MILWAUKEE — When life gives you lemons, you make lemonade. But Samantha May turned lemons into beer barbecue sauce.
“I was laid off unexpectedly after three years of working for a company. I didn't realize how much my job was part of my identity. And so, when I lost it, I lost myself," she shared.
A trip to Mexico gave her the clarity she needed.
“I would wake up early and go for a walk on the beach. I asked myself, what do I really want to do? I didn't want someone to have that much control over me again. So, I came back and asked my dad, can I sell your sauce?" Samantha said.
Her father had been tinkering with a recipe for barbecue sauce made from beer for many years, but he’d never done anything with it. Samantha grew up being her dad’s test taster and knew he had a winning recipe.
In just a few months' time, she has found a way to produce, package, and sell Sammy May’s Beer BQ sauce.
“On Monday, I do all the cooking and bottling, and then, after 24 hours, I come back and seal them with a shrink wrap and label them," she said.
She admits it’s a hustle, but she’s happy working for herself.
Though I could drink it with a straw straight from the bottle, her sauce is the perfect finish for wings, pulled pork and briskets, or any of your favorite Packer Party dishes.
For more information, check out sammymaysbeerbq.com.
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