NYC Hot Sauce Expo 5th Annual 2017 Part 1

NYC Hot Sauce Expo 5th Annual 2017 Part 1
Brooklyn Expo Center
Brooklyn, New York
April 22, 2017 - April 23, 2017

EXPO 2017 Billboard

This year the 5th Annual NYC Hot Sauce Expo was the highest attended from previous ones. With 40+ vendors there was a diverse array of hot sauces, BBQ sauces, spicy snacks, rubs, and seasonings. This is the best hot sauce event in the NYC area and a dream event for Chileheads. It was great seeing some of the return vendors growing their product lines over the last few years. The new hot sauces from these vendors were great as were some of the new spicy jerky’s, salts, hot honey, beef sticks, chips, rubs, and more. There were also first time vendors this year like Burns & McCoy, King of BBQs, Righteous Felon Jerky, Purple Pam Hot Sauce, Hoff Sauce, and others.

Allen's Hot Sauce and Product haul from the 2017 Expo, some great stuff!

Early 11:00 AM Expo Crowd

CaJohn Hard and Steve Seabury presenting awards

We attended on Saturday, April 22nd and by mid-afternoon, the venue was totally packed. The Expo has grown exponentially over the last 5 years and the demand for hot sauce is still on the rise. The large crowd of attendees proves that hot sauce is alive and kicking. There were plenty of food vendors for attendees and in the VIP area; peeps were offered a selection of 4 types of tacos from a local taco company. The tacos were delish and hit the spot.

Allen Fry of Two Frys at the 2017 Expo

Sophia Fry of Two Frys at the 2017 Expo

EXPO VIP Area Tacos

We think as do some of the other attendees, vendors and retailers that the event may have outgrown this venue in Brooklyn. It seems like next year they need even more space, and we suggest more seating as it was very sparse. We think the event would benefit by having a small section with some tables and chairs for dining and resting a bit.

EXPO Outside food vendors

The return vendors this year were having a blast as well as the new booths and Brooklyn's own Heatonist sampling select hot sauces. Many booths had long lines for sampling and purchasing products. I observed great interaction at the booths with the attendees. In the background was metal music, and the stage events, awards, and contests were really well run and fun to watch with High River Sauces own Steve Seabury as the Master of Ceremonies.

Steve Seabury Master of Ceremonies and Event Organizer 

More outside EXPO vendors

What follows are the booths we were able to visit and photograph, and do not reflect all the vendors at the Expo.

Angry Irishman Hot Sauce
It was great to see the Angry Irishman crew in NYC again this year. I spoke with the Angry Irishman himself, Kevin Mackey about the 2 new mustards added to the product line, which debuted at the Expo: Angry Irishman Chipotle Pub Mustard and Angry Irishman Hot Pub Mustard. Also new is the Angry Irishman BBQ Finishing Sauce to add to the great hot sauces and rubs they sell. We will share a review of the BBQ sauce in the near future.

The Angry Irishman Staff

Angry Irishman product line

Elijah's Extreme Gourmet Sauces

I stopped by and spoke to our friends Bret and Elijah Morey from Charlotte, NC. I am a big fan of the sauces they make. I tried the new Elijah' Extreme Spicy Caribbean Chutney that is packed with pineapple, mango, and roasted Habanero and tastes fantastic. I plan to order a jar and make it with roasted chicken soon. I am also a huge fan of their original Ghost Pepper Hot Sauce and love it. They won a well-deserved first place Screaming MiMi Award for the Black Cherry/Cranberry Reaper Hot Sauce they make. The Reaper Sauce is made as the name implies with the fruits black cherries, cranberries and of course, bourbon. It was great to be there when they won the award in the Reaper Sauce category. I fully recommended their stellar products and they are a great father and son team.

Elijah's Xtreme New Chutney Product

Bret and Elijah Morey - Elijah's Xtreme

Elijah and his First Place 2017 Trophy - Reaper Category

Chile Pepper Magazine
Chile Pepper Magazine is a booth we always love to visit where you can sign up to get your yearly subscription for Chile Pepper Magazine. This is the best magazine and one I read regularly. They had lots of budget priced back issues for sale. This magazine is almost timeless as you can use its many recipes any time. The staff is always friendly and we thank them for giving us 2 Chile Pepper bags to haul around our various purchases.

Chili Pepper Magazine Booth, Best publication out there!

Voodoo Chile Sauces
It is always great to talk to my bud, Thomas Toth of Voodoo Chile Sauces. He is the crafter of culinary wonders at Voodoo. I was able to score one of the last three Limited Edition large bottles of his famous, Porcus Infernum Bacon Hot Sauce. I have always said Porcus Infernum is the best Bacon Hot Sauce on the planet. Voodoo Chile has an impressive line of sauces and products. They offer the Bacon line of 3 hot sauces that are all superior to other sauces out there, as previously mentioned Porcus Infernum, Bacon Taco and Bacon-X. This year, I also picked up Freak Show Hot Sauce. Voodoo Chile has new craft beer based hot sauces such as Winter Angel. Voodoo Chile also formed a new collaboration with Righteous Felon Beef Jerky called Voodoo Chile Carolina Reaper Beef Jerky. I can recommend all of the Voodoo Chile products and have tasted and cooked with almost all of them.

