Spice Things Up !
Bring some flavor to your holiday festivities with some spicy and unique Vermont-made sauces from Benito ’ s Hot Sauce
Looking to add some spice to a festive meal and warm your holiday nights with a zesty kick of Vermont-made flavor ? Benito ’ s Hot Sauce has got you covered . Their phenomenal , award-winning sauces are comprised of natural , wholesome ingredients . Many of the hot peppers and vegetables used in Benito ’ s Hot Sauce are sourced from organic farms in Vermont , such as UVM ’ s Catamount Farm in South Burlington , Honeyfield Farm in Norwich , and Deep Meadow Farm in Ascutney , among others . Benito ’ s delicious sauces are made using a technique that creates a fresh vegetable purée . As a result , the sauces possess a unique and well-balanced taste that gracefully blends elements of fire and flavor — and is firmly rooted in the time-honored Vermont tradition of independent agriculture .
The owner and founder of Benito ’ s Hot Sauce , Ben Maniscalco , is a proud and vocal proponent of Vermont ’ s burgeoning food industry . When Maniscalco moved to Vermont from his hometown of Montclair ,
STORY BY BENJAMIN LERNER PHOTOGRAPHY JIMMY iENNER , JR .
New Jersey in 2007 , he had already spent several years perfecting his homemade hot sauce recipes . Although he found success selling his hot sauce in New Jersey , he was not able to fully realize his entrepreneurial ambitions until he relocated to the Green Mountain State .
A year after his arrival in Vermont , Maniscalco officially founded and incorporated Benito ’ s Hot Sauce . He then began cooking his hot sauces at the Vermont Food Venture Center in Fairfax . “ I moved to Vermont , because I thought that it would be a better arena to grow my business ,” says Maniscalco . His instincts turned out to be correct . Several months after Benito ’ s Hot Sauce was founded , the company ’ s products were already lining the shelves of over 20 stores throughout Vermont . In the years that followed , Maniscalco and his team of hot sauce experts progressively expanded the product range from their bold and satisfying “ Original Naranja ” sauce . Current highlights include a wide swath of additional hot sauce options , such as the potent and fiery “ Poto Rojo ” sauce and the smooth and citrusy “ Joe ’ s # 1 Jalatillo ” sauce . Additional products of note include their chili pepper-infused maple syrup and their Mango Habanero hot sauce .
Maniscalco made a concerted effort to build a fiercely loyal customer base through a combination of hard work and grassroots marketing at well-attended community events , such as the Burlington Farmer ’ s Market . He also forged effective partnerships with small businesses , co-op markets , and distribution hubs across the state , which enabled the business to organically grow . As a result of the growth , Maniscalco moved the operation to a larger facility in Morrisville in 2015 . Today , Benito ’ s Hot Sauce is available in 600 stores in 41 states . Maniscalco remains unwavering in his commitment to provide high-quality food products to his customers . He still plays a direct role in the cooking , bottling , labeling , and sealing process for nearly all of Benito ’ s Hot Sauce products , and he feels a deep , personal sense of pride in every bottle of hot sauce that bears the Benito ’ s name .
As Maniscalco looks toward the future , he is incredibly excited about the recent debut of Benito ’ s new Maple Bourbon hot sauce . The sauce is made with Vermont maple syrup , and it serves as a fitting tribute to the positive connections that Maniscalco has made in Vermont ’ s vibrant food scene . “ We make our sauces with the best ingredients sourced from local farms , because we value Vermont ’ s food producers , and we value transparency , as well ,” says Maniscalco . He adds that he is also incredibly grateful to the larger Vermont community , which he considers to be the true “ backbone ” of the business . “ We wouldn ’ t be where we are today without the support of our loyal customers here in Vermont .”
ALL THE DETAILS : benitoshotsauce . com
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