If there are two things our team likes, they are healthy snacks and great beards.

That’s why when cofounder Justin walked into the Arlo Hotel in New York City’s NoMad neighborhood in 2017, he was overwhelmed with rapture. A snack bar made of real food and no added junk?! Could it be so? The image of two bros with beards on the packaging sent him over the edge.

Justin promptly purchased the bar from the hotel café, took a bite, and the love affair was locked in. “This must be one of the healthiest, best tasting bars in existence!” he shouted to a lobby full of strangers who ignored him. He knew he’d found something special.

Today we’re bringing that snack to you. Introducing Bearded Brothers: one of the best-tasting, healthiest and uniquely flavored selection of snacking bars in the country. The Bearded team makes all sorts of fun flavors, three of which we’re adding to our growing airfare snack assortment.

Before we get to the goods, let’s learn more about this company and its beginnings, shall we? Strap in, team—we’re taking a flight down to Austin, Tex.

The bros behind the beards

In 2011, brothers-in-law Caleb Simpson and Chris Herbert were just two dudes with beards. Like many of our other snack partners, these snacktrepeneurs noticed that the many food bars on the market were mostly made of junk—added sugars, sweeteners, thickeners, oils…you know the drill.

“We wanted a bar that used only the best organic ingredients and actually tasted good,” Caleb and Chris said. “The mission of the company has been the same since day one: we exist to enhance people’s wellbeing through exceptional snacking experiences.”

Well said, bros. They got to work, and Bearded Brothers was born as a family operation with everything in house.

“We are a family-owned and -operated company,” they said. "We have our own commercial kitchen, and we handcraft every bar, and we don’t outsource to a copacker, which many other bar brands do. By sourcing largely direct from U.S.-based family farms, and by handcrafting all of our bars in house, we aim to make the best-quality bar on the market.”

We can vouch for the quality. Like every snack in the airfare family, these have no added sugars, sweeteners, or oils and are only made of real, plant-based food. Plus, they include dates, which are a healthy fruit option, according to science, as we detailed last week.

Check out the options below and add one (or three) to your next order.

Bodacious Blueberry Vanilla

This is Bearded Brothers' most popular flavor, and for good reason. It’s lovely, like eating a blueberry vanilla cobbler, but a healthy one. The blueberries and vanilla pair wonderfully with the almonds and chia seeds to give it an even, fruity taste.

Charming Chocolate Coconut

Any time chocolate and coconut are together in a snack, we’re probably going to eat it. This bar is made with rich dark chocolate (unsweetened, of course) and tropical coconut. It contains 6 grams of fiber, which is more than 20 percent of the recommended daily amount. So, after eating this bar, you’ll be…moving well. 💩

Tantalizing Toasted Sesame

Here’s how the Bros describe it: “Beginning with a base of dates and almonds, we added walnuts, toasted sesame seeds, black sesame seeds, and a sprinkle of sea salt. A staff favorite, it's the perfect sweet and salty snack!” We second that.