What do you do when you want to work with your spouse and have a love for brewing, food and travel? Start a spice company of course! Alicia Valeo and Kevin Breslawski are born and bred Long Islanders who have channeled their love for all things gastronomic into Crimson & Clove. Long Island isn't just the place they grew up and now run their business, it is an inspiration for many of their spice blends and flavored salts. From their The End Montauk Blend, influenced by grilling fresh seafood at the beach, to Pizza Party! which evokes the comforting aroma of your favorite neighborhood pizza place, the flavors of Crimson & Clove taste like home.
When not enjoying the water or local fare, Alicia and Kevin love to travel and to bring back the terroir of their journeys. Trips through Japan meant bowls of ramen, skewers of yakitori and the introduction to Shichimi Togarashi, a savory and peppery blend they knew they had to have more of—which of course meant creating their very own version. Travels to Spain and warmer climates brought foods with flashes of heat and acidity, the direct inspiration for their Lime Habanero Sea Salt—a perfect companion for a seaside cocktail or the ultimate accent to local sweet corn.
Everything is truly a collaborative effort and labor of love--Kevin designs all the labels and will come up with a name or blend concept while Alicia gets to work on crafting a recipe and turning the idea into a flavor reality. He still won't let her live down the fact that he had the idea for Vampire Salt, which was later featured on the Food Networks Guys Grocery Games. However, Alicia’s blend of black Hawaiian Salt and the perfect balance of Aleppo pepper and garlic is what truly gives this sensational salt it’s bite!
Their love of local beer and food turned Alicia and Kevin into loyal farmers market patrons, so it was only natural to introduce Long Islanders to Crimson & Clove at several markets. Those early weekend mornings led to camaraderie and collaborations with other vendors, including a spicy bacon bourbon jam with Crimson & Clove Harissa, their take on the Tunisian blend, and even a Bloody Mary Gose, brewed by Blind Bat Brewery with their cocktail inspired Bloody Mary Sea Salt.
Alicia and Kevin take pride in Crimson & Clove. Each blend is just spice, without the use of any fillers, sugar, salt, chemicals or flow agents while their flavored salts are a combination of the finest salt, herbs and spices. All of their spice blends, flavored salts or expertly sourced herbs or spices are hand packed in small batches in a local shared commercial kitchen. Give the familiar or exotic sides of Crimson & Clove a taste for yourself and flavor everything, locaLI of course!