Garrett Popcorn Shops, a small batch, hand-made snack tradition for over 75 years, is collaborating with Mike’s Hot Honey to introduce a ready-to-eat popcorn: a sweet, caramelized kettle crunch and savory, seasoned Garrett exclusive recipe mix kicked up with the honey company's chili heat.   

“Decades ago, Garrett popcorn pioneered an original, sweet and savory mix with fan-favorite (and now world-famous) recipe Garrett Mix, which blends CheeseCorn with CaramelCrisp,” comments Garrett VP of Strategic Partnerships Kris Penn. “Another ‘true original,’ Mike’s Hot Honey was the first to widely infuse pure honey with heat. Partnering with a fellow culinary innovator is a natural fit to create this twist on a gourmet tradition.”  

This inventive sweet and savory mix recipe is handcrafted in small batches with two distinct cooking methods, starting with Garrett’s signature blend of hot-air popped mushroom and butterfly kernels. One batch of kernels is folded in copper kettles, drizzled with Mike’s Hot Honey, then dusted with spiced seasoning for a sweet kettle crunch. The second batch is lightly shaken with hot honey-spiced seasoning, adding an extra kick when mixed with the sweet kettle batch, the brand notes.

Tales from two kitchens

Family-owned Garrett Popcorn Shops opened its first Shop location in Chicago in 1949 to lines around the block. First created in the family’s home kitchen all those decades ago, Garrett popcorn continues to offer its signature, heirloom recipes now in shops around the world.

In 2010, Brooklyn-based, independently owned Mike’s Hot Honey started in Paulie Gee’s restaurant as a handcrafted pizza topping, and reportedly grew into a sensation through word-of-mouth reactions. Now in thousands of restaurants and retailers across the country, America’s original and leading brand of hot honey continues to elevate everyday eating experiences across an array of snacks, dishes, desserts, and more, it says.

“Mike’s Hot Honey has always been about taking great food and giving it that perfect  sweet-heat kick. Garrett Popcorn has been crafting the best popcorn out there for decades, with a real dedication to quality and flavor, so bringing Mike’s to their famous popcorn just made sense,” says Mike Kurtz, founder of Mike’s Hot Honey. “This is a fun way to celebrate the craftsmanship behind both brands, and give our fans a new way to enjoy that sweet heat.”        

From small-batch copper kettles in the Garrett kitchen to home pantries nationwide, consumers will be able to snag a bag of this ready-to-eat Garrett Popcorn recipe starting this month at retailers including Jewel-Osco, Albertsons, World Market, Strack & Van Til, Niemanns, and coming this fall to Roundy’s and Mariano’s. 

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