Our Story

Sandy Ballz Hot Sauce began with two longtime friends, one legendary pepper obsession, and a questionable tradition of taking hot sauce shots together.

Founders Seth Sandy and Scott Ball met more than a decade ago in Humboldt County, California. Seth, a native of Blocksburg, had spent years farming peppers and earning a reputation as Seth “The Pepper Master” Sandy. Through his company, House of 1,000 Peppers, he grew and crossed different pepper varieties, experimented with bold flavors, and developed his signature apple cider vinegar–based fire cider recipe.

Whenever Seth and Scott got together, they would celebrate their friendship by taking shots of hot sauce—because apparently regular people’s hobbies weren’t painful enough.

Years later, Scott began growing peppers in his own backyard in the Woodland Hills, CA.  including red, orange and chocolate habaneros, jalapeños, Thai chilies and Carolina Reapers. He made a batch of Seth’s original fire cider recipe, and the flavor was simply too good to keep between two sweaty, fire-breathing friends. Sandy Ballz Hot Sauce was born.

Today, Sandy Ballz produces small-batch hot sauces made with homegrown peppers,  unapologetically bold ingredients, and a Sense of Humor. Our signature Fire Cider combines apple cider vinegar with ginger, garlic, lemon, turmeric, cumin, cinnamon, nutmeg, anise and Himalayan black salt, also known as kala namak. The result is a tangy, spicy sauce packed with flavorful herbs, spices and mineral-rich ingredients.

We also make a classic vinegar-based sauce featuring lemon juice, garlic, ginger, purple onion, pink iodized salt and our homegrown peppers. Different flavors and heat levels mean there’s something for everyone—from cautious dabbers to certified pepper maniacs.

Sandy Ballz is more than hot sauce. It’s friendship, farming, experimentation and over a decade of pepper-fueled bad decisions poured into every bottle. It’s small-batch, full of flavor and made to wake up your food.

Homegrown peppers. Humboldt roots. Serious heat. Sandy Ballz.