The Chile Pepper Awards Full Listing

Courtesy of Sir McMillen, publisher of Chile Pepper Magazine, the following is the full list of winners from the First Annual Chile Pepper Awards that were announced last weekend at the Houston Hot Sauce Festival.

Congratulations to all the winners!

Barbecue Sauce – Alcohol-Infused

1st Deep River Black Bart’s Spiced Rum Grill Sauce
2nd CaJohn Amberfyre Manhattan Black Cherry Bourbon Chipotle
3rd Ole Ray’s Sauces Ole Ray’s Kentucky Red Bourbon BBQ 

Barbecue Sauce – Cayenne

1st Ole Ray’s Sauces Ole Ray’s Pok-O-Licious BBQ
2nd Stagecoach Salsa Co. Ms. Cynthia’s Not So Spicy Stagestop BBQ
3rd Grumpy’s Foods Bold XX 

Barbecue Sauce – Chipotle

1st CaJohn Amberfyre Manhattan Black Cherry Bourbon Chipotle
2nd Sucklebusters Sucklebusters Chipotle
3rd Stagecoach Salsa Co. Bubba’s Spicy Stagestop BBQ 

Barbecue Sauce – Finishing Sauce

1st Suckle Busters Sucklebusters Honey
2nd Fischer & Wieser Roasted Raspberry Chipotle Sauce
3rd Sky Vally Korean Barbecue Sauce 

Barbecue Sauce – Fruit Based

1st Salvy Sousa OMG BBQ Sauce
2nd Cin Chili Cindy’s Cin-Namon Apple BBQ
3rd Ole Ray’s Sauces Ole Ray’s Apple/Cinnamon BBQ 

Barbecue Sauce – Habanero

1st Grumpy’s Food Black Label
2nd Fischer & Wieser Mango, Ginger & Habanero BBQ
3rd Honey Badger Triple Hot BBQ Sauce 

Barbecue Sauce – Molasses Based

1st Volcanic Peppers Lava Spicy BBQ
2nd Sky Valley Korean Barbecue Sauce
3rd Trader Joe’s Carolina Gold 

Barbecue Sauce – Mustard Based

1st KW’S BBQ Sauce Sweet & Spicy
2nd Ole Ray’s Sauces Ole Ray’s Kentucky Gold Bourbon BBQ
3rd Suckle Busters Sucklebusters Mustard 

Barbecue Sauce – Pepper Blend

1st Suckle Busters Sucklebusters Hot & Spicy
2nd Chile Spot Competition BBQ Mop Sauce
3rd Sky Valley Sweet Chili Sauce 

Barbecue Sauce – Specialty

1st High Octane Sauce Tailgater Saint Arnold Rootbeer BBQ
2nd Organic Villes Tangy BBQ Sauce with Agave Nectar
3rd Organic Villes Original BBQ Sauce with Agave Nectar

Barbecue Sauce – Tomato Based

1st FireFly’s FireFly’s Memphis Sauce
2nd High Octane Sauce 750 R.P.M. Texas Style
3rd Arizona Spice Sweet 16 

Barbecue Sauce – Vinegar Based

1st Frog Bone Bayou BBQ Sauce
2nd Woody’s Bar-B-Q Sauce Woody’s Original Hot Bar-B-Q Sauce
3rd CRC BBQ Riley’s Triple R Sauce 

Best New Product  

1st Stagecoach Salsa Company Sheriff Mike’s Spicy Salsa Ranch
2nd The Wine Group Jalapino White Table Wine
3rd Feisty Parrot Ouch 

Beverages-Bloody Mary Mix

1st The Murph’s Famous Bloody Mary The Murph’s Hot & Spicy Bloody Mary Mix
2nd Salvy Sousa Bloody Bull Blood Mary Mix
3rd The Murph’s Famous Bloody Mary The Murph’s Famous Bloody Mary Mix 

Beverages-Specialty

1st The Wine Group Cabanero Red Table Wine
2nd 2Gringos Chupacabra Don Robertos Michelada
3rd The Wine Group Jalapino White Table Wine 

Condiments-Horseradish

1st Frog Bone Cocktail Sauce
2nd Woeber’s Smoky Horseradish
3rd Woeber’s Horseradish 

Condiments-Jam/Jelly (Hot/X-Hot)
1st Johnson Berry Farm Strawberry Habanero XXX
2nd Deep River Huckleberry Heat Jam
3rd Hacienda Maize Hacienda Maize Fire-Roasted Diablo Jammin Jelly 

Condiments-Jam/Jelly (Mild/Medium)