Voodoo Chile Sauces booth

More Voodoo Chile goods

Volcanic Peppers
It was great to see my friend from Nebraska, Tim Bader. I picked up some sauces to restock my pantry: the Superior, Ponzu Lava Ghost Pepper Sauce and the Lava Taco Mild Sauce. This year, I also got the Lava Taco Hot Sauce and one of the new seasonal sauces, Cranky Cranberry Cherry Bomb Pepper Sauce. I am really a fan of Volcanic Peppers and their extensive line of incredible hot sauces, rubs, spice blends, condiments and pepper dusts. All are A+ recommended.

Volcanic Peppers booth

Some of the many Volcanic Peppers Hot Sauces

Volcanic Peppers Powders and Seasonings

Dirty Dick's Hot Pepper Sauce
It was great seeing Dirty Dick's again at the Expo. I talked to Richard (Dick) about his sauces and new one, Peachy Green. I picked up a bottle of Dirty Dick's Original and his new Green sauce. Dick was pleased to have won the 2017 World Champion Trophy for Dirty Dick's Hot Pepper Sauce, his original sauce. That as Dick says, makes his the best Hot Pepper Sauce in the world. Congrats to Dick for a well-deserved win. Dick is quite a character so be sure to speak to him at events he vends. Dirty Dick's offers high quality and great tasting hot sauces and is one heck of a funny guy, so check him out.

Allen Two Frys and Dirty Dick

Dirty Dick (Richard) with his First Place 2017 World Champion Trophy

Born to Hula 
The Born to Hula booth was a busy booth indeed. I would have liked to talk to our friends Ed Bucholtz and his wife Amy some more. Born to Hula have been very supportive of our blog the past several years and we have reviewed and made recipes with their products. The Born to Hula sauces come recommended and the line continues growing each year. Some of the products are Ghost of Ancho, Habanero Guajillo, Reaper of Sorrow, Imperial Apple Barbecue Sauce, and Mammoth Beef Jerky. Some of our favorites are the Smokehaus Salsa, and Smokehaus Blues Hot Sauce, a great seasonal sauce that came out over the holidays. I hear there is an upcoming Dill Mustard from Born to Hula. Ed and his wife Amy are great people that produce exceptional and natural products, and are locally based in New Jersey.

Born To Hula - The Bucholtz Family, some of our fave local sauces are Hula!

Born to Hula what an awesome lineup of original sauces from NJ.

CaJohns
CaJohns have every kind of hot sauce imaginable and to no surprise, their booth was extremely busy. I did not get to talk to my friend John Hard (CaJohn himself) this year as he was busy with Steve Seabury handing out awards onstage, being filmed at his booth, and interacting with Chileheads. I did get to talk to my friend Vic Clinco for a few minutes, but he was busy as well. CaJohns product line has a great variety of hot sauces, BBQ sauces, salsas, marinades, condiments, soup mixes and more. I can pretty much recommend all of the CaJohns sauces, and never tried one I did not like. I had a few that were so hot they about wiped me out like the Black Mamba Extreme Hot Sauce. They also offer a great line of mild to extreme heat hot sauces. CaJohns definitely have products to satisfy all heat levels. Be sure to try his Tiki Bar Sauce for sweet Polynesian flavors. The BBQ sauces are outstanding. CaJohns also sell Hot Spots Sauces, a tribute line for all firefighters such as Ember, Blaze, to the extremely hot Flame. Also, 4 new Elixirs were recently introduced to the lineup (with no added sugar), Maya Pimento Elixir, Numex Lemon Spice Elixir, Pumpkin Spice Elixir, and Trinidad 7-Pot Elixir.

CaJohns Caracara Chipotle Hot Sauce

CaJohn Hard and Vic Clinco being filmed at the Execution Station

CaJohns Booth at the Expo

Some of CaJohns fantastic and recommended BBQ Sauces

Random 2017 Expo Vendors Pictures

Some shots we got of vendors this year...

Culley's Hot Sauce, check out those huge bottles at their booth :)

Caldo Hot Sauces focus on flavor with heat; Impressive lineup of flavors

Marie Sharps Hot Sauces

Lucifer Spice Company, Great powders, pastas, oils, spices, and more

Defcon Sauces

Congrats again for winning a Screaming Mimi Award for first place in the Wing Sauce category. I stopped by the Defcon booth to see our friends John and Maggie Dilley. We are big fans of Defcon rubs, seasonings and wing sauces. This year, I picked up three of Defcon's newer products 2 jerky’s: Stinky Pig Pork Jerky and Heffer Jerky, and one meat stick product, Grimm Styx. All three will be reviewed on the blog soon. I was pleased to get the 3 meat products at the show price of 3 for $20. Defcon makes award winning wing sauces: Defcon Cluckwing Orange, D Galactus, Defense Condition #1, #2 and #3 and all products come recommended. Also be sure to try Defcon Habby Horse and Habby Pony Habanero Horseradish which are faves to slap on burgers, hot dogs, and sandwiches. Defcon offer top-notch quality dry rubs: Contaminated Soil, Bone Allum "Good Garlic" and Malum Allum "Evil Garlic". Defcon make products with great ingredients, and are a force to be reckoned with in the Wing Sauce world.

Defcons Award Winning Wing Sauces; Highly Recommended!

Defcons superior rubs and seasonings; Great stuff

John Dilley of Defcon with his 2017 Trophy. Congrats, they won again!

John and Maggie Dilley of Defcon, great people making superior products

CONTINUE TO EXPO 2017 PART 2