Is it wrong for me to admit that my hands-down favorite thing about Cholula Hot Sauce is the bottles? Or maybe, more specifically, the caps on the bottles. What is it about those simple wooden caps that makes me want to carry this bottle to the table with me? Lest you think I'm all about looks, I also enjoy "the flavorful fire" that Cholula offers. I do think that Cholula is all about the flavor, but I don't personally think that it is very hot. It has a subtle heat that lies sort of masked underneath the flavor-burst of the chiles. While my favorite hot sauce has a more pronounced vinegar-punch, I enjoy having a variety on hand for cases when the vinegar doesn't quite fit.
My premonition was that out of the four flavors- Original, Chili Garlic, Chipotle, and Chili Lime -I would fall in love with Chili Garlic the hardest. That was almost true. I wanted it to be true. But somehow Chipotle won my affections. I wound up shaking a few dashes of Chipotle on anything I could get my hands on...it adds wonderful smoky notes to everything from Tortilla Soup to cheese to Steak & Potato tacos. And speaking of cheese, I've developed this little habit of grabbing a hunk of cheddar or a quick snack of string cheese and bringing the bottle of Chili Garlic with me wherever I am going to eat them. A little drop of Cholula per bite and it just lights up. The kiddos took to loving "mock chicken wings" (breaded breast tenders that were breaded and baked...a play on the boneless wings that are so popular right now) cooked and then coated in a sauce made with Original or Chili Garlic mixed with melted butter and a hit of vinegar. It's become a well-requested favorite around here, actually.
I've also experimented using Cholula with a few drinks. I like both the Chipotle and the Chili Garlic in a Bloody Maria. Perhaps the best addition to a Michelada would be Cholula Chili Lime.
slightly adapted from Houston Classic Mexican Recipes
serves 12ish...I prefer a smaller dose of mixer in mine
10 oz. fresh lime juice
3½ Tbs. Worcestershire sauce
½ tsp. soy sauce
¼ tsp. black pepper
⅔ tsp. Maggi
seasoning sauce
seasoning sauce12 cervezas of your choice
Mix together all ingredients except beer.
Pour 1-2 oz. of mixture (I prefer 1 oz. mixture per beer, but that's just me) into each glass and top off with one beer. If you like it spicier, add another dash of hot sauce. Garnish w/ lime slice.
So, for a blast of flavor without the "hurt", try adding Cholula to any dish...you never know what fantastic flavor combinations you will discover. For recipes and a chance to win Cholula, visit Cholula on Facebook and join in the flavorful fun.
*disclaimer: I received a 4-pack of Cholula Hot Sauce free to test and review. All opinions stated in this post are 100% mine.
I love cholula and the bottle, lol..have you seen the bottle with the tiny wooden sombreo? those are my fav we have endless bottles of hot sauce around my house, love the idea of cheese with a dash of this..
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The bottle and its wood cap is what I like. I don't buy the chili but now that you reminded me, I'm going to get a bottle so that I can put my chili in it. Your drink looks great.
ReplyDeleteThe first time I bought Cholula, it was for the cute wooden cap. After that, I just bought it because we love it. I've never tried (or even seen)any but the original though. I'll have to look for it!
ReplyDeleteI love Cholula. I much prefer it over vinegar type hot sauces and I too put it on almost everything. much to the amusement of my daughter who cant understand it. I have only tried the original and need to get trying the other tasty sounding flavors.
ReplyDeleteThanks!
That bottle is too cute! I'm sure I would love the chili garlic salsa. :)
ReplyDeleteAnd micheladas...Yummmmmm!
I totaly get it for the bottle! The sauce is pretty good but it's all about the bottle. I save them and use them for different, extracts, syurps and tincutures.
ReplyDeleteYou know I swear I've bought this and ours didn't come with the cool wooden lid thingy thing. Maybe they don't ship them to AK like that?
ReplyDeleteOh my gosh Bonnie, I haven't seen it, but now that you've told me about it, I MUST FIND THE WOODEN SOMBRERO CAP! How cute ;)
ReplyDeleteAnd Laura, I don't know...weird!? Doesn't seem that would make a difference, but I've heard of stranger things.
I love that sauce and didn't realize it came in all those flavors. Will have to look for them, and you know I'll buy every single one.
ReplyDeleteFirst of all, I love your new header. Secondly, like you I think the chili garlic would be my favorite too BUT you never know sometimes. I didn't even know they made a chili garlic version. Hmmm..
ReplyDeleteabsolutely agree about the mild HOT seasonings. I know fellow grillers whose plan is to leave you with no taste in your mouth after blasting you with the painful hot.
ReplyDeleteThese have all the flavor and heat i want... they are indeed as good as you make them sound...
Now I need a bloody Mary!
Dave
Ehehehe...the caps tickle me too. We always use this hot sauce.
ReplyDeleteThis hotsauce sounds nice. I have to try some time.
ReplyDeleteI looooveee hot sauce and have really wanted to try these other flavors! Perhaps the chipotle shall have to be first, given the rave review you've given it!
ReplyDeleteOh gosh I know what you mean about those little wooden caps, they're probably 60% of the reason why I get these hot sauces ;)
ReplyDeletecholula and tapatio and two of my faves, i love hot sauce. i love what you did with it too, YUM!
ReplyDeleteI like this sauce too more than tobasco or some other which have more sour taste than heat. I never knew these could be added in drinks as well.
ReplyDeleteAdorable bottles, great product but I like more heat too. I suddenly have the urge for a cold beer .. good thing mine