1st Brazos River Provisions Holy Smoke, Maria! Pepper Jelly
2nd Suzanne’s Kitchen Pepper Jelly Medium-Purgatory
3rd Texas Select Seasonings Apple Strawberry Habanero 

Condiments-Ketchup

1st KA-Ranch   Jalapeno Ketchup
2nd Salvy Sousa Rev-It Up Ketchup
3rd Captain Thom’s Slappin’ Fat Bacon Ketchup 

Condiments-Mustard

1st CaJohn Dogongood Mustard
2nd Lucky’s Popcorn Dressing Lucky’s Jalapeno & Garlic Honey Mustard
3rd Silverleaf International Ghost Pepper Mustard

 Condiments-Relish Hot

1st Cottage Lane Kitchen Get Me A Switch
2nd Cottage Lane Kitchen Cape Fear
3rd Rick’s Picky Rick’s Picky w/Relish 

Condiments-Salad Dressing

1st Stagecoach Salsa Co. Sheriff Mike’s Spicy Salsa Ranch
2nd Frog Bone Remoulade Sauce
3rd Organic Ville Sun Dried Tomato & Garlic 

Condiments-Specialty

1st Boulevard 647 Buggalo Bleu Cheese Dip
2nd Salvy Sousa Shakem Up Meat Marinade
3rd Chile Spot Chile Pepper Rainbow-Jolokia Blend 

Cook-Off-Chili, Competition

1st Cin Chili Cin Chili
2nd Texas Select Seasonings Ghost Dust Chili Mix
3rd Briggs True Texas Sauces Texas Chili Mix 

Cook-Off-Chili, Homestyle

1st Suckle Busters Sucklebusters Original Texas Style Chili Kit
2nd Texas Chili Texas Chili Spicy Chili
3rd Texas Chili Texas Chili Beef Chili 

Cook-Off-Dip/Salsa

1st The Spice Boys Ragin Cajun
2nd Zilk’s Zilk’s Red Pepper
3rd Zilk’s Zilk’s Jalapeno & Cilantro 

Cook-Off-Marinade (Wet)

1st Flaming Joe’s   Flamin Joe’s Caribean Style Jerk Sauce Hot
2nd Woody’s Bar-B-Q Sauce Woody’s Marinade & Baste
3rd 2 Gringos Chupacabra 2 Gringos Chupacabra “Marigate” 

Cook-Off-Seasoning Rub (Dry)

1st Back Yard Grill Texas Sauce & Seasonings Burger Dirt
2nd 2 Gringos Chupacabra 2 Gringos Chupacabra No MSG Rub
3rd Briggs True Texas Sauces Texas Seasoning & Rub 

Cook-Off-Table Seasoning

1st Briggs True Texas Sauces Cowboy Cajun
2nd CaJohn Sassy Steak
3rd Texas Select Seasonings Rattlesnake Dust 

Cook-Off-Wing Sauce (Hot/X-Hot)

1st Sean’s Booyah Sorta Hot
2nd Buffalo Gill’s Thai Chile
3rd Sean’s Booyah Stinky Bee 

Cook-Off-Wing Sauce (Mild/Medium)

1st Sean’s Booyah    Not So Hot
2nd Sean’s Booyah Bali
3rd Wingit Honey BBQ 

Fresh Salsa-Bean & Corn

1st Garden Fresh Salsa Fire Roasted Black Bean and Corn
2nd Garden Fresh Salsa Black Bean and Corn Salsa
3rd Whole Foods Tex Mex Salsa 

Fresh Salsa-Chipotle

1st Garden Fresh Salsa Chipotle Garlic Salsa
2nd Trader Joe’s Salsa Especial
3rd Trader Joe’s Salsa Fresco 

Fresh Salsa-Exotic Blend

1st Garden Fresh Salsa Artichoke Kale Salsa
2nd Whole Foods Salsa Mango
3rd Trader Joe’s Pico/Pineapple 

Fresh Salsa-Fruit (Mild/Medium)

1st Garden Fresh Salsa All Fruit Salsa
2nd Garden Fresh Salsa Mango Peach Salsa
3rd Garden Fresh Salsa Peach Pineapple 

Fresh Salsa-Hot/X-Hot

1st Salinas Salsa Works Nuclear
2nd Garden Fresh Salsa Jamaican Scotch Bonnet Salsa
3rd Garden Fresh Salsa Fire Roasted De Arbol Salsa-Hot 

