Our first ever labelled product, born as a proof of concept, and forged from several iterations to get the flavour profile just right, fermented roasted Scotch Bonnets, and Red Dutch gave this sauce a smokey edge, combined with the fresh punch of lime, mango and white wine vinegar.

Our first sauce, fermented for three weeks, was a super small batch that yielded only 12 bottles. This project was a crash course in creating a hot sauce product from the ground up. We learned how to balance the sauce’s flavor profile, source bottles and shrink capsules, design and produce labels, and where to print them. Each step taught us something new about the complexities of crafting a product that could meet both our standards and the expectations of others.

When we shared this sauce with friends and family, they praised its fresh, bright flavor but let us know they were looking for something a bit spicier. Still, their enthusiasm gave us the confidence to continue down this path. Today, we proudly display an empty bottle from that first batch on our kitchen shelf—a small trophy that commemorates our first steps toward what would eventually become The Sauce Forge.