Urban Chemist LLC:
Fast Mary’s
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Tell us a little bit about who you are and what you do:
Wendi: Fast Mary’s
My name is Wendi Winkler and I'm the owner of Urban Chemist LLC and creator of Fast Mary's Bloody Mary Enhancer. We are a WBENC and LGBTE-certified company providing the world with a unique bloody mary seasoning concentrate that is added to a tomato-based juice to produce the perfect bloody mary.
Let us know more about your business name - how did you come up with it?
While earning my chemistry degree, I was a bartender at a local bar. When 10 people ordered a bloody mary, I needed a faster way to make them instead of shaking multiple spices in every single drink and likely not having the consistency in each drink. I came up with a blend of all of my favorite bloody mary spices together in a dill brine liquid and added it to tomato juice/vodka. It's a "fast" way to make a bloody mary and this is when the name Fast Mary's was born.
What is your signature style / item? How did it become so?
We currently sell two blends of Fast Mary's Bloody Mary Enhancer - Mild Bangin' Blend and Hot & Bothered Blend. Both blends offer a well-balanced mix of spices for our bloody mary consumers. Every bloody mary can be made as consistently as the first one by any consumer. You don't have to have the perfect bartender to get the perfect bloody mary.
What makes your business unique to the industry?
We pride ourselves in producing a very balanced blend of spices, with clean ingredients (vegan, no soy, no MSG, gluten-free). Our products are packaged with our environmental impact in mind. Our glass bottles and metal caps are both recyclable and our safety shrink band is biodegradable.
What's been your biggest roadblock when it comes to business and how have you been able to overcome?
Spreading the word!! It can sometimes be difficult to convey how Fast Mary's works, without having face-to-face sampling opportunities. We put a recipe on the back of each bottle to help consumers add Fast Mary's to their chosen tomato-based juice.
How has your business had to adapt amidst the Covid-19 Pandemic? What are you doing to navigate the situation?
With many event/sampling opportunities canceled this year, we have pivoted to a more online presence on both Amazon and website sales. We are currently working with a marketing group to achieve these moves.
What is your favorite part of what you do?
Definitely customer interaction. There's nothing better than seeing a customer's reaction after sampling Fast Mary's. It's very gratifying.
What is your *must do* local activity?
Brunch at Bryant Lake Bowl. Everything from the staff to the ambiance. And they have a pretty good bloody mary too :)
Where to find Fast Mary’s:
Website: https://fastmarys.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fastmarys13/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fastmarys