They say a picture is worth a thousand words, so here's the list I had to create for my farmer's markets (don't really want to have to build a shrine for every market I do...heh) - all told, Lucky Dog Hot Sauce won the 1st in Mild, going back to back for that category 2013-2014, 3x second and 2x third place awards.
Very proud and honored considering how stacked this competition is - every product in the hot sauce category is amazing.
Not bad for 13 months?
I highly encourage you to check out every sauce on the winners list - they're all amazing.
Announced 12/30/13, Lucky Dog Hot Sauce won 7 awards, including the "THE HOT PEPPER AWARD (#1 Overall)" for hot sauce!
Not bad considering I entered sauces into 7 categories? I didn't have Purple Label or Pink label out in time, but Black Label got some serious love, and I'm beyond happy to report that the Red Labelwon the 1st place overall hot sauce award!!! As many of you know, when I was a hobbyist, Red Label was my baby - I worked on that sauce for years to make what I considered a great every day, use on anything sauce. Fresh & roasted garlic with sweetness from carrots and a very even blend of roasted jalapenos, serranos and habanero chiles give the sauce a sriracha-style sweet-heat with some unique flavor profiles.
1st bottle of Red Label off the production line!
Here is the list of Lucky Dog Hot Sauce wins at the 2013 THPAs: THE HOT PEPPER AWARD (Overall) - Lucky Dog Hot Sauce Red Label
Pepper Blend 2nd- Lucky Dog Hot Sauce - Orange Label (Jalapeno/Serrano/Habanero) 3rd - Lucky Dog Hot Sauce - Green Label (Jalapeno/Serrano)
SUPERHOTS w/FRUIT 1st - Lucky Dog Hot Sauce - Black Label
SUPERHOTS UNIQUE 1st - Lucky Dog Hot Sauce - Black Label
SWEET 1st - Lucky Dog Hot Sauce - Red Label
SAVORY 2nd - Lucky Dog Hot Sauce - Orange Label 3rd - Lucky Dog Hot Sauce - Black Label
In addition to placing or winning every category entered, I also won one of the industry awards:
THE SEEDLING AWARD (Best newcomer) - Lucky Dog Hot Sauce
Here is the full list of the 2014 THPA winners - congratulations to all of the great companies/products that won!
Lucky Dog Hot Sauce Green Label took 1st place for "Mild" and also 2nd place for "Jalapeno" sauce categories at the 2013 Zestfest Fiery Foods Challenge in Texas.
It's among the biggest hot sauce competitions in the country with over 400 companies competing with more than 900 products.
Thanks to everyone who's supported me - from the early victims of my first experiments so many years ago to the heaps of encouragement from friends to take this thing pro & customers supporting the business as I started to gain some traction. I'm positively tickled right now. I couldn't have done it without all of you! ♥
They gave me one of these - the "Golden Chile". Woohoo!
Very very cool. I'm totally honored.
Scott Zalkind Hot Sauce Guy & Founder Lucky Dog Hot Sauce
I always love seeing how people use Lucky Dog Hot Sauce! If you send in an action photo of Lucky Dog Hot Sauce to luckydoghotsauce@gmail.com, I'll send you back a coupon!
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The best customer photo ever - he was so excited to find his favorite sauce in a big supermarket!
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Great pic submitted by Tamara W, one of my great San Rafael, CA farmer's market customers! What a great smile on those two....and the baby's a chilehead?!? "he already loves mild hot sauce! Just like his daddy". Awesome.
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Randi M sent in this great picture of her 3 yr old - who's apparently already achieved chilehead status & loves Lucky Dog Hot Sauce Green Label!
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"Red Wings" made with Lucky Dog Hot Sauce Red Label, submitted by Michael Lampros of Gunther's Gourmet. Michael says "2 to 1 ratio - Sauce to butter is the winner at my house - This ratio makes for some killer wings!!!" Who am I to argue with a die-hard hot wing fan?
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This next one comes from Neal of SilverLeaf International - purveyors of spectacular gourmet garlicky goodness. I just tried their bread & butter ghost pepper, jalapeno, and Mediterranean pickled garlic and I'm a HUGE fan!
Neal used my Green Label for his tacos, and man do they look tasty!
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A delicious addition to an omelette from Monte C - simple, delicious and one of my favorite things to put Lucky Dog Hot Sauce on!
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This great dish comes from Tim D - his Lucky Dog Hot Sauce Clams cooked in butter, white wine, and Lucky Dog Hot Sauce! Looks like he used the Orange. Yum!!!
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Colleen C sent in this great photo - "A common breakfast, lunch or dinner in our household is Toads In a Hole with a Californian twist of garlic bread and avocados topped with LDHS of course!" - looks great, Colleen!
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Wow - this Cinco De Mayo burrito submitted by Chris W looks amazing. Who needs a taqueria when you have skills like this & a bottle of Lucky Dog Hot Sauce Orange Label?
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Joyner's Hot Pepper Powders back for more with a spectacular looking breakfast! Yum! One of my favorite ways to enjoy Lucky Dog Hot Sauce!
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Well folks, we've had venison, we've had crab, but it took a special order to Australia for us to get 'roo burgers! "Booma" from Oz sent in this fantastic pic of his 'roo slider trio, each with its own flavor Lucky Dog Hot Sauce and grilled onions! From left to right, it's grilled pineapple, pickled beet and fried egg. Man those look great!
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Here's one from the vegetarian Lucky Dog Hot Sauce fans - Jennifer sends in a masterpiece - what an epic breakfast!
Tommy in SF submitted this pic - looks like a spectacular chicken sandwich with all the fixin's - yum!
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April of Snappy's Cafe in Hayward, CA sent in this "Grown Up Grilled Cheese" picture - yummy yummy yum! I love grilled cheese! Snappy's is a great cafe with free wi-fi, open 7 days a week, beloved on Yelp and by all of her customers. Naturally they serve Lucky Dog Hot Sauce! Thanks April!
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This array of deliciousness pic was sent in by Jim O. who had the Red Label on brisket, and home-pickled jalapenos and jalapeno-pickled egg - yum!
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Tim H. is in Texas & they take their BBQ seriously - here's an amazing looking smoked boar, complimented perfectly with Lucky Dog Hot Sauce Red Label. Wow - awesome Tim, just awesome.
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Patrick S. sent in a pic of his butter nut squash soup, spiced up to balance the sweetness with some Lucky Dog Hot Sauce Orange Label.
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Joyner's Hot Pepper Powders strikes again with some more spectacular venison, complimented by the last prototype bottle of Black Label. YUM!
Paul Brown made sure Lucky Dog Hot Sauce made it to the crab feed!
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Joyner's Hot Pepper Powders made some epic-looking fried venison and red/sweet onions and used Lucky Dog Hot Sauce Orange Label as the dipping sauce - wow!
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Kevin M. says "Home-made pizza loves Lucky Dog Hot Sauce!"
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And BBQ Master Cmac's Backyard BBQ couldn't get enough - we'd just had pizza at a brewery an hour earlier and he went home and had some more, just to chow down more Lucky Dog Hot Sauce!
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Thanks for the great photos folks - keep 'em coming!
I am thrilled to be included on the list of fine products Jacob has reviewed this year, but even more excited to have the Lucky Dog Hot Sauce Orange Label selected as Jacob's #1 hot pepper product of 2012!
Thanks for the kind words Jacob, and please keep up the great reviews!
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