2026 Competition
9th Annual Old Boney Mountain Hot Summer Night International Hot Sauce Competition
Competition Statistics (Since 2018)
Annual Entries
Competition Integrity
All entries in the Hot Summer Night International Hot Sauce Competition are evaluated through a blind judging process. Sauces are coded and anonymized before judging, and judges do not see company names, labels, sponsorships, partnerships, prior awards, or collaboration status during scoring.
Competition results are finalized before any Champion Collaboration Program invitations are extended. Participation in the Champion Collaboration Program has no effect on judging, rankings, awards, eligibility, or future participation in the competition.
World's Best Small-Batch Hot Sauce Company of 2026
1st Place
Swindle Sauce
2nd Place
Rivera Hot Sauce
3rd Place
HAB Sauce
Top 20 World's Best Small-Batch Hot Sauce Companies of 2026
#1 Swindle Sauce
#2 Rivera Hot Sauce
#3 HAB Sauce
#4 Middle Finger Sauce Co.
#5 Knox Your Socks Off
#6 Binko's Pepper Co.
#7 Spice Beast
#8 Maestros Sauce Co.
#9 Villain Sauce Co.
#10 The Notorious Sauce
#11 Grim Reaper Foods
#12 Fermented Fire Hot Sauce Company
#13 Dawson's Hot Sauce
#14 Holly's Heavenly Creations
#15 Mimi's Hittin' the Sauce
#16 Heat From the Hammer
#17 Kai Caribbean
#18 DaKine Hawaiian
#19 Creative Fire Kiln & Kitchen
#20 Log's
#20 Rasta Fire
#20 OCF
Honorable Mention
High River Sauces
Big Jalm
Captain Saicin Foods
Harmacy Hot Sauce Co.
Zamm's
TNT Spices
Oil Town Brewing Co.
Infinity Sauces
Facepunch Foods
Bandidas
Aztek Eagle
Waste Management
People's Choice World's Favorite Hot Sauce of 2026
Swindle Sauce
Phantom Fire
Finalists People's Choice World's Favorite Hot Sauce
Swindle Sauce – Heartline Scorcher
Middle Finger Hot Sauce – Life's A Risk
Swindle Sauce – Phantom Fire
Spice Beast – Fuego De Piña
Middle Finger Hot Sauce – Bomb Pop
People's Choice World's Favorite Label of 2026
1st Place
Swindle Sauce
Reaper Riptide
2nd Place
The Notorious Sauce
Cosmic Conspiracy
3rd Place
High River Sauces
Peppers Up!
Finalists World's Favorite Label of 2026
Swindle Sauce - Reaper Riptide
The Notorious Sauce - Verde
The Notorious Sauce - Cosmic Conspiracy
High River Sauces - Peppers Up!
Waste Management - Trash Juice
Bandidas - Roja
Aztek Eagle
Binko's Pepper Co. Calabrian Queen
Mild Division
1st Place
Swindle Sauce
Heartline Scorcher
2nd Place
Maestros' Sauce Co.
Mo' Honey Mo' Poblanos
3rd Place
Fermented Fire Hot Sauce Company
Honey Cherry Chipotle
Mild Division Finalists
4th Binko's Pepper Co. – Bangor 848
5th HAB Sauce – MSG-ZUS!
6th DaKine Hawaiian – Hot N' Tangy Sauce
7th Swindle Sauce – Macho Verde
8th Binko's Pepper Co. – Lucky 32 Red Fresno Pepper Sauce
9th HAB Sauce – Roasted Serrano
10th Mimi's Hittin' the Sauce – Hacha
Medium Heat Division
1st Place
Middle Finger Hot Sauce
Life's A Risk
2nd Place
Dawson's Hot Sauce
Everyday Maple
3rd Place
Knox Your Socks Off
Wild Rose
Medium Heat Division Finalists
4th Mimi's Hittin' the Sauce – Gonna Git Ya
5th HAB Sauce – Belmont Station's Hot Honey
6th Dawson's Hot Sauce – Everyday Pineapple
7th Swindle Sauce – Coastal Datil
8th Rivera Hot Sauce – Garlic Ghost Pepper Hot Sauce
9th Log's – Serrano Lime
10th The Notorious Sauce – Cosmic Conspiracy
Hot Division
1st Place
Swindle Sauce
Phantom Fire
2nd Place
Villain Sauce Co.
