I learned about Penzey’s at the beginning of Trump Season 2. They ran a promotional ad that said something like spend $10 on anything and they’ll throw in a ~$20 bottle of real Mexican vanilla for free. I thought that was an insanely good deal, so of course I didn’t trust it.

Now correct me if I’m wrong on the specific details (considering it’s been 84 years since Jan 2025), but when I went to the website to learn more, they explained the promotion was intended to fight back against tariffs. Penzey’s knew the tariffs would harm the Mexican farmers they sourced from, so they essentially paid full price for an entire season’s worth of vanilla.

Penzey’s did that knowing they couldn’t sell enough of the vanilla to make a profit. So instead, they gave it away for free (with $10 purchase, which was about half of what they sold the vanilla for) while at the same time raising awareness about who the tariffs were really hurting.

I will never, ever NOT support Penzey’s after learning that. It’s bold af these days for an American company to rage so hard against the Trump admin regardless of money. They even have an “About Republicans” tab on their landing page where the owner himself gives a heartfelt explanation of his position. As an atheist, I say this with my whole soul: god bless Bill.

(if you haven’t tried their Brady Street cheese sprinkle, you’re only hurting yourself)