Product Review - Duncan’s Foods
6.18.08
Products: Original “Drunken” Weenies, Smokies “Drunken” Weenies, “Drunken” Weenies Sauce, “Drunken” BBQ Sauce (sweet, hot, and fire)

Who is Duncan’s Foods?

Duncan Foods offers a unique line of delicious appetizers and sauces revolving around a sweet, smooth bourbon sauce: Duncan’s Drunken’ Weenies, three types of Drunken’ BBQ Sauces, and Duncan’s “Drunken’ Weenies” Sauce. The unique smooth bourbon flavor comes from genuine Kentucky bourbon which is “flashed off” to only about 2% alcohol during the cooking process, leaving only the sweet, smooth smoky bourbon flavor.

Packaging/Labeling: The “Drunken” line of products comes packaged in very neat glass jars with labeling that, in our opinion, had a cool 50’s retro theme. The “Drunken” weenies came conveniently packaged in a wide-mouth jar that makes for easy serving if you prefer to microwave and serve straight from the jar (although not recommended). The BBQ sauces come in a non-standard jar for BBQ sauce (compared to most plastic flat-wide bottles) - instead it is bottled in a round, slightly stout bottle.

Taste/Consistency/Quality: First, the “Drunken” weenies were very well-received for several reasons. First, the flavor of the sauce is amazing; a definite sweet Bourbon flavor is present, but not overpowering. Second, the weenies themselves were deliciously plump and full of flavor. Most cocktail weenies seem to have a low-quality mushy/soggy consistency to them, while these “Drunken” weenies were perfect and juicy. When simmered in a saucepan over low heat, they really turned out delicious - perfect to impress for a party or event. The Smokies were just as delicious as the original with the same soft-Bourbon taste but with an added smoky kick.

Next, we tried the “Drunken” weenies sauce with some pre-cooked homestyle meatballs that can be found in the grocery section of your local grocery store. After simmering the meatballs in the Drunken weenies sauce on low heat for about 20 minutes in a saucepan, we had a delectable gourmet creation that really had us excited. Not only were they great eaten solo as an appetizer, but they could have been used in a number of ways as a main course - our favorite way was to serve the “Drunken” meatballs over some rice. About half way through, we realized that some green peppers, onions, and other vegetables could be added to make a delicious bourbon-flavored, Asian-style stir-fry.

Finally, we sampled the BBQ sauces with some grilled chicken, which were just as good as the meatballs we previously sampled. Each variety of the “Drunken” BBQ sauce shined in its own way, obviously with the subtle, but perfect amount of Bourbon-flair making its presence known. What we really liked about the BBQ sauces is that the “Hot” and “Fire” versions weren’t overpowering like most fiery BBQ sauces are. Even with the “Fire”, we were still able to taste the sweet and smoky bourbon flavor - which is what makes this BBQ sauce a real winner compared to other basic BBQ sauces on the market.

Uniqueness: “Drunken” Weenies. We haven’t seen too many ‘heat and eat’ cocktail weenies that are really ‘gourmet’, but Duncan’s Foods certainly fits that bill. Normally, you’d end up buying some cocktail weenies and paring them with a separate sauce (or settling for the boring standard weenie sauce), but with these, all you have to do is simply heat and serve the ready-to-eat “Drunken” weenies which area already drenched in a delectable gourmet sauce. Convenient and delicious!

The “Drunken” Weenies sauce is certainly a unique product - unlike anything we’ve sampled. Sure, the natural use is going to be as a sauce for cocktail weenies, but you could really use this sauce with almost any meat in place of traditional marinades and condiments. We felt that the sauce was PERFECT for simmering meatballs as they soaked up the flavor of the sauce and added to the juicy texture. We also agreed that the sauce would have been great on some grilled chicken.

As for the “Drunken” BBQ sauce, we were a bit skeptical because it seems as if everyone has a BBQ sauce these days, and so many don’t have anything unique about them. However, Bourbon-infused BBQ sauce was something we weren’t too familiar with, so it definitely had a unique appeal right away. Other than Duncan’s Foods, I think we had only heard of one other Bourbon-based BBQ sauce (which none of us had tried). After sampling each variety, we were glad we did as we realized that Bourbon makes a wonderful ingredient in BBQ sauce. If you haven’t tried a Bourbon BBQ Sauce, (which most probably haven’t), we strongly suggest you give it a try!

Summary: Duncan’s Foods really offers a delectable lineup of ‘crowd-pleasing’ products with many ways to shine. Not only are they ideal appetizer products - garnering our “Amazing Appetizer” nomination, but they also have a definite place in everyday use.

How to purchase: Consumers can order directly online at www.DrunkenWeenies.com.