Williamsburg Is Getting a Hot Sauce Tasting Room With Sommeliers

Kickstarter
Kickstarter

In 2015, we absolutely cannot cap our pretentious dinner table conservation at what wines of the world we've tried; we're not peasants. Good news -- soon you can brag about the dozens of rare and exotic hot sauces you've tried.

DNAinfo reported that a hot sauce tasting room (New York's first!), focusing on lesser-known hot sauces from around the world, will open in Williamsburg this spring. The tasting room is the brainchild of gourmet hot sauce company Heatonist, which funded its Kickstarter this week with $21,467. According to the company, the tasting room will be located on Wythe Ave, and will feature a "charred oak hot sauce bar." Phew.

Heatonist started as a mobile-business at events and currently offers 75 sauces from 25 makers, but it has plans to expand to to 150 sauces from 50 makers upon the tasting room's opening. Most importantly, the tasting room's aforementioned charred oak hot sauce bar will be manned by "hot sauce sommeliers," who will teach you about hot sauce origins, ingredients, and recommended food pairings. Because if there's one rule you should live by, it's that you should never trust anything said by anyone who does not carry the title "sommelier."

Heatonist founder Noah Chaimberg -- who, according to the Kickstarter video, has a very cool loft with exposed brick -- is extremely passionate about helping people find the hot sauce that is "right for them," and notes that New York was lacking a place to taste hot sauces before you buy them (unless you count sneakily popping open a bottle in the supermarket aisle, which I've definitely never done). DNAinfo notes the tasting room will open April 18, so prepare your mouth!

Lucy Meilus is an Editorial Assistant at Thrillist. She only speaks to sommeliers, but if you would really like to try, you can follow her on Twitter.