08/11/2026
Can't wait until we see what the results will be!!
What an incredible second year for the CAPS Awards!
Yesterday’s judging was a tremendous success, and I could not be more grateful to everyone who helped make it possible. Our judges worked incredibly hard, carefully evaluating every entry with thoughtfulness, fairness, and dedication. The time, energy, and expertise they gave throughout the day were truly appreciated.
I also want to extend a heartfelt thank-you to every company that participated and submitted entries. Your creativity, passion, and commitment to excellence have helped the CAPS Awards grow into something truly special. This amazing second-year success would not have been possible without your support and enthusiasm.
A huge thank-you to Matt Stewart and Maggie Stewart for providing palate cleansers, water, lemonade, and other snacks that helped our judges refresh their taste buds between entries.
Thank you to Amy Bedwell for generously providing additional drinks and snacks for everyone. Your kindness and support were greatly appreciated!
Maggie Stewart and Amy Bedwell also deserve an incredibly special thank-you for working tirelessly to keep the sauces flowing smoothly throughout the entire day. Neither of them sat down as they carefully and professionally managed the steady stream of entries for our judges. Their tremendous effort, organization, and dedication kept the entire judging process moving forward. They truly carried the CAPS Awards judging on their shoulders, and I cannot adequately express how much their hard work meant to me and everyone involved.
A special thank-you to Jay Savage for providing ANTI SPICE to help alleviate the intense effects of the super-hot sauces. When the heat reached its highest levels, having Anti-Spice available was incredibly helpful and greatly appreciated by our judges!
We must also recognize the fearless members of our judging team who bravely took on the Super Hot Sauce category: Ben Verbanic, Jeremiah Johnson, Matt Mottor, Jay Savage, The Reaper Teacher Annee Boyer, Matt Stewart, Jared Hamilton, Eric SpicyRunner Rice, and Captain Capsaicin Coty Ewing! These judges faced some truly intense heat, yet they remained focused, professional, and committed to giving every sauce a fair and thoughtful evaluation. Your courage, endurance, and dedication went above and beyond, and we sincerely appreciate each of you for accepting the ultimate spicy challenge!
A very special thank-you to Chef Matt Mottor for preparing an amazing Mexican lunch for everyone in attendance. It was absolutely delicious and the perfect meal during such a busy day of judging!
I also want to recognize Jay Savage and Amy Bedwell for staying long after the judging ended—until the wee hours of the morning—to help clean everything up. That kind of commitment and willingness to keep working after an already long day speaks volumes about both of you. I truly appreciate everything you did.
Reaching this milestone in only our second year is incredibly exciting—and we are just getting started! We have great things planned for the coming months and into next year. We cannot wait to continue growing, celebrating this incredible industry, and making next year’s CAPS Awards even bigger and more memorable.
To every judge, participating company, volunteer, supporter, and friend who contributed to this event: thank you from the bottom of my heart. I could not be more pleased with everyone involved or more appreciative of the extraordinary effort you gave to make this year’s CAPS Awards judging such an amazing success.
The future is bright, and next year’s CAPS Awards will be even more incredible!
