San Augustin

Saint Augustine, Florida

Tim’s BBQ smoker had been getting a workout that hot Saint Augustine summer in 2013. And after weeks of toiling in the kitchen with some datil peppers that had been gifted to him by a neighbor, it dawned on him that that he didn’t just have to smoke pork butts and chicken….. those peppers could be smoked too. So he tossed them on the smoker to see what would happen.

The result was nothing short of heaven. Datil peppers are hot, quite similar to habaneros. But when smoked, the heat was tempered and the fruitier undertones of the peppers began to shine. Tim returned to the kitchen and experimented some more until he had concocted the perfect, smoky batch of datil pepper sauce.

After a few more rounds of taste testing amongst friends, and with wife Catherine on board, San Augustin Datil Pepper Table Sauce was born. The couple used a local farmer to source their peppers, and had the sauce bottled right there in Saint Augustine. They began selling at farmers markets with the help of their good friend James, and eventually branched out into some local restaurants and shops. In early 2015, James was brought on as official partner in the biz.

 The smoking tradition still runs strong today. The trio smokes every batch of peppers themselves, in the company of good friends, cold beers, and the Florida sunshine.