meat sourced from California. They add no MSG and no preservatives, and focus on small batches at a time.

This "Smokey Sriracha" variety is described by Smokehouse Jerky Co as, "...lean meat is seasoned with different spices and is blended with sriracha sauce", going on to say that it, "features the heat as its main star".

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Joe's Wicked Good Jerky - Sweet 'N Spicy

Joe's Wicked Good Beef Jerky is a brand owned by Joe's Wicked Good Jerky Corporation, based out of Redding, CA. It was started by the husband and wife duo of Joe Nixt and Traci Nixt, who launched the brand in October 2014.

At the time, Joe had been making his own jerky for over 20 years. He's shared it with friends and co-workers from his contracting business. When Traci lost her secretarial position, the couple decided to make a go at running a jerky company.

This "Sweet 'N Spicy" is described by the company as simply, "...a savory flavor with a sweetness and robust spicy kick that will knock your socks off".

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Fat Yankee Jerky - Garlic

Fat Yankee Jerky is a new brand that launched in May 2016 by Keith Rainville and his wife Brenda. Both hailing from Rhode Island, they moved to Florida about 12 years ago. Keith wanted to start a new business, and decided to get into the meat snack industry after friends told him how awesome his homemade jerky is.

Fat Yankee Jerky uses hand trimmed, top round black angus beef, sliced thick. It's marinated in 6 pound batches for 48 hours, and hand tossed after 24.

This Garlic is described by the company as, "Not even your Mamma will kiss ya! yeh its Garlic but at least you won't get bitten by a VAMP!"

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