Midas Touch
3rd Place
HAB Sauce
Sauce Lords Soul of Morita
Hot Division Finalists
4th HAB Sauce – Chocolate Habanero Honey
5th Villain Sauce Co. – Bad Guy Sauce
6th Swindle Sauce – Reaper Riptide
7th Binko's Pepper Co. – Coolhand Habanero Pepper Sauce
8th Zamm's Hot Sauce – Final Cut
9th Rasta Fire – Rasta Fire Sauce
10th Log's – Garlic Habanero
Extra Hot Division
1st Place
Spice Beast
Fuego De Piña
2nd Place
HAB Sauce
Sauce Lords Banana Pepper
3rd Place
Binko's Pepper Co.
Storm 93
Extra Hot Division Finalists
4th OCF – Viking Funeral
5th HAB Sauce – SkaryYaki
6th Knox Your Socks Off – Trial By Fire
7th Knox Your Socks Off – Abandon All Hope
8th Spice Beast – Beast Sauce
9th Rasta Fire – Ghostly Sting
10th TNT Spices – Dragon Snake Armageddon
Fruit Division
1st Place
Middle Finger Hot Sauce
Bomb Pop
2nd Place
Kai Caribbean Market
Pineapple Habanero
3rd Place
Captain Saicin Foods
Captain's Reaper
Fruit Division Finalists
4th Middle Finger Hot Sauce – Calista Crack
5th HAB Sauce – Pineapple Habanero
6th Grim Reaper Foods – Slasher
7th Infinity Sauces – Aloha Chipotle
8th Knox Your Socks Off – Kilt Lifter
9th OCF – Peach Hobler
10th Villain Sauce Co. – Witch Doctor
Spicy Mustard Division
1st Place
Holly's Heavenly Creations
Flamin Anus
2nd Place
Middle Finger Hot Sauce
Sweet Melissa Spicy Mustard
3rd Place
Harmacy Hot Sauce Co.
Ava Masala
Spicy Mustard Division Finalists
4th DaKine Hawaiian – Hot N' Tangy
5th Oil Town Brewing Co. – 5W-30 Pickled Mustard
6th Rivera Hot Sauce – Reaper Mustard
7th Fermented Fire Hot Sauce Company – Hot Honey Mustard
8th Rivera Hot Sauce – Hot and Spicy Mustard
9th Spice Beast – Franzel Spicy
10th Knox Your Socks Off – Mustard Merchant
BBQ Sauce Division
1st Place
Rivera Hot Sauce
Scorpion Ghost BBQ Sauce
2nd Place
Maestros' Sauce Co.
The Blazin' Butcher Sauce
3rd Place
Rivera Hot Sauce
Ghost Pepper BBQ Sauce
BBQ Sauce Division Finalists
4th Rivera Hot Sauce – Red Pepper BBQ Sauce
5th Rivera Hot Sauce – Bacon Ghost BBQ Sauce
6th Rivera Hot Sauce – Raging Reaper BBQ Sauce
7th Rivera Hot Sauce – Roasted Garlic Red Bell Pepper BBQ Sauce
8th Rivera Hot Sauce – Smoked Bacon BBQ Sauce
9th Rivera Hot Sauce – Hot Roasted Garlic Red Bell Pepper BBQ Sauce
10th Knox Your Socks Off – Smokin' Aces BBQ Sauce
Spicy Snack Division
1st Place
Grim Reaper Foods
Blaze
2nd Place
HAB Sauce
Raspberry Pepper Jam
3rd Place
Big Jalm
Chocolate Covered Strawberry of Doom
Spicy Snack Division Finalists
4th Fermented Fire Hot Sauce Company – Cowboy Candy
5th Creative Fire Kiln & Kitchen – Honeybee Hotness Hot Honey
6th Middle Finger Hot Sauce – Big Boy Pickles
7th Heat From the Hammer – Heat From Above Fiery Cheese Bites
8th Facepunch Foods – 6 Pepper Peanuts
9th Creative Fire Kiln & Kitchen – Blueberry Hot Jammin
10th Heat From the Hammer – Armageddon Unleashed
Congratulations to all of the hot sauce makers, food artisans, and small-batch companies from around the world who participated in the 2026 Old Boney Mountain Hot Summer Night International Hot Sauce Competition.
This year's competition featured 291 entries from 55 companies representing 20 states and 3 countries. Every entry reflects the creativity, passion, and craftsmanship that continue to make the hot sauce community so special.
Thank you for supporting Hot Summer Night and the Old Boney Mountain Foundation for Kids. We look forward to celebrating our 10th Anniversary Competition in 2027.
