San Diego Hot Sauce Companies Head to California Hot Sauce Expo

Saturday, July 16 & Sunday, July 17, 2016
“2nd Annual California Hot Sauce Expo”
Rainbow Lagoon
E. Shoreline Drive, Long Beach, CA
Tickets: $10/$15 GA, $50 Craft Brew Package, $100 VIP
Time: 10 am – 6 pm

High River Sauces proudly presents the West Coast’s most distinguished hot sauce event, the 2nd Annual California Hot Sauce Expo 2016, at Rainbow Lagoon (Long Beach, CA) on Saturday, July 16 & Sunday, July 17, 2016. Returning to California for the second year in a row, High River Sauces brings together 40 of the greatest hot sauce companies from around the United States including the finest purveyors from California as well as from Panama, Australia, New Zealand and Mexico. Declared the ”ingredient of the year” by Bon Appetit, hot sauce is exploding across America. Now a $1.1 billion industry, and the most popular sriracha sauce maker Huy Fong Foods selling 20 million bottles in a single year (2012), the California Hot Sauce Expo is a not-to-be-missed summer event. For more information regarding the Hot Sauce Expo 2016, please visit: cahotsauceexpo.com.

With more than 100 submissions from purveyors around the world, the California Hot Sauce Expo cherry-picked 36 hot sauce companies, including 9 Circles (San Jose, CA), Big Daddy’s Hot Sauce (Houston, TX), Bocas Hot Sauce (Bocas del Toro, Panama), Born To Hula (Highlands, NJ), Bravado Spice (Houston, TX), Char Man Brand (Ventura, CA), Cobra Chiles (Australia), Cully’s (New Zealand), Deaf Mans BBQ (Los Angeles, CA), El Machete (Los Angeles, CA), El Yucateco Hot Sauce (Yucatan, Mexico), Ghost Scream (San Clemente, CA), Heartbreaking Dawns (Phoenix, AZ), Heat Hot Sauce Shop (Berkeley, CA), Hella Hot Hot Sauce (Campbell, CA), High River Sauces (Long Island, NY), Hoboken Eddies (Hoboken, NJ), Homeboys Hot Sauce (Phoenix, AZ), Hot Licks (Long Beach, CA), Hot Sauce Goddess (San Diego, CA), Humboldt Hot Sauce (San Francisco, CA), Infinity Hot Sauce (Fullerton, CA), Jabberwocky Hot Sauce (Altadena, CA), Lucky Dog (Hayward, CA), Mikey V’s Hot Sauce (Georgetown, TX), Oso Pepper Company (New Almaden, CA), Overkill Hot Sauce (Denver, CO), Palo Alto Firefighters (Palo Alto, CA), Paulman Acres (Oceanside, CA), Precious Sauces (Mesa, AZ), Proper Pickles (Long Beach, CA), Puckerbutt (Fort Mill, SC), Purple Panda (Los Angeles, CA), Tabanero (Los Angeles, CA), Texas Rib Ranger (Dallas, TX), Woodland Hills Hot Sauces (Woodland Hills, CA), and others.

“We are so thrilled to be heading back to Long Beach for the California Hot Sauce Expo,” says Ed Currie, Founder and CEO of PuckerButt Pepper Company. “Not only do I get to bring the HEAT to the West Coast, but we are going to bring the Guinness World Record-Winning Smokin’ Ed’s Carolina Reaper Eating Challenge. We are expecting giants from all over the globe to try to win this title from Wayne Algenio.” (Smokin Ed’s Carolina Reaper beat out former Guinness World Record-holder Trinidad Scorpion “Butch T.” Smokin’ Ed’s Carolina Reaper delivers an average of 1,569,300 Scoville Heat Units [SHU]. In comparison, jalapeno peppers only have a rating of 2,500-8,000 SHU.)

Steve Seabury, owner of the multi-award-winning hot sauce company High River Sauces and co-producer of the Hot Sauce Expo, adds, “I’m so excited to return to present the California Hot Sauce Expo and bring the best artisanal hot sauce crafters once again to Long Beach. I love adding spice to my food with hot sauce, and I can’t wait to share my passion for the mighty pepper with one of the greatest city in the world, Los Angeles. This is a special opportunity for West Coasters to be able to meet the chefs, sample their sauces and purchase the best hot sauces available on the market. If you crave a little kick to your dish then I will see you at the California Hot Sauce Expo in July. This will be one party that you will not want to miss!”

Guinness Book of Records will host and judge “The Smokin’ Ed’s Carolina Reaper Eating Challenge.” West Coast contestants vying for the trophy will compete against newly crowned “Carolina Reaper” King, Wayne Algenio. Algenio competed in the NYC Hot Sauce Expo 2016 and managed to eat a whopping 119 grams of peppers (22 Carolina Reapers) in just 60 seconds for the world record!

Stoli Vodka presents the “2nd Annual Bloody Mary Mix-Down” featuring Los Angeles’ top mixologists competing against last year’s winner Frank Andrade (New Wave Restaurant & Bar: Bellflower, CA) at the Hot Sauce Expo. The winner of the California “Bloody Mary Mix-Down” will be flown to NYC to compete for the 2017 National Championship.

The “California Margarita Mix-Down Championship” also takes place at the Expo featuring the region’s best bartenders. Celebrity judges for both competitions will be announced in the coming weeks. Specific information regarding the following onsite fiery eating competitions and general food contests will be posted at cahotsauceexpo.com: Taco Eating, Chicken Wing Eating, Amateur Hot Sauce Making, Pure Evil Challenge: A Cup-O Noodles Challenge, People’s Choice “Best Hot Sauce” Awards, and More!

General Admission to the Hot Sauce Expo is only $10 (day of tickets are $15). $50 tickets for the Craft Brew Package include one General Admission ticket for either Saturday or Sunday, separate entrance for easy access into the venue, access for the main stage competitions, six commemorative California Expo Drink Tokens that can be redeemed at the main bar, a bottle of High River Sauces, and a California Hot Sauce Expo T-Shirt. VIP ($100) ticket holders will have an exclusive area where they can break away from all of the spicy action to cool down and enjoy complimentary cocktail tastings, food pairing samples and their favorite craft beers. VIP tickets also include a Limited Edition California Hot Sauce Expo Poster, One Year Subscription to Chile Pepper Magazine, a bottle of High River Sauces, All Access VIP Laminate (with Lanyard), an Official T-Shirt, and many other sponsor related items in their VIP Gift Bag.

cahotsauceexpo.com