Fresh Salsa-Mild/Medium

1st Garden Fresh Salsa Sweet Onion Salsa
2nd Ana’s Foods Ana’s Salsa-Restaurant Style
3rd Salinas Salsa Works Original 

Fresh Salsa-Pepper Blend

1st Garden Fresh Salsa Carolina Reaper Salsa
2nd Garden Fresh Salsa Five Pepper Salsa
3rd Whole Foods Famous Thick Salsa 

Fresh Salsa-Verde/Tomatillo

1st Salinas Salsa Works Guac ‘N Roll
2nd Whole Foods Heirloom Medley
3rd Garden Fresh Salsa Tomatillo Salsa 

Hot Sauce-Asian Style

1st High River Sauces FOO FOO Mama Choo
2nd CaJohn Al Buddah Hot
3rd CaJohn Al Buddah Mild 

Hot Sauce-Bhut Jolokia

1st Born To Hula Ghost Of Ancho
2nd Chile Spot Jolokia Haze Sauce
3rd Scotty O’Hotty The Ghost Sauce 

Hot Sauce-Caribbean Style

1st High River Sauces Tears of the Sun
2nd Feisty Parrot Ouch
3rd Hellfire Hot Sauce Inc. Devil’s Gold 

Hot Sauce-Cayenne

1st Woody’s Bar-B-Que Sauce Co. Woody’s Hickory Hot Bar-B-Q Sauce
2nd Volcanic Peppers Lava Cajun
3rd Salvy Sousa Boom Boom Hot Sauce 

Hot Sauce-Chipotle

1st CaJohn CaJohns Happy Beaver
2nd Scotty O’Hotty Beer-Bacon Chipotle Sauce
3rd High River Sauces Hellacious Hot Sauce 

Hot Sauce-Fruit Based (Hot/X-Hot)

1st Volcanic Peppers Lava Raspberry Scorpion
2nd Gemini Crow Sauce Blackberry Belle
3rd Hellfire Hot Sauce Inc. Blueberry Hell 

Hot Sauce-Fruit Based (Mild/Medium)

1st High Octane Sauce Peachbowl Speedway
2nd Volcanic Peppers Lava-Death by AJF
3rd Bravado Spice Co Ghost Pepper & Blueberry 

Hot Sauce-Habanero

1st Frankie V’s Spooky White
2nd Scotty O’Hotty Premium Habanero Sauce
3rd Back Yark Grill Texas Sauce & Seasonings Gnarly Knucklebuster

Hot Sauce-Jalapeno

1st Feisty Parrot   El Jefe
2nd Briggs True Texas Sauces Texas Jalapeno Sauce
3rd Melinda’s Jalapeno Pepper Sauce 

Hot Sauce-Latin Style

1st CaJohn Quetzalcoatl
2nd CaJohn Caracara
3rd CaJohn Oaxacan Chipotle 

Hot Sauce-Louisiana Style

1st CaJohn Amberfyre Livingston Parish
2nd Frankie V’s Orange Label
3rd CaJohn CaJohns Firehouse 

Hot Sauce-Pepper Blend (Hot/X-Hot)

1st Seafire Gourmet Hot Spicy Girl
2nd CaJohn El Chupacabra
3rd Back Yard Grill Texas Sauce & Seasonings Triple Dog Dare Ya 

Hot Sauce-Pepper Blend (Mild/Medium)

1st Briggs True Texas Sauces Houston Hot Sauce
2nd Frog Bone Cajun Pepper Sauce
3rd Slavy Sousa Boom Boom Hot Sauce

Hot Sauce-Specialty

1st Scotty O’Hotty Beer-Bacon Chipotle Sauce
2nd Sadistic Mistress Sauces Painslut
3rd High River Sauces Grapes of Wrath 

Marketing-Label

1st Frankie V’s Wasabi Green Thai Chili
2nd Frankie V’s Infused Habanero Vinegar
3rd CaJohn Amberfyre Manhattan BBQ 

Marketing-Logo

1st CaJohn Amberfyre Foods
2nd 2Gringos Chupacabra 2Gringos Chupacabra “Cajun Blend”
3rd Feisty Parrot Feisty Parrot 

Marketing-Packaging

1st Frankie V’s Green Mary Cocktail Mix 

Salsa-Bean & Corn

1st Deception Salsa Entice
2nd Brazos River Provisions Corn Pepper Salsa
3rd Trailrider Salsa Chipotle Black Bean & Corn 

Salsa-Chipotle

1st Trailrider Salsa Chipotle Heat
2nd Stagecoach Salsa Company Smoke & Fire
3rd Melinda’s Mexican Chipotle Salsa 

