Crazy Bastard Sauce: 7 Handmade Hot Sauces from 3,000 to 65,000 SHU
In short: Crazy Bastard Sauce is a handmade hot sauce brand from Berlin, founded by Jonathan "Jono" O'Reilly. There are seven sauces from 3,000 to 65,000 SHU, each with its own label colour. I know Jono from my Berlin years, long before Chili Mafia existed.
The label colour tells you the heat: green is the gentle start, black is the end of the scale. Here you can read how I met Jono, which seven sauces there are and what the brand stands for.
Contents
How I met Jono
I lived in Berlin for twelve years and ran Pika Pika Chili Compositions there. I met Jono at the Chili & BBQ Festival in Hanover. A few crates of beer at the corner shop near the Fössebad later it was clear: we share the same passion. After that we kept running into each other at the Dutch Chili Fest in Eindhoven and at Berlin's Mauerpark, each at our own stand.
In 2015 I moved to Trier and the friendship stayed. When Chili Mafia stopped being a hobby project in 2019, it became a business relationship too. A Crazy Bastard sauce was in the very first Chili Mafia Box, back then with a different bottle and a different flavour. An Irishman and a Venezuelan who both helped shape a small part of the German hot sauce scene.
The seven sauces
From gentle to extreme, sorted by label colour. Heat in SHU (Scoville) is the brand's own figure.
| Label | Sauce | SHU |
|---|---|---|
| Green | Jalapeño & Date | 3,000 |
| Blue | Scotch Bonnet & Caribbean Spices | 7,000 |
| Pink | Chipotle & Pineapple | 10,000 |
| Yellow | Habanero & Tomatillo | 20,000 |
| Orange | Ghost Pepper & Mango | 30,000 |
| Red | Trinidad Scorpion & Clementine | 55,000 |
| Black | Carolina Reaper & Blueberry | 65,000 |
Chipotle & Pineapple: my recommendation
I find the pink-label sauce with chipotle and pineapple excellent. Chipotles are smoked jalapeños, so the smoke comes naturally from the chili itself, with no artificial smoke flavouring. The pineapple adds fruit.
Habanero & Tomatillo: the award winner
According to the brand, the yellow-label sauce has won five awards, including the Hot Pepper Awards, the World Hot Sauce Awards and the Great Taste Awards.
Carolina Reaper & Blueberry: the flagship
According to the brand, the seeds come from the breeder of the Carolina Reaper, Smokin' Ed Currie in South Carolina. At 65,000 SHU it is the hottest in the range.
7 Pot Jerk: formerly in the range
There used to be a 7 Pot Jerk too. It is no longer sold, but for me it is a nice proof of how creatively Jono works with chilies and spices.
What makes Crazy Bastard different
According to the manufacturer, the sauces contain no extracts, no thickeners and no artificial flavourings, colourings or preservatives. They are not watered down and are sugar-free. That leaves chili and fruit in the foreground.
There is also social engagement: according to the manufacturer, the brand has worked with various communities, including Rigaer78 in Berlin, a communally run residential block offering affordable housing to people who have fallen through the social safety net.
FAQ
Who is behind Crazy Bastard Sauce?
Jonathan "Jono" O'Reilly, an Irishman. The brand is based in Berlin. He wanted a hot sauce where the flavour of the chilies comes first.
What makes the sauces special?
Handmade, according to the manufacturer without extracts, thickeners or artificial additives, in seven heat levels from 3,000 to 65,000 SHU.
Which Crazy Bastard sauce is the hottest?
Carolina Reaper & Blueberry (Black Label) at 65,000 SHU.
Which sauce won awards?
Habanero & Tomatillo (Yellow Label), according to the brand with five awards.
How are Crazy Bastard and Pikantista connected?
Jono and I have known each other since my Berlin days and from the European festival scene: Hanover, Eindhoven, Berlin. We, the Pikantista, carry his sauces in the shop.
You can find more brands in the Pikantista world of hot sauces.
About the author
Fabian Rueda has long experience in the spicy world, from the first chili festivals to his own hot sauce brand. He knows Jono from his twelve years in Berlin. Follow him on Instagram for more hot sauce tips.