Snack Review: Twisted Grandma Buttery Garlic Goodness Pretzels

About a month ago, Caitlin, our lovely editor here at Snackerrific, asked if I’d be interested in reviewing Twisted Grandma Pretzels. Interested? How could I not want to review something with that name? Anything with the name “Twisted Grandma” had to be unique.

After confirming my interest, I ventured to the company website. I hoped it would whet my appetite with all manner of out-there flavors. I was disappointed to find that, at that point, the pretzels only came in one flavor - Buttery Garlic Goodness.

“Buttery Garlic Goodness are the original Twisted Grandma pretzels,” read the description. “We combine a rich, buttery flavor with roasted garlic and our secret blend of spices. The result is perfection!” Garlic fan that I am, the description set my mouth watering. Yet for a supposedly “twisted” Grandma, it seemed awfully limiting to offer one flavor, and no matter how fabulous it sounded, the garlic flavor wasn’t exactly cutting-edge.

Admittedly, the logo’s Grandma, with her spiky blond hair and siren-red lipstick, looked more extreme than most. According to the website’s info, T.G. is based on a real Grandma from Eveleth, MN. I wondered why she hadn’t yet cooked up a batch of five-alarm tabasco pretzels… or, better yet, a chocolate-espresso flavor!

Weeks passed, and I neither heard nor received anything from Twisted Grandma. I began to think the T.G.’s marketing people had psychically sensed my underwhelmed reaction to their website, and decided I wasn’t worth their time. It saddened me, because I had been looking forward to tasting those garlic pretzels.

Ah, but just when I was prepared to abandon all hope, a tiny, mysterious package appeared in my mail. Tearing open the box, I was greeted by the cat’s-eye glasses and mischievous smile of the Twisted Grandma. Sure enough, my ten ounces of Buttery Garlic Goodness had arrived! The crazy old lady had come through after all.

Immediately I was impressed by the packaging. The “product info” section of the website had mentioned that Twisted Grandma pretzels were made in small batches from high-quality ingredients, but I hadn’t believed it. Until now. Gazing down at the glossy, colorful graphics on the bag’s cardboard half-sheath, I was reminded of a Caribbean resort’s travel brochure. I had the distinct impression that the Twisted Grandma had personally kissed my bag of pretzels, imbuing it with care and goodwill.

While this was unlikely at best, I did believe that the website’s “small batches” claim. Turning the bag over, I noticed the Twisted Grandma HQ was in Aurora, Colorado. But… what about Eveleth, Minnesota? Wasn’t that where the grandma was from? What did this MEAN? Was the endearingly eccentric Granny (gasp) not real? I decided to be a grown-up and set aside my disappointed confusion. Maybe T.G. had moved.

The package’s backside revealed something else to me, as well - the nutrition information. Potential snackers, be forewarned: these pretzels are not diet food. At 140 calories per 1-ounce serving, half of those from fat, they’re a bit of an indulgence. Especially if you eat more than one serving at a time - which, considering even my small bag contained ten servings, you likely will!

Breaking open the resealable plastic bag, my mouth began to water. Wow. Judging on a purely olfactory basis, these pretzels are accurately named! They smell like the sort of garlic bread that comes to your table at the best old-fashioned Italian restaurants. You know, the sort of fresh-baked crusty bread which, when lifted, leaves a fine trickle of melted butter along your fingers, maybe with a clove or two of roasted garlic spaced across the top? Yeah, just like that.

I popped one into my mouth, expecting instant transportation to Little Italy. What I tasted surprised me. Sure, there was loads of the promised butter and garlic. But there were other flavors, too. Onion powder, paprika, probably more salt than the daily amount recommended by the U.S. Heart Association, and… the sort of precise tang only found in ranch dressing and other ranch-flavored products.

Once I got over the initial shock, I had to admit that the flavor was good. Actually, I’d list this as the best ranch-flavored snack I’ve ever tasted. Only, it’s not supposed to be ranch-flavored. It’s supposed to be “Buttery Garlic Goodness”. The smell is right-on, but I don’t think that’s what most people would taste. These pretzels are pretty darned awesome, but unless Twisted Grandma plans on changing the recipe a bit, they might want to rename this flavor.

That being said, I’m impressed by Twisted Grandma. With minimal help from my boyfriend, I polished off the entire 1400-calorie bag in only two days. I’m not proud of this, but it says something about the quality of the pretzels! They’re pretty addictive. If you like super-salty, ranch-flavored snacks, I’d highly recommend them. However, keep in mind that this particular flavor is more ranch than butter-garlic.

Since finishing my bag of pretzels, I’ve returned to the Twisted Grandma website. I was pleased to find that two new flavors had been added to the pretzel repertoire - “Twisted Grandma Gets Hot Mild” and “Twisted Grandma Gets Hot Spicy.” I wonder what flavors are in these varieties that T.G. isn’t telling us about. Maybe a hint of cheese on top of the spice? Hmmm… that could be super-yummy, especially considering the brand’s top-quality ingredients. Perhaps I shall have to order some!

• Twisted Grandma’s Website

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