Meet the brothers behind Blister...

Growing up in central Mississippi, Richie, Jeremy and Jonathan Lister were exposed to all types of cooking — a lot of it hot. From spicy Cajun-inspired dishes that drifted up from New Orleans to amped-up Southern traditional offerings, the brothers got exposed early and often to all things spicy.

“We were the kids who were doing pickle-juice shots and challenging each other to drink hot sauce,” Jeremy recalls. “If it was salty and spicy, we liked it.”

After relocating to Nashville, Richie began growing peppers in his garden, which soon led to some stovetop tinkering. Experimenting with peppers and spices became a passion, all in service of the perfect balance of heat and flavor. He hit upon the idea of smoking peppers as part of the process. This drew the attention of his brother, Jeremy, which would lead to the beginning of a hot sauce business partnership. The two worked together to develop the red and green versions of Blister hot sauce: “Blister Original” and “Jalapeño Business”. Later, joined by the third Lister brother, Jonathan, they introduced the super hot version of Blister’s smoked hot sauce, “Carolina Weeper”.

When asked what makes Blister unique in the world of hot sauce, Richie answers, “We wanted to have a hot sauce that wasn’t just hot, but also included the complex and subtle flavors of the peppers. There’s a special blend of three types of peppers in each of our sauces, and because they’re all smoked, you get a quality that’s very unique. The jalapeños and poblanos give the green sauce a little kick and the habaneros definitely amp up the red sauce, but they aren't overpowering. They are meant to complement whatever you add them to, not take it over.”

Jonathan adds, “The ‘Carolina Weeper’ will f@@k your ass up, but it’s very flavorful, as well.

To which his brother, Jeremy, responds, “Do you have to use the ‘F’ word?”

Richie chimes in, “Hey man, freedom of speech. I’m cool with it.”