No Wine, No Problem: Why Hot Sauce Is The Ultimate Alternative for Dry January
If you’re embarking on dry January to start the year off on a sober foot (or mind I suppose) it can be really tough to cut the habit of a nice glass of wine at the end of the day without replacing that habit with something else. Since I first entered the sober scene over a decade ago, there has been a plethora of awesome mocktail replacements like Seedlip, Ghia, and Curious Elixirs and many restaurants offer mocktails as well. All of that is incredibly helpful as a replacement habit but I have a bit of an unconventional suggestion…hot sauce. Yes, the Hot Ones famous, in Beyoncés bag toting little bottle of spicy fun might just be the best replacement to a glass of wine you’ve ever had. Let me explain why.
Why Hot Sauce Is The Best Wine Replacement
IT HAS COMPLEX FLAVOR NOTES
Wine has primary, secondary and tertiary flavor notes and aromas. Hot sauce does too. Base notes can be tomato, chile, fruit, or vinegar and pepper type can shift the middle notes with jalapeno, fresno, or ghost. Top it off with top notes of pineapple, ginger, dill pickle or cherry and you have a full tasting experience that is layered and interesting, just like a glass of wine. Even the production of fermented vs. unfermented can shift the flavor significantly making trying different hot sauces a true wine tasting-like experience.
IT IS INCREDIBLY HEALTHY
Red wine has some benefits but hot sauce? It’s basically like taking all the best supplements. Capsaicin, what makes hot sauce spicy, has been shown to reduce neuropathic pain, decrease inflammation, manage weight loss and improve lung function. In some studies, it has also been shown that is may be a cancer preventative and may increase life span. It’s also a great replacement for heavier and more densely processed sauces or marinades creating lighter but still flavor packed meals. Choosing a hot sauce made with clean ingredients is important to reap these benefits. With that said, choose your spice wisely. Obviously, pouring a ton of hot sauce on everything isn’t going to be great for your digestive system but using it to enhance the flavors of your food will help you reap the health benefits without any of the side effects.
IT MAKES FOR AMAZING FOOD PAIRINGS
Just like wine, hot sauce should be paired specifically with certain types of foods to enhance both flavors. For example, this Green Juice hot sauce I was gifted over the holidays pairs beautifully with a nice steamed fish and fresh veggies while this Seasmoke hot sauce we picked up in Rhode Island is better with denser meats or heartier dishes. It’s incredibly fun to experiment with food pairings and you can even have a night with friends where you try different hot sauces paired with different foods to explore what you like best.
IT WON’T BREAK THE BANK
Buy an expensive bottle of wine or even an expensive mocktail and it will be finished usually by the end of the night. Hot sauce lasts much longer, and can be consumed over many different dishes and experiences making it a super cost effective way to have a fun alcohol alternative way after January has ended. Plus, most hot sauces range from $6-$12 so even if you’re going for a very fancy hot sauce, it is unlikely to cause a hole in your wallet which makes it a great choice.
IT TELLS A STORY
Many people like to buy wine or alcohol on their travels because the notes in the wine reflect the region they have visited. Perhaps the aged barrels of Scotland alter the taste of a whiskey or the rain in Portugal makes for a sweeter bottle of red wine. Hot sauce too tells the story of where it has come from, with locally or small batched hot sauces often reflecting their origins and making great items to collect along your travels to bring back the flavors of a place you’ve visited again and again. I recommend going to the local grocery store of any place you visit to pick up a locally made sauce and take home as a delicious souvenir.
My Top 5 Favorite Hot Sauces To Try
From hot sauces I can’t live without to fun sauces I’ve picked up along my travels, here are my top 5 sauces I would highly recommend. I’m not a girl who can handle a ton of spice either so these are all relatively low spice level but high on flavor and I’ve listed the spice level from 1 to 5 with 1 being the lowest and 5 being the most (even 5 isn’t that spicy!).
The Staple
Yellowbird Blue Agave Sriracha
This sriracha hot sauce goes with everything, isn’t too spicy and is packed with flavor. I put it on eggs, in sauces, to marinate tofu or fish and use it at least once a day. It’s a powerhouse hot sauce and can be found in most grocery stores or online.
Spice rating: 2
Did you ever want your deli experience to be a bit more spicy? Enter this hot sauce. It’s fermented and a little hotter than the Sriracha but is mouth wateringly delicious with the dill flavor coming through strongly. I often use this for breakfast sandwiches, mediterranean cooking or as a topping on veggies. Can be found at Whole Foods or online.
SpicE RATING: 2
Costing less than an Erewhon smoothie, this hot sauce by Chef Bae kicks up the heat and the deliciousness and is well worth the buy. Filled with cucumber, pineapple, ginger and celery, this makes an awesome addition to Asian style dishes or some grilled tofu and a kale salad (to go with the green juice of course). It’s definitely the hottest of the bunch but the flavor is incredible.
SPICE RATING: 5
This hot sauce is so refreshingly bright and fun - it’s also a limited edition from Queen Majesty just for Spring & Summer. The bright notes of ginger, lemon juice, and celery pair beautifully with fresh fish, ceviche and salad and a drizzle of this reminds me of sunny days beachside - like a trip to the ocean for your palette.
SPICE RATING: 3
If you’re new to hot sauces or spice in general, Siete is a great gateway and where I started when I was first getting into upping my spice tolerance. Siete actually replaced their traditional hot sauces with a line of Botana sauces that are great on chips, tortillas, tostadas and chili. There’s four flavors to try from of varying spice levels but all of them are pretty low on the spice meter.
SPICE RATING: 1
As a bonus recommendation that is totally absurd and extra, the best hot sauce I’ve ever had is at a hotel in Los Olivos, California called The Inn at Mattei’s Tavern. They make it in house. It isn’t sold anywhere but we poured that fermented heavenly liquid on everything and anything we ate and it took me to another realm. We ended up asking if they could give us a jar of it to take home and Nick lovingly carried it on the plane back with us. If you’re ever there, ask for it - I dream about it often!
SPICE RATING: 2
Health coach, meditation teacher, reiki master and woman on a mission to help you live life on your terms.
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