The past two summers have seemed a bit tame but this will change this coming weekend when the 5th Annual Portland Hot Sauce Expo spices things up.
Presented by High River Sauces, the Portland Hot Sauce Expo is ready to spice up the mouths and stomachs of Portland residents when it returns from a two-year COVID induced slumber. The Hot Sauce Expo will take place at the OMSI Center Bridge Lot, just south of OMSI, on Saturday, August 13 and Sunday, August 14 from 10:00am – 6:00pm each day.
As expected, the two-day Portland Hot Sauce Expo will feature its popular Stage of Doom, where showcases and holds competitions throughout each day. Highlights include: Guinness Book of World Records Reaper Pepper Eating Contest, The Booze & Infuse Cocktail Competition, The Spicy Pizza of Doom, The Slaytanic Burrito and Bobbing For Reaper Peppers and others. There will also be live wrestling, food vendors, craft beer and specialty cocktails at the Hot Sauce Expo.
The Portland Hot Sauce Expo will have an official Adjudicator from The Guinness Book of World Records on Sunday, August 14th to witness the Carolina Reaper Eating Contest. Contestants will have 60 seconds to eat as many of the World’s Hottest Pepper as they can.
Does Portland have what it takes to break the current world record of 120 grams? You can enter this competition or any other of the eating challenges being presented at the Portland Hot Sauce Expo, but you do however enter at your own risk. The results that we have witnessed in the past aren’t always that pretty! Spaces are limited so sign up today at info@pdxhotsauceexpo.com.
The current world record holder and owner of Inferno Farms Hot Sauce Company, Greg Foster will be at the Portland Hot Sauce Expo to witness if his current record will be broken. Also, Ed Currie the man who created the Carolina Reaper Pepper and owner of the Puckerbutt Pepper Company will have a booth at the Expo to showcase his sauces and let people sample the Carolina Reaper Pepper. Ed is a leader and a true legend in the Hot Sauce Industry.
2022 Portland Hot Sauce Expo Schedule:
Saturday, August 13th
10 AM – Doors
12 AM – Doughnuts of Death Challenge
1 PM – The Spicy Tacos of Hell Challenge
2 PM – The Hot Diggity Dog Ziggity Boom Challenge
3 PM – Fuego Box Choco Challenge
4 PM – The Burning BBQ Pork Challenge
5 PM – The Spicy Pizza of Doom Challenge
6 PM – Close
Sunday, August 14th
10 AM – Doors
12 PM – Slaytanic Burrito Challenge
1 PM – The Pixie Project Presents the Chihuahua Beauty Pageant – $150 Grand Prize
2 PM – Bobbing For Reaper Peppers Challenge
3 PM – Booze & Infuse Cocktail Competition – $500 Grand Prize
4:30 PM – Puckerbutt Pepper Company Presents The Guinness Book of World Records Reaper Eating Challenge – $1000 Grand Prize
6 PM – Close
This year’s Portland Hot Sauce Festival will feature three tiers of ticket options – General Admission ($10), Craft Brew Package ($30) and Ultimate VIP Package ($88). All attendees can enjoy fiery samples from hot sauce vendors (listed below), access to all staged eating competitions, and many other entertaining events fun for all friends and family. The Craft Brew Package will include five drink tokens, plus an expo t-shirt and a bottle of High River Sauce. The Ultimate Fiery VIP Package will grant admission to the expo’s exclusive VIP area with complimentary beer, cocktail tastings and VIP Gift Bag. To purchase advance tickets, visit www.pdxhotsauceexpo.com/tickets.php.
The Portland Hot Sauce Expo will feature some of the most flavorful Hot Sauce companies in the United States. You will get to meet the makers, enjoy hundreds of FREE Hot Sauce samples and purchase whatever you desire.
2022 Portland Hot Sauce Vendors:
Angry Cats – Vancouver, WA
African Dreams – Vancouver, WA
Angry Goat – White River Junction, VT
Barry’s Hot Sauce – Cambridge, MA
Bend Sauce – Bend, OR
Big Red’s Hot Sauce – Phoenix, AZ
Bobbies Boat Sauce – Portland, OR
Bravado Spice – Houston, TX
Caldera Foods – Mammoth Lakes, CA
Double Comfort Foods – Columbus, OH
El Fuego – Bellingham, WA
Feugo Box – Los Angeles, CA
Funky’s Hot Sauce – Bellingham, WA
Guero Y Maria – Quincy, WA
Hab Sauce – Portland, OR
Habgoblin Hot Sauce – Eugene, OR
Hells Kitchen – New York, NY
High River Sauces – Long Island, NY
Hoss Soss – Salem, OR
Hot Mama Salsa – Portland, OR
Hot Sauce Holsters – Maryville, MD
Hotter Than El – Sanford, FL
Humboldt Hot Sauce – Arcata, CA
Inferno Farms – San Diego, CA
Lucky Dog – Hayward, CA
Mago Hot Sauce – David Point, CA
Mikey V’s – Georgetown, TX
Newks Hot Sauce – Portland, OR
Old Agness Store – Agness, OR
Pepper Preppers – Benton City, WA
Phils Gourmet Sauces – Albuquerque, NM
Puckerbutt – Fort Mill, SC
Rising Smoke – Efland, NC
Seed Ranch Flavor – Boulder, CO
Silagy Sauces – Battle Ground, WA
Splat Hot Sauce – Olympia, WA
That’s Good Garlic – Battle Ground, WA
For additional information on PDX Hot Sauce Expo visit their website or follow them on Facebook and Instagram.
Portland Hot Sauce Expo
OMSI (Bridge Lot)
1945 SE Water Ave.
Portland, OR 97214
About The Author
DJ
D.J. is a Portland, Oregon based writer that spent his formative years in the Midwest. With over 25 years under his belt of drinking beer at festivals across America and the world, he has developed a strong appreciation and understanding of craft beer and the industry that surrounds it. He can be found in any of the great breweries or beer bars that make Portland the best beer city in the world. His writing can also be found in the archives of Northwest Brewing News and can be followed on Twitter and Instagram at @hopapalooza.
