Today we’d like to introduce you to Psaucedelic
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
We launched our brand in 2022; however, the journey really began 10 years prior to that when I discovered the process of fermentation. It started with kombucha, kimchi, pickles, and sauerkraut, then led to just about any other vegetable I could get my hands on. It quickly became a passionate hobby that evolved into fermenting hot peppers to enhance the flavor of our food. Pepper varieties at the store are very limiting. Realizing this, my wife, Amy and I took to gardening and began growing our own scotch bonnets, ghost peppers, cayenne, tabasco, habanero, serrano and other pepper varieties. It was very exciting to grow these peppers from seeds then use them to create sauces which elevated our dining experience. Many months were spent developing techniques and various flavor profiles which we shared with friends, family, and coworkers. The feedback was unbelievable. Everyone who tasted the sauce told us that we should be selling them. The whole endeavor became a culmination of passions. By trade, I am a graphic artist, but I’m also a culinary enthusiast and former professional chef. When we decided to bring the sauce to market, I wanted something unique to represent the experience, something that no one else had considered. Psaucedelic was born. Ideas for names of pepper sauces, labels, branding, marketing materials, and packaging began to flow. It was a fun concept to play off of and still is.
Our first market was in the Spring of 2022 as one of the founding vendors of the Heart of the Hills Farmers Market in Kerrville, TX. We had no idea what to expect going into it. The support and enthusiasm we received for both, the sauces and the brand, were absolutely amazing. People responded to the concept with excitement and we were greeted with a loyal customer base that continues to grow. Our local rock radio station, 94.3 Rev FM, began to make mention of us. Local stores started reaching out wanting to sell our product. People wanted great flavor so that’s what we delivered. Psaucedelic is flavor forward with the right amount of heat to spice up any dish.
We have a line of 8 sauces that range from very mild to very spicy. From mild to spicy they are: Tacocat, Funkadelic Red, Groovy Green, The U.F.O. Sauce, Trippy Chipotle, Sunfire, Voodude, and Ghost Blues. Our sauce is all natural with no additives or preservatives. The vibrant colors of the sauce are a result of the fresh and colorful pepper varieties that we grow.
We still produce most of our peppers in an ever expanding garden and age them 6-8 weeks to create the ultimate flavor enhancer. We love to engage with the community and provide them with an artisan product. The response to our name, branding, and packaging is priceless and we truly enjoy the experiences at local farmers markets. Our customers, new and old, love the aesthetic and lingo around our products. Even more than that, they love that it is homemade by health-conscious people who love what they do! In addition to hot sauce we started making a fermented spice called “psycho dust” and also introduced merchandise.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It hasn’t always been a smooth road but all things worth pursuing come with challenges along the way; Psaucedelic is no exception.
By far, the largest obstacle has been scaling the business to meet the growing demand. Year after year our garden is expanding in size and production is increasing. This is a good problem to have and we continue to find solutions as we address new challenges that come our way.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
Before the brand was developed, I knew that the product had to be out of this world. I wanted to create hot sauce that I couldn’t live without. After much time and lots of trial and error, I was able to accomplish that. With a background in graphic design, brand development and concept building, I set out to create a concept that was equally as great as the product.
What makes us different from many other hot sauce makers is that we grow our own fresh peppers, use fermentation as a means to preserve, and don’t use excessive ingredients. Fermentation opens up and intensifies the flavors of the ingredients, allowing them to shine. The end result is a wonderful umami flavor. A lot of other hot sauces are made from cooked peppers and then blended with vinegar. The excessive vinegar highjacks the tastebuds, masking the flavor of the food. Our sauce enhances the flavor of the food, thus elevating the meal to another level. Our process develops a whole other dimension of flavor that does not exist in vinegar laden sauces. We keep the ingredients simple and allow time to develop the flavors. It is very important to us that the pepper is the star of the show. Growing our own peppers means we are using fresh, high quality ingredients that we are proud of.
In terms of the sauce, I am most proud of the intense flavor profiles. They are all so unique, flavorful, and versatile. We offer a sauce to suit any cuisine.
In terms of the brand, I’m proud that people connect the dots. When they see the brand name, labels and designs, they “get it” immediately and are immersed in the Psaucedelic ethos. It truly is an experience.
We all have a different way of looking at and defining success. How do you define success?
Repeat customers. Being able to create something that I’m passionate about. Creating a product that makes people happy. Starting from a seed, taking a seasons long journey and producing a wonderfully preserved sauce from it that is aged by time.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://psaucedelic.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/psaucedelic
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/psaucedelic/
Image Credits
All images were created by and are owned by, Ryan Duplant.
