Hot Sauce Expertise

For the tang, for the vinegary snap, for the sharp stinging sneak attack on our palates, we pledge our allegiance to hot sauce.

And we're in good company. Recently, we've seen a windfall of new takes on the basic condiment. Here are the latest ways to heat things up:

Jules Gourmet The secret to the amazing jerk chicken at Miss Lily's in New York isn't on the bird, it's in the bottle. Chef Bradford Thompson tracked down the original recipe of Scotch bonnet peppers and ginger used by his Jamaican mother-in-law; it sits on each table in the restaurant, and, starting this week, can also sit on yours (click here to pre-order).

Tabasco Family Reserve A normal batch of this classic sauce sits in barrels for three years before being bottled. But like certain Champagne houses, the Tabasco team occasionally stows barrels for even longer to create a special vintage sauce. This year, it released a limited amount of this reserve bottling to the public, but supplies are short, so move quickly (click here to buy).

Woodberry Kitchen At this Baltimore restaurant, chef Spike Gjerde makes his hot sauce with fish peppers, an uncommon variety indigenous to the Mid-Atlantic that offers a greater punch than the jalapeño while maintaining a round fruitiness. Currently, the sauce is only available at the restaurant, but growing demand has Gjerde considering a larger distribution.