POP-UP // This Saturday, September 7, join us from 12–2 as we host Blister for a hot sauce pop-up and tasting. Sky Blue will have the perfect food pairings available for purchase.
East Nashville-based Blister is owned and operated by brothers Richie and Jeremy Lister. Their hot sauce is packed with the natural heat and flavor of a special blend of hot peppers and delivers a smoky, savory, and spicy punch.
Growing up in central Mississippi, Richie and Jeremy Lister were exposed to all types of cooking — a lot of it hot. From spicy Cajun-inspired dishes that drifted up from New Orleans to amped-up Southern traditional offerings, the brothers got exposed early and often to all things spicy.
“We were the kids who were doing pickle-juice shots and challenging each other to drink hot sauce,” Jeremy recalls. “If it was salty and spicy, we liked it.”
After relocating to Nashville, Richie began growing peppers in his garden, which soon led to some stovetop tinkering. Experimenting with peppers and spices became a passion, all in service of that perfect balance of heat and flavor. He hit upon the idea of smoking peppers as part of the process, and soon the red and green versions of Blister’s hot sauce were born.
“I wanted to have a hot sauce that wasn’t just hot, but also included the complex and subtle flavors of the peppers,” he says. “There’s a blend of three types of peppers in each of our sauces, and because they’re all smoked, you get a quality that’s very unique. The jalapeños and poblanos give the green sauce a little kick and the habaneros definitely amp up the red sauce, but they aren't overpowering. They are meant to complement whatever you add them to, not take it over.”