Hot Sauce Heaven

Key West is a tourist town – originally created in 1935, but wiped out by a hurricane, and relaunched in 1941 – and as such is a mix of bars, restaurants, art galleries, t-shirt shops and souvenir places.

If you like hot sauces, it is also home to not one, but two, locations of the hot sauce lover’s paradise: Peppers of Key West, “The Hottest Spot on the Island”.

The original store on 602 Greene Street has been open for 20 years. The second location is the new kid on the block, as it has only been open for a few years on 500 Truman Avenue, which is a short walk to the lighthouse and the Southernmost Point Buoy.

To get to Key West, you can drive (4 hours from Miami) or you can take the Key West Express from Marco Island (near Naples) or Ft. Myers Beach. On a recent trip to Naples, Florida with my sisters, we took the Key West Express and were day-tripping in Key West when we came across the second store. Given my known love for hot sauces, this place was right up my alley.

The first thing you can’t help but notice upon arrival is the wall of hot sauce. I’m not talking about a few 100 different brands or types, I’m talking about floor to ceiling shelves of hot sauces, marinades and spice mixes. The store carries over 1,000 different types of hot sauces, marinades and mustards.

The next thing you notice is the bar in the middle of the store. Yes, they have a hot sauce bar where they will pour for you and you can try over 100 different types of hot sauces to try. Warning: some of the hot sauce names are a little rude. Read the photos with caution.

Wendy, the manager, and her colleague Andrea were at the ready to answer any questions and make suggestions. My sister Deinah is a self-proclaimed spice wimp. My younger sister, Larissa, and I like things spicy. My older sister, Louise, likes it a bit more in the middle of the heat range. Andrea took Deinah under her wing and started making suggestions on hot sauces which were more fruit based – pineapple, mango, cilantro and Asian-style hot sauces.

Larissa and I were higher up the Scoville scale, and Wendy had us tasting varieties of hot sauces that were based on Habanero garlic, Jamaican jerk and a Tabanero (which was an agave sweet and spicy sauce).

Want it even spicier than this? Peppers of Key West sells the world’s hottest sauce, 6 a.m. Reserve which clocks in at a whopping 16,000,000 – yes you read that right 16 MILLION – on the Scoville scale. Another firebomb is the Valentine’s Day Reserve. The Valentine’s Day and the 6 a.m. Reserve are both priced in the hundreds to buy, and require legal waivers signed, so they are definitely not for the faint of heart.

Peppers of Key West also have their own label and make 10 of their own hot sauces ranging from the sweet (Cherry Pomegranate, Going Bananas and Rum Raisin) to the hot (Ghost Pepper Sauce, #1 Hot Sauce, #2 Hot Sauce and their soon-to-be-released Serrano). They also make their own Habanero jelly beans, which Larissa bought for her teenage boys.

I wish I known about the store in advance, as they also let you bring in beer, margaritas and food and have a party with your tasting. Something perfect for a girls’ weekend!

If you won’t be in Key West, you can also order online www.peppersofkeywest.com and get your hot sauce fix delivered. If you do make it down to Key West, soak up some sun, pop in and spice up your day.