Hamilton is about to join the internet’s love affair with hot sauce in a big way. The incredibly popular Youtube show Hot Ones (on First We Feast) will premiere it’s 5th season on January 18th and joining the lineup of the featured Hot Sauces is Hamilton’s own Dawson’s Hot Sauce. Landing in the middle of the spicy lineup, Dawson’s Original Hot Sauce, will no doubt be responsible for some sweaty brow bones as celebrity guests struggle to answer interview questions while eating saucy wings.
The popularity of Hot Ones cannot be overstated. The First We Feast channel has gotten over 309,174,789 views since 2014 and the growth shows no signs of slowing down as the impressive guests and internet fandom continues to soar to amazing heights. This is an exciting development for Hot Sauce fans and Hamiltonian’s alike.
Brodie Dawson started Dawson’s Hot Sauce in 2013 and has become a beloved member of Hamilton’s culinary scene. We caught up with Brodie to learn more about what goes into his sauces.
Q – Can you tell us about being included on Hot Ones?
Being included in Hot Ones this season is a huge honour. It’s hard to really wrap your head around the weight this show has in our industry. The show is such an important platform for indie hot sauce makers and bigger companies alike. It’s really hard to describe how it feels!
Q – Are you currently selling the sauce that’s featured on the show?
We have been selling the Original Hot since 2015 as part of our regular line. We currently have it offline on our website because we are sold out. Hoping to have some available again as early as late January.
Q – What do you consider when creating the flavour profiles of your sauces?
When making a new sauce we focus primarily on flavour, then heat. Setting a goal with a specific ingredient is always a great place to start, then fold in your secondary ingredients accordingly until you have a balance you like. Adding a pepper that suits that profile is very important too. If your sauce feels it should be milder, chances are you can’t start throwing in habanero’s or ghost peppers – this will overpower your profile and potentially ruin your sauce. On the other side, some sauces lend really well to those super hot peppers and their pairing is fantastic.
Q – If you could cast this season of Hot Ones who would be your fantasy celebrity guests that would be put through the paces with your sauce?
If I could choose? Good question. To be honest, most people seem to ask that so they can tell me who they’d want on the show (laughs). For my picks – Sigourney Weaver would be pretty great. I was a huge Alien/Aliens fan as a kid and seeing Ripley eating away my sauce would make me feel pretty good. Secondly, maybe
another Canadian?
Q – What do you have to say to hot sauce wimps (like myself) who have the palate of a baby bird? Does it ever get easier?
Hot sauce is like anything else you’re bad at. You’re going to stay bad at things you don’t work on. If you want to experience some of the amazing flavours hot peppers have to offer, you have to practice the ABC’s first. I’ve seen people transition from mild to hotter palates and they seem to enjoy the flexibility over past restrictions.
Q – Do you have any messages to your fellow hot sauce loving Hamiltonians?
We’re a Hamilton-based company and proud of it. I’ve lived here my whole life and spent the past 8 years living in the downtown core. I’m honoured to be part of the revival culture that’s bringing back Hamilton’s pulse. Keep an eye out for us! We’re not going anywhere.
