The first review for Day Drinkin’ Jerky will focus on a 4 ounce/113 gram bag of their Spicy Saz Teriyaki flavored beef jerky. Saz is short for Sazerac, a variation of a whiskey with roots in New Orleans. This bag was kindly submitted for review by the owner, John Day. The Day Drinkin’ Jerky name come from 2 facts: 1) John’s last name is Day, 2) All marinades have an alcohol as a primary ingredient.
This Day Drinkin’ Jerky brand is distributed by Day Drinkin’ Jerky Co. They are located in Topeka, Kansas, and this jerky brand was launched in 2015. John had been making jerky for family and friends. Having a love of fine bourbon, he joined both hobbies together. Their slogan is “Always smoked, never dried”. The jerky is proudly advertised to be smoked in a smoker, where no dehydrator is used here. Always produced in small batches, it’s marinated, and slow smoked with hickory wood.
Ingredient Review
Ingredients: Beef, Soy Sauce (Water, Wheat, Soybeans, Salt), Sugar, Canola Oil, Dried Onion, Sesame Seeds, Dried Garlic, Ginger, Sesame Oil, Rye Whiskey, Pineapple Juice (Pineapple Juice from Concentrate, Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C), Vitamin E,Vitamin A), Brown Sugar, Onion Powder, Kosher Salt, Black Pepper, Garlic Powder, Cayenne Pepper, Jalapeno Powder, Habanero Powder. Allergen Warnings: Soy, Wheat, Sesame
The beef used is not guaranteed to be free of growth hormones or additional antibiotics. Also, the beef is not guaranteed to have at least partial free range access to graze on grass. As a result, the highest ingredient rating that can be awarded is a Good (8/10) rating.
The liquid marinade consists of a decent soy sauce, canola oil, healthy sesame oil, whiskey, and pineapple juice. All alcohol content is removed from the whiskey during the jerky drying process.
Healthy sesame seeds are used, which offer many health benefits, although a known allergen to some people. Some people consider ginger to be in the superfood category. Onion powder, garlic powder, and black pepper are always welcome additions.
The heat is achieved from using cayenne pepper, Jalapeno powder, and Habanero powder. Hot peppers are healthy if eaten in moderation, which flush toxins out of the body.
There is no nutrition facts table provided. As a result, the exact sugar and salt levels are unknown. This jerky is advertised to be low in sugar and salt, where the taste attests to that.
This jerky does qualify to have no sodium nitrite, or any other similar unhealthy preservatives. Instead, the main preservative used is Kosher salt, which is less processed compared to table salt. To a lesser extent, ascorbic acid acts as a preservative, which is a form of vitamin C. Surprisingly, whiskey acts as a preservative, and a meat tenderizer.
Commendably, there is no MSG added.
Good (8/10) – Ingredient Rating
Taste Review
These strips of jerky are mostly large in size, and sliced thin. There is a fairly dry texture, but it is reasonably easy to chew because the strips are sliced thin. There are no signs of fat, and handling this jerky leaves no oily residue on your fingers.
The first tastes detected are a moderate level of soy, and a mild pineapple flavor. There is a great mild onion flavor, and a light garlic flavor. The salt is at a mild level, and there is little sweetness. One great addition is the sesame flavor without going overboard.
As for the spiciness, it would rate about a 2 out of 5 on the heat scale. The rye whiskey is challenging to detect. You need to eat a fair amount before the whiskey flavor starts to develop at a faint level. As for the teriyaki flavor, it holds up pretty well without a great deal of sweetness. Overall, this is a tasty flavor that leaves you wanting more.
A 4 ounce/113 gram bag sells online for $9.99. That works out to $2.50 an ounce, which rates as a slightly expensive price. It should be noted that only 3 ounce/85 grams bags are available now. If you buy four or more bags, the shipping is free. This jerky is surely recommended to people who would enjoy a spicy teriyaki flavor.
Very Good (9/10) – Taste Rating
Bag Review
This large, resealable bag has labels affixed to the front and back. The front label is actually the shape of Kansas.
The slogan printed on the bag is “Small Batch, Always Smoked……….Never Dried!”.
Most of the important bag categories are covered here. Some missing categories are a nutrition facts table, jerky weight stated in grams and ounces, bar code, sesame allergen alert, and a best before date. There is a batch number printed that could translate to a best before date.
Order their jerky online: www.daydrinkinjerky.com
Thanks for the review and look forward to hearing what you think of some of my other flavors.