Founded by Brooklyn native Aaron Max Epstein, Coney Island Saucery makes craft hot sauces shaped by the grit, nostalgia, and food memories of Coney Island. The company pairs Epstein’s background as a graphic designer with his talent for developing sauces, including officially licensed creations tied to Trailer Park Boys, Fallout, and Slayer. Its sauces are sold through more than 120 retailers across North America.
Horseshoe BrandSince 2008, Horseshoe Brand has handcrafted hot sauce and barbecue sauce in New York’s Hudson Valley, building its recipes around fresh premium ingredients and naturally hot peppers rather than pepper extracts. Its sauces range from mild to high heat, including the scorpion-and-Carolina-reaper XXXXtra, and are sold through more than 1,000 stores in the United States and around the world.RHINEBECK, NY
SYRACHA’CUSEFather-and-daughter team Michael and Mari make SYRACHA’CUSE’s small-batch craft hot sauces, blending flavor-forward heat with the character of their Syracuse hometown. Born from a 2013 kitchen project, the brand collaborates with Syracuse companies and uses their quality ingredients in distinctive sauces such as Syracuse Style and Recess Coffee, which is infused with dark-roast coffee. Its collector gift boxes, illustrated with Syracuse landmarks, extend that hometown connection beyond the bottle.BALDWINSVILLE, NY
Salamander Sauce CompanyBrooklyn-based Salamander Sauce Company makes vegetable-forward hot sauces designed to bring flavor forward instead of letting heat take over. Founded by Timothy Kavarnos, who began developing the sauces in his kitchen in 2009 and incorporated the company in 2013, Salamander has kept the same process for more than 15 years while producing in New York’s Hudson Valley. Its signature approach uses real ingredients for body, including an unusually low-sodium Whiskey-Infused sauce made with actual bourbon.BROOKLYN, NY
Hattwood Hot SauceJohn Munnelly runs Hattwood Hot Sauce as a one-person operation, bringing a musician’s ear for harmony to a small artisan food business born in Brooklyn and now based in the foothills of the Poconos. He grows some of the peppers and cooks each batch by hand, favoring balanced flavor over extreme heat. The approved facility’s sauces are made without artificial preservatives or thickeners.BROOKLYN, NY