I Was an Official Judge for 55 Hot Sauces | Festival

I went behind the scenes as an official judge for the Philly Spice Awards at the 2026 Philly Hot Sauce Festival! 🌶️🏆 Judging 55 different hot sauces over a two-day marathon is a massive undertaking, but it’s about so much more than just the heat. In this full episode, I’m taking you along for the entire journey: from the technical side of being a judge to the incredible energy of the festival floor. 🎡🔥 We’re diving deep into the craftsmanship of the makers, the "Marshmallows From Hell" challenge, and some exclusive Fire & Flavor mini-podcasts recorded live on-site with the creators behind the bottles. 🎙️✨ In this episode: 📋 The Judging Table: What it’s actually like to evaluate 55 sauces for the Philly Spice Awards. 👅 The Flavor Profiles: Why "flavor over fire" is the real winner in the craft sauce scene. 🎧 Mini-Podcasts: Sit-downs with vendors and fellow creators about the future of spice. 💥 Festival Highlights: The crowd, the challenges, and the best moments from Philly. If you’re a fan of the Fire & Flavor podcast or just love a good hot sauce, this is the ultimate look at what happens when the spicy food community comes together. 🤝🔥 IG's for all who made it happen 📸: phillyhotsaucefest njsauces neshaminycreekbrewingco castiron_kyle captaincooksfood theheatbrosco 1lovejerkhut defconsauces alexncrafts trabletop_trio fullslicepodcast supersam_22 chileplants farajballoons gasholesoloman5k revolutionaryhotsauce bob_onair hot_sauce_king_78 kyliem00re notjoemamassauce mammothsauceco getsaucednj crude_craving_cookout buckssauce hot_or_not_show hotgrahamsauce monsterjoessauces el_patronmexicanfood blazingbellagourmet eatmastadon spottedhorseprovisions verdugohotsauce jackspepperheist jonnytornadohotsauce hobbssauce twodrunkbrothers asy.lum1978 harmacyhotsauce doctorscreekhotsauce goodlandsfoodco ---- Follow on IG 📸: fire.and.flavor 🔥 If you love hot sauce then subscribe & turn up the heat! 🔥 #hotsauce #spicy #foodie #hotsaucelover