specializes in competition chili and a signature line of home-brewed beers.The brainchild of chili and beer fanatic, Tom Bottelsen, the business pays homage to his blue-collar roots, where things are honest and just plain good A recipe he found online met with rave reviews. Intrigued, Tom decided to go full throttle. For the next few years, he obsessed on ways to doctor his chili … fresher ingredi
ents, new peppers, and always, heaping chunks of meat. In fact, meat-to-sauce ratio is always in the forefront of Tom’s mind. After many batches of this All-American dish, he perfected his recipe. Ten years after that first batch, Tom debuted his scrumptious creation at a cook-off certified by the International Chili Society. In need of a team name, T-BOTT was born. T-BOTT Chili was a crowd favorite. Hundreds of people lined up to savor his zesty, full-bodied, meat-heavy entry. Today, T-BOTT Chili is a regular participant in Southern California regional chili competitions.
“While I love cooking chili, nothing makes me happier than spending the day outside having fun and seeing the smiles on people’s faces!”
THE HOTT SHOTT
To spice things up during his second chili cook-off competition, Tom Bottelsen created the T-BOTT Hott Shott. This made-from-scratch, virgin Bloody Mary is packed with vegetable juice, Worcestershire, hot sauce, four types of peppers, secret spices and more. Served cold in a shot glass, Tom dared his patrons to raise a shot and scream “Hott Shott” before downing the volcanic concoction. The Hott Shott was a smash hit, with many people pouring the drink directly into their chili for some extra oomph. Now, it’s proudly served alongside T-BOTT Chili at every cook-off. BREWING
Two words describe Tom Bottelsen ― beer man. Passionate about cold grogs, he always seemed to gravitate to at-home brewed beer. After years of pondering the idea, he decided to quit relying on others and venture out on his own. T-BOTT Brewing would soon launch. The year 2010 marked the debut of T-BOTT Brewing’s “Hello, My Name Is” line (yes…just like the office supply sticker, since that’s the only label Tom could afford at the time). The signature brown ale was an instant success among family and friends. Since then, the "Hello My Name Is" line has expanded to include blonde, red and stout ales, too, with more on the horizon.
