Southern Grove Savory Bar Mix

Whenever there is a major sports event, you can count on grocery stores to try and capitalize off of it. Food, drink, and sports go hand-in-hand, after all, and what better way to host a championship than with a spread from your local supermarket?

Grocers have to be clever about how they market themselves, though. Many major events, like the NFL’s championship game and the NCAA’s men’s and women’s basketball tournaments, are trademarked. If a store uses “Super Bowl,” “March Madness,” or “Final Four” in its advertising without paying for a license, it could be held financially liable.

The solution? Say it without saying it. That’s what stores do when they advertise products for “the Big Game,” which is basically the Super Bowl. It’s also what stores do when they happen to sell products with basketballs and brackets all over them … like, well, this snack.

Southern Grove Savory Bar Mix is an Aldi Find. That means you can only find it in stores for a limited time. Once it’s gone, it’s gone, and you won’t be able to get it unless it comes back into stores, whenever that might be. After it sells out at your local store, you can’t order it online.

At the time of this post, the 12-ounce container costs $4.99, or 42 cents an ounce. The mix has several sources, with various ingredients coming from the United States, Argentina, and Mexico.

According to the container, the mix is a blend of “honey roasted peanuts, corn chips with flax seeds, honey mustard pretzels, chili lemon corn strips, honey roasted sesame sticks, and cheddar crackers.”

A 1/4 cup serving has 150 calories, 8 grams of fat, 1 gram of saturated fat, 180 milligrams of sodium, 16 grams of carbs, and 2 grams of fiber.

The ingredients list warns that the mix contains a number of potential allergens: peanuts, soy, wheat, sesame, and milk. It also may contain traces of tree nuts and sulfites.

Nutrition information and ingredients. (Click to enlarge.)

We really liked this mix. As advertised, it was salty, but the honey roasted peanuts and honey roasted sesame sticks added a rich sweetness to the taste, too. The salty-sweet combination hits just right, with the different pieces contributing different flavors. You don’t know what taste you’re getting from one bite to another, and that’s the fun of it. Add in the fact that it’s all crunchy, and we think Aldi has a winner here.

The Verdict:

Southern Grove Savory Bar Mix is a great mix to pour into a bowl during whatever big game you happen to be watching. It’s crunchy and tasty, with a salty vibe mixed in with some honey-sweet accents. Consider us fans.