Competition Statistics (Since 2018)
- Total Sauces Judged: 2,992
- States Represented: 40
- Countries Represented: 20
- Sauces Entered: 291
- Companies Represented: 55
- States Represented: 20
- Countries Represented: 3
Annual Entries
- 2018 – 106
- 2019 – 125
- 2020 – 245
- 2021 – 470
- 2022 – 500
- 2023 – 358
- 2024 – 575
- 2025 – 322
- 2026 – 291
Competition Integrity
All entries in the Hot Summer Night International Hot Sauce Competition are evaluated through a blind judging process. Sauces are coded and anonymized before judging, and judges do not see company names, labels, sponsorships, partnerships, prior awards, or collaboration status during scoring.
Competition results are finalized before any Champion Collaboration Program invitations are extended. Participation in the Champion Collaboration Program has no effect on judging, rankings, awards, eligibility, or future participation in the competition.
World's Best Small-Batch Hot Sauce Company of 2026
1st Place
Swindle Sauce
2nd Place
Rivera Hot Sauce
3rd Place
HAB Sauce
Top 20 World's Best Small-Batch Hot Sauce Companies of 2026
#1 Swindle Sauce
#2 Rivera Hot Sauce
#3 HAB Sauce
#4 Middle Finger Sauce Co.
#5 Knox Your Socks Off
#6 Binko's Pepper Co.
#7 Spice Beast
#8 Maestros Sauce Co.
#9 Villain Sauce Co.
#10 The Notorious Sauce
#11 Grim Reaper Foods
#12 Fermented Fire Hot Sauce Company
#13 Dawson's Hot Sauce
#14 Holly's Heavenly Creations
#15 Mimi's Hittin' the Sauce
#16 Heat From the Hammer
#17 Kai Caribbean
#18 DaKine Hawaiian
#19 Creative Fire Kiln & Kitchen
#20 Log's
#20 Rasta Fire
#20 OCF
Honorable Mention
High River Sauces
Big Jalm
Captain Saicin Foods
Harmacy Hot Sauce Co.
Zamm's
TNT Spices
Oil Town Brewing Co.
Infinity Sauces
Facepunch Foods
Bandidas
Aztek Eagle
Waste Management
People's Choice World's Favorite Hot Sauce of 2026
Swindle Sauce
Phantom Fire
Finalists People's Choice World's Favorite Hot Sauce
Swindle Sauce – Heartline Scorcher
Middle Finger Hot Sauce – Life's A Risk
Swindle Sauce – Phantom Fire
Spice Beast – Fuego De Piña
Middle Finger Hot Sauce – Bomb Pop
People's Choice World's Favorite Label of 2026
1st Place
Swindle Sauce
Reaper Riptide
2nd Place
The Notorious Sauce
Cosmic Conspiracy
3rd Place
High River Sauces
Peppers Up!
Finalists World's Favorite Label of 2026
Swindle Sauce - Reaper Riptide
The Notorious Sauce - Verde
The Notorious Sauce - Cosmic Conspiracy
High River Sauces - Peppers Up!
Waste Management - Trash Juice
Bandidas - Roja
Aztek Eagle
Binko's Pepper Co. Calabrian Queen
Mild Division
1st Place
Swindle Sauce
Heartline Scorcher
2nd Place
Maestros' Sauce Co.
Mo' Honey Mo' Poblanos
3rd Place
Fermented Fire Hot Sauce Company
Honey Cherry Chipotle
Mild Division Finalists
4th Binko's Pepper Co. – Bangor 848
5th HAB Sauce – MSG-ZUS!
6th DaKine Hawaiian – Hot N' Tangy Sauce
7th Swindle Sauce – Macho Verde
8th Binko's Pepper Co. – Lucky 32 Red Fresno Pepper Sauce
9th HAB Sauce – Roasted Serrano
10th Mimi's Hittin' the Sauce – Hacha
Medium Heat Division
1st Place
Middle Finger Hot Sauce
Life's A Risk
2nd Place
Dawson's Hot Sauce
Everyday Maple
3rd Place
Knox Your Socks Off
Wild Rose
Medium Heat Division Finalists
4th Mimi's Hittin' the Sauce – Gonna Git Ya
5th HAB Sauce – Belmont Station's Hot Honey
6th Dawson's Hot Sauce – Everyday Pineapple
7th Swindle Sauce – Coastal Datil
8th Rivera Hot Sauce – Garlic Ghost Pepper Hot Sauce
9th Log's – Serrano Lime
10th The Notorious Sauce – Cosmic Conspiracy
Hot Division
1st Place
Swindle Sauce
Phantom Fire
2nd Place
Villain Sauce Co.