Salsa-Exotic Blend

1st Texas Select Seasonings Wild Bill’s Ghost Pepper
2nd Trader Joe’s Spicy, Smoky Peach
3rd Melinda’s California Black Olive Salsa 

Salsa-Fruit (Hot/X-Hot)

1st La Famila Salsa Co. Roasted Green Pineapple Scorpion
2nd CaJohn CaJohn’s Select Mangonero
3rd Trader Joe’s Spicy, Smoky Peach 

Salsa-Fruit (Mild/Medium)

1st Arizona Spice Company Peach Perfect
2nd CaJohn CaJohns Select Jalapiña
3rd Frankie V’s Original Habanero 

Salsa-Hot/X-Hot

1st Silverleaf International Scorpion Salsa
2nd la Famila Salsa Co XX Red Scorpion
3rd Deception Salsa Insanity

Salsa-Mild/Medium

1st Texas Select Seasonings Southwest Poblano
2nd Brazos River Provisions Chili Pequin Salsa
3rd Deception Salsa Tease 

Salsa-Pepper Blend

1st CaJohn CaJohns Ghost Chile Black Bean & Corn
2nd Texas Select Seasonings Tomatillo Avocado Ghost
3rd Trader Joe’s Salsa Authentica 

Salsa-Specialty

1st KA-Ranch Bacon Salsa
2nd Trader Joe’s Cowboy Caviar
3rd Whole Foods Green Mountain Gringo 

Salsa-Verde/Tomatillo

1st Silverleaf International Ghost Pepper Salsa Verde
2nd 2 Gringos Chupacabra 2 Gringos Chupacabra Tomatillo Salsa
3rd Texas Select Seasonings Tomatillo Avocado Ghost 

Snacks-Jerky

1st Katie’s Beef Jerky Half Heat Beef Jerky
2nd Chopin’ Block Hot Mesquite Smoked Beef Jerky
3rd Katie’s Beef Jerky KT’S Original Beef Jerky

Snacks-Pickled Items

1st Cin Chili Passion Pickles
2nd KA-Ranch Smokey Hot Pickles
3rd Silverleaf International Marinated Garlic w/Ghost Pepper 

Snacks-Prepared Dip

1st Boulevard 647 Buffalo Bleu Cheese Dip
2nd Garden Fresh Salsa Artichoke Spinach Four Cheese Dip

3rd Kale-A-Mole Kale-A-Mole Dip 

Snacks-Specialty

1st 2Gringos Chupacabra 2 Gringos Chupacabra Dry Sausage
2nd Frenchie’s Frenchies Fabulous Gourmet Nuts
3rd Garden Fresh Salsa Spicy Cilantro Hummus 

Snacks-Tortilla Chips

1st 2Gringos Chupacabra 2Gringos Chupacabra Seasoned Chips
2nd Garden Fresh Salsa Blue Corn Tortilla Chips
3rd CaJohn Caboom Tortilla Strips 

Sweets-Candy or Chocolate

1st Texas Toffee Queen Peach Ginger Habanero Toffee
2nd Texas Toffee Queen Mango Chili Toffee
3rd Texas Toffee Queen Pineapple Bacon Scotchbonnet Toffee

Category Champions!

All winners get 2,500 flyers in a Chile Pepper upcoming regular renewal mailing. 

Barbecue Sauce – Pepper Blend Suckle Busters Sucklebusters Hot & Spicy

Best New Product   Stagecoach Salsa Co. Sheriff Mike’s Spicy Salsa Ranch

Beverages-Specialty The Wine Group Cabanero Red Table Wine

Condiments-Jam/Jelly (Mild/Med.) Brazos River Provisions Holy Smoke, Maria! Pepper Jelly

Cook-Off-Chili, Competition Cin Chili Cin Chili

Fresh Salsa-Pepper Blend Garden Fresh Salsa Carolina Reaper Salsa

Hot Sauce-Pepper Blend (Mild/Med.)Briggs True Texas Sauces Houston Hot Sauce

Salsa-Bean & Corn* Deception Salsa Entice

Salsa-Pepper Blend* CaJohn CaJohn’s Ghost Chile Black Bean & Corn

Snacks-Specialty 2Gringos Chupacabra 2 Gringos Chupacabra Dry Sausage

Sweets-Candy or Chocolate Texas Toffee Queen Peach Ginger Habanero Toffee 

* Tie 

Grand Champion!

Winner gets a full page feature in Chile Pepper magazine. 

Cook-Off-Chili, Competition Cin Chili Cin Chili