Weekly Pickups: Cannabis spirit and the latest date treat
Plus: Sichuan noodles and vegan cheddar crackers
Welcome back to Weekly Pickups!
We’re getting closer to the holidays, and you know what that means: gift guide season.
Next week, we’ll start releasing our (hyper-specific, rigorously curated) gift guides. If you have/know a genuinely giftable, unique product that you think we should include, hit us up at hello@expresscheckout.co this weekend for a final shot at consideration!
Until then, we’re excited to team up with Spring Cash for our favorite gift to give: cold hard cash (not really but also… really).
Following its $336 million raise from GB Bank and others, Spring Cash is giving CPG brands a 0% APR (up to $50K) advance on any of your unpaid retailer or distributor invoices.
It’s insanely easy to use: Just submit an invoice to their site, and Spring Cash’s AI approves invoices within six (6!!!) minutes and sends you money immediately.
Brands like Laurel’s Coffee, Supermush, Flock Foods, and Cloud 23 are using Spring Cash to get paid immediately for invoices from Costco, Target, Whole Foods, and more.
No more waiting on a retailer—your sale turns into instant cash in the bank that you can put back into your brand and keep growing.
Now, let’s get into what we’ve been loving this week →
Nate’s Pickup:
Date Worthy
Whoever is running the Date lobby is doing good work, because dates are absolutely everywhere. They’re being sold raw, stuffed, coated, wrapped, as a sweetener (see: Harken Sweets)…they’re everywhere. And Date Worthy is one of the latest brands to make a tasty date-based sweet treat.
Quick Facts: Date-sweetened frozen banana bites dipped in dark chocolate and almond butter, made with just a handful of real ingredients.
Reasons to love:
It does banana some justice. I’m a banana fiend—banana Laffy Taffy, banana pudding, hell, even just a regular banana—if it’s banana-flavored, I am in! And this product does banana justice. They nailed it. The banana flavor is front and center and well-balanced with the dark chocolate shell and subtle date sweetness.
It’s the perfect bite. Truly, they’re just so easy to keep popping into your mouth without ever even thinking about it. Well, you do think about it because every bite is just that tasty. Plus that chocolate shell gives you that satisfying snap when you bite in, then you get this creamy/soft frozen banana center. It’s wonderful.
A healthier sweet treat. Unlike the rest of my freezer (I have a lot of ice cream, sue me), this isn’t loaded with sugar that would normally knock you on your ass and give you a tummy ache. These are sweetened with dates instead of refined sugar, and at 6g of sugar per serving, they’re the perfect answer to that 10pm sweet treat craving. Or a 10am sweet craving if we’re being real.
Where to buy: eatdateworthy.com or in select NYC retailers
Jenna’s Pickups:
Momofuku Goods - Tingly Chili Noodles
This past weekend, I ran my third half marathon (wheee!) and, per usual, I got way too excited about the pre-race “carboload” pasta feast. But when it finally came around, I realized I wasn’t really craving pasta—I was craving noodles. Specifically, I was craving these noodles, which have quickly become a favorite near-instant meal. I buffed them up with some added broccoli and roasted mushrooms, and the whole thing came together in less than 10 minutes. Massive pre-race W.
Quick Facts: Premium, instant-ish noodles ready in four minutes with Sichuan chili sauce.
Reasons to love:
Convenient without sacrificing quality. These noodles take only four minutes to cook, and then you simply squeeze the pre-made, included sauce packet on top. This product is so convenient, but the taste is nothing near its “instant” noodle counterparts. The air-dried noodles have the perfect chewy bite (a years-in-the-making upgrade to the brand’s OG noodle product) and the sauce is truly restaurant-quality…
…which leads me to flavor. The Tingly Chili flavor is the closest I’ve ever gotten to enjoying the bright, complex flavors of one of my favorite cuisines—Sichuan—at home. “Tingly” is the best way to describe it—the kind of peppery spice that tickles your lips and mouth but doesn’t burn down your whole esophagus (critical for pre-race nosh). Made with spices like sichuan pepper, star anise, and ginger, plus a touch of sweetness from molasses, this sauce really hits every part of your tastebuds.
Where to buy: Nationwide at Publix, Target, Sprouts, Whole Foods, Kroger, and Wegmans. Also available DTC at shop.momofuku.com.
Reframe Cannabis Spirit - Mixed Berry
To the Cali sober out there—this one’s for you. If you’re cutting down on alcohol and still looking for some effect, THC bevs are likely already on your radar. But this product format was entirely new to me: a cannabis spirit, which offers the same versatility as an alcoholic spirit and none of the ABV.
Quick Facts: A non-alcoholic cannabis spirit made from organic, hemp-derived cannabis. 125mg of THC in the whole bottle, with recommended servings ranging from a half-ounce to two-ounces (from 2-10mg, depending on your tolerance/goals for the night).
Reasons to love:
Delicious and multipurpose. This liquid is so tasty—it kind of tastes like a berry fruit roll-up IMO. You could certainly drink it on the rocks or mixed with a simple seltzer. But, because it’s a concentrated liquid—a one-ounce serving is ~5mg THC—Reframe makes for an incredible liquor replacement in cocktails. The company shares tons of great recipes on its site!!
Newbie-friendly. If you’re new to THC, bevs like Reframe are a great place to start. Unlike a daunting edible, liquid takes effect in 15-20 minutes, so you can start with a little and have more a bit later without fear of the delayed greenout. 🫠
Just look at her. The bottle is stunning—a beautiful, matte glass vessel with a cork and sleek packaging. It’s the kind of package that a tequila bottle wishes it could be. Made to be left out on the counter and saved to use as a vase post-consumption.
Where to buy: Online!
✨ Special Guests ✨ Katie Cardwell and Alyssa Olimpio
Alyssa Olimpio and Katie Cardwell are two MBA students at Kellogg who run an Instagram account called @TastedTested. This summer, they were both working in the food and beverage space (Alyssa in NYC and Katie in LA), constantly texting each other about the latest and greatest products on the shelves. With a shared passion for the better-for-you space (and roaming grocery aisles for fun), they decided to start Tasted Tested as a fun way to share the brands they were discovering and support the founders behind them. They now host monthly sampling nights, try new launches, and spotlight their favorite emerging brands!
Let's dive into their pick →
What is it? Carolyn’s Krisps are vegan, gluten-free cookie-crackers that offer the best of both worlds: the texture of a cookie and the crispness of a cracker. The company is located here in Chicago and is based on a third-generation family recipe. We sampled the Cheddar (our favorite), Pomodoro Pizza, and Maple Pecan flavors.
Where'd you purchase it, and why that channel? We went to Carolyn’s Krisps Snack Shop Pop-Up in West Town, Chicago. We heard about the brand through Instagram and when we saw that the founder, Amie, opened up a storefront, we knew we had to go in person! Not only does her shop carry a variety of flavors of Carolyn’s Krisps, but she also has a full collection of other emerging brands that we had been wanting to try, including Quincy, Madly Hadley, and Joon.
What about this product intrigued you? We both love to host and are always looking for new products to add to our charcuterie boards. Carolyn’s Krisps stood out to us on social media because of its bold flavors and local ties to Chicago. After meeting the founder, purchasing was a no-brainer. She is extremely community-focused, creating and hosting workshops, dinners, and pop-ups to bring the food and creative community together in Chicago.
Why do you love it? The Cheddar Krisps tasted like a better-for-you Cheez-It Extra Toasty meets a holiday shortbread cookie. We also appreciate how the products are vegan, gluten-free, soy-free, and peanut-free, yet they don’t compromise on taste. We’re already planning to go back and try the Chocolate Chai and Pumpkin Spice Krisps!
Anything else you’d like to share? Carolyn’s Krisps Snack Shop Pop-Up is open until early January. If you’re in the Chicago area, it’s definitely worth a stop by to pick up some Krisps and last-minute holiday goodies. Check out @tastedtested for a sneak peek of the store!
We were very sad to miss a week of recording the pod, as Nate was OOO! But luckily, we think (humbly) that our last pod was the best one yet :) Check it out below, sponsored by our friends at Glimpse!
Betting BIG on... blueberries?
We are SO excited to share that this episode was sponsored by our friends at Glimpse!
Thanks for reading! Anything you think we should try for an upcoming edition of Express Checkout? Email us at nate@expresscheckout.co and jenna@expresscheckout.co