2026 Hot Sauce Categories
The People have spoken! Behold 2026’s best sauces!
2026 Vendors
A&D Ernest / EZE Foods
Angry Irishman LLC
B.T. Leigh’s Sauces and Rubs
Barbaro Mojo
Bindu Bites Nepali Sauces
Black Eyed Susan Spice Company
Blair’s Sauces and Snacks
Boar’s Head
Boston Stoker Coffee CO
Bravado Spice
BUBBL’R
Burnin’ Hollow Sauce Co
Mad Man Sauces
Malettas Hot Sauce
Mama Lam’s Malaysian Pantry
Mikey V’s Foods
Ohio-South Farm Products
Pahhni Premium Alkaline Water
Pandemic Heat!
Peppers-R-Paradise
Queen’z Elixir made by Queen’z Mixing &Co
Rising Smoke Sauceworks
Roland Foods
Cantina Royal Hot Sauce
Chili Rocks Chilies & Seasonings
Cordova Food Distributors
Down To Ferment
Fat Cat Gourmet
Feel The Burn Hot Sauce
Fire Heaven
Flavor & Fire
HELL FIRE DETROIT
Hell’s Kitchen Hot Sauce
Lee Kum Kee
Lola’s Fine Foods
SAUCE BOSS GANG
Sawasdee Thai Cuisine
Sexy Goat Hot Sauces
Spanky’s Sauces
STACKED Flavor Co
Stanky Sauce
T.M. Albert & Associates
Terrapin Ridge Farms
That Dam Jam!
Wicked Willy’s Hot Sauce Company
Yellowbird
2026 Arena of Fire
Sign Up for 2026 contests here!
a lottery.
- Pizza of Pain (12:00PM)
- Wings of Fire (1:00PM)
- Ramen from Hell (3:30PM)
- Inferno Taco Challenge (4:30PM)
- Loaded Fire Fries (1:00PM)
- Pepper Ladder Challenge (2:00PM)
Saturday — Session 1
Pizza of Pain | Presented by Sauce Boss Gang
Objective: Be the last contestant standing—or the first to finish the final, hottest slice!
How It Works:
- Each contestant will receive a personal pizza divided into progressively hotter slices.
- All contestants will begin eating at the same time.
- Contestants must completely finish each slice before moving on to the next.
- Contestants may not skip slices or scrape off sauce or toppings.
- After each slice, contestants must wait for the emcee’s signal before beginning the next round.
- Heat levels will increase with each round.
- Contestants may quit at any time by raising their hand or signaling to a judge.
- Once a contestant quits, they may not re-enter the competition.
- No outside food or drink may be consumed during the contest.
- The winner is the contestant who successfully completes all rounds. If multiple contestants finish, the final hottest slice may be used as a speed round, with the first contestant to completely finish and show an empty mouth declared the winner.
WINGS OF FIRE | Presented by Mikey V’s
Objective: Be the first contestant to completely finish all of your super-hot wings!
How It Works:
- Each contestant will receive 6 wings, all coated with the same super-hot Mikey V’s sauce.
- All contestants will begin eating at the same time on the emcee’s signal.
- Contestants must eat all wings provided, leaving the bones reasonably clean to the judges’ satisfaction.
- Contestants may not scrape off, wipe off, or remove any of the sauce before eating.
- No outside food or drink may be consumed during the contest.
- Contestants may quit at any time by raising their hand or signaling to a judge.
- To finish, contestants must completely swallow their final bite, place their hands in the air, and allow a judge to inspect their wings.
- The first contestant confirmed by the judges to have completely finished all of their wings is the winner.
- If a contestant vomits during the competition, they will be disqualified.
Saturday — Session 2
Ramen from Hell | Flavor and Fire Foods
Objective: Be the first contestant to completely finish your bowl of fiery ramen!
How It Works:
- Each contestant will receive an equal portion of prepared spicy ramen.
- All contestants will begin eating at the emcee’s signal.
- Contestants must consume all noodles and required contents of the bowl.
- Contestants may not remove, discard, or intentionally spill any portion of the ramen.
- Utensils provided by the contest must be used.
- No outside food or drink may be consumed during the contest.
- Contestants may quit at any time by raising their hand or signaling to a judge.
- To finish, contestants must place their utensil down, raise both hands, and allow a judge to inspect their bowl.
- The first contestant whose bowl is confirmed empty to the judges’ satisfaction is the winner.
- If no contestant finishes within the designated time limit, the contestant who has consumed the greatest amount will be declared the winner.
Inferno Taco Challenge | Barbaro Mojo
Objective: Be the first contestant to conquer the Inferno Taco Challenge!
How It Works:
- Each contestant will receive the same number of identically prepared Inferno Tacos.
- All contestants will begin eating at the emcee’s signal.
- Each taco must be eaten completely, including the tortilla and all required fillings and sauce.
- Contestants may not remove ingredients, scrape off sauce, or intentionally drop or discard any portion of the tacos.
- No outside food or drink may be consumed during the contest.
- Contestants may quit at any time by raising their hand or signaling to a judge.
- To finish, contestants must completely swallow their final bite, show an empty mouth to a judge, and raise both hands.
- The first contestant confirmed by the judges to have completely finished the challenge is the winner.
- If no contestant finishes within the designated time limit, the contestant who has consumed the greatest amount will be declared the winner.
Sunday — Session 3
Loaded Fire Fries | Bravado Spice
Objective: Be the first contestant to completely finish a full serving of fiery loaded fries!
How It Works:
- Each contestant will receive an equal portion of Loaded Fire Fries prepared with the same toppings and spicy sauces.
- All contestants will begin eating at the emcee’s signal.
- Contestants must consume all fries and required toppings.
- Contestants may not remove toppings, scrape off sauce, discard food, or intentionally spill any portion.
- Contestants must use the utensils provided.
- No outside food or drink may be consumed during the contest.
- Contestants may quit at any time by raising their hand or signaling to a judge.
- To finish, contestants must place their utensil down, raise both hands, and allow a judge to inspect their tray or bowl.
- The first contestant confirmed by the judges to have completely finished is the winner.
- If no contestant finishes within the designated time limit, the contestant who has consumed the greatest amount will be declared the winner.
Pepper Ladder Challenge | Bindu Bites
Objective: Climb the heat ladder by completing increasingly spicy rounds and be the last contestant standing!
How It Works:
- The challenge will consist of multiple rounds that increase in heat. (we will dunk some of the peppers in Bindu Bites sauce)
- All contestants will begin with the lowest heat level.
- Contestants must completely consume the required challenge item for each level before advancing.
- Contestants may not skip a level.
- After completing each level, contestants must wait for the emcee’s signal before beginning the next.
- Contestants may quit at any time by raising their hand or signaling to a judge.
- Once a contestant quits, they may not re-enter the competition.
- No outside food or drink may be consumed during the active challenge.
- The last contestant remaining—or any contestant who successfully completes the final heat level—is a finalist.
- If multiple contestants complete the entire ladder, a final hottest-level speed round or additional tiebreaker round will determine the winner.