Midas Touch
3rd Place
HAB Sauce
Sauce Lords Soul of Morita
Hot Division Finalists
4th HAB Sauce – Chocolate Habanero Honey
5th Villain Sauce Co. – Bad Guy Sauce
6th Swindle Sauce – Reaper Riptide
7th Binko's Pepper Co. – Coolhand Habanero Pepper Sauce
8th Zamm's Hot Sauce – Final Cut
9th Rasta Fire – Rasta Fire Sauce
10th Log's – Garlic Habanero
Extra Hot Division
1st Place
Spice Beast
Fuego De Piña
2nd Place
HAB Sauce
Sauce Lords Banana Pepper
3rd Place
Binko's Pepper Co.
Storm 93
Extra Hot Division Finalists
4th OCF – Viking Funeral
5th HAB Sauce – SkaryYaki
6th Knox Your Socks Off – Trial By Fire
7th Knox Your Socks Off – Abandon All Hope
8th Spice Beast – Beast Sauce
9th Rasta Fire – Ghostly Sting
10th TNT Spices – Dragon Snake Armageddon
Fruit Division
1st Place
Middle Finger Hot Sauce
Bomb Pop
2nd Place
Kai Caribbean Market
Pineapple Habanero
3rd Place
Captain Saicin Foods
Captain's Reaper
Fruit Division Finalists
4th Middle Finger Hot Sauce – Calista Crack
5th HAB Sauce – Pineapple Habanero
6th Grim Reaper Foods – Slasher
7th Infinity Sauces – Aloha Chipotle
8th Knox Your Socks Off – Kilt Lifter
9th OCF – Peach Hobler
10th Villain Sauce Co. – Witch Doctor
Spicy Mustard Division
1st Place
Holly's Heavenly Creations
Flamin Anus
2nd Place
Middle Finger Hot Sauce
Sweet Melissa Spicy Mustard
3rd Place
Harmacy Hot Sauce Co.
Ava Masala
Spicy Mustard Division Finalists
4th DaKine Hawaiian – Hot N' Tangy
5th Oil Town Brewing Co. – 5W-30 Pickled Mustard
6th Rivera Hot Sauce – Reaper Mustard
7th Fermented Fire Hot Sauce Company – Hot Honey Mustard
8th Rivera Hot Sauce – Hot and Spicy Mustard
9th Spice Beast – Franzel Spicy
10th Knox Your Socks Off – Mustard Merchant
BBQ Sauce Division
1st Place
Rivera Hot Sauce
Scorpion Ghost BBQ Sauce
2nd Place
Maestros' Sauce Co.
The Blazin' Butcher Sauce
3rd Place
Rivera Hot Sauce
Ghost Pepper BBQ Sauce
BBQ Sauce Division Finalists
4th Rivera Hot Sauce – Red Pepper BBQ Sauce
5th Rivera Hot Sauce – Bacon Ghost BBQ Sauce
6th Rivera Hot Sauce – Raging Reaper BBQ Sauce
7th Rivera Hot Sauce – Roasted Garlic Red Bell Pepper BBQ Sauce
8th Rivera Hot Sauce – Smoked Bacon BBQ Sauce
9th Rivera Hot Sauce – Hot Roasted Garlic Red Bell Pepper BBQ Sauce
10th Knox Your Socks Off – Smokin' Aces BBQ Sauce
Spicy Snack Division
1st Place
Grim Reaper Foods
Blaze
2nd Place
HAB Sauce
Raspberry Pepper Jam
3rd Place
Big Jalm
Chocolate Covered Strawberry of Doom
Spicy Snack Division Finalists
4th Fermented Fire Hot Sauce Company – Cowboy Candy
5th Creative Fire Kiln & Kitchen – Honeybee Hotness Hot Honey
6th Middle Finger Hot Sauce – Big Boy Pickles
7th Heat From the Hammer – Heat From Above Fiery Cheese Bites
8th Facepunch Foods – 6 Pepper Peanuts
9th Creative Fire Kiln & Kitchen – Blueberry Hot Jammin
10th Heat From the Hammer – Armageddon Unleashed
Congratulations to all of the hot sauce makers, food artisans, and small-batch companies from around the world who participated in the 2026 Old Boney Mountain Hot Summer Night International Hot Sauce Competition.
This year's competition featured 291 entries from 55 companies representing 20 states and 3 countries. Every entry reflects the creativity, passion, and craftsmanship that continue to make the hot sauce community so special.
Thank you for supporting Hot Summer Night and the Old Boney Mountain Foundation for Kids. We look forward to celebrating our 10th Anniversary Competition in 2027.