A true hot sauce craftsman, Ben Maniscalco of Benito's Hot Sauce makes each and every batch of Benito’s by hand in a commercial kitchen in Northern Vermont. Placing importance on quality, local ingredients, Maniscalco and his team source over 10,000 pounds of organic chili peppers, veggies, and other farmstead ingredients every year from local Vermont Farms. 

Maniscalco began his hot sauce journey by growing different types of peppers and making small batches of delicious, fruity hot sauce to enjoy with friends and family at get-togethers. In July 2008, Ben decided to take it to the next level, creating and selling a vegetable puree hot sauce made locally in the mountains of Vermont. Strong sales and interest drove Ben to work on Benito's full-time in 2015.

Ben has a ton of experience making hot sauce, sourcing local produce, and building a hot sauce business. You can learn about Benito's full story in our interview on theCraft Hot Sauce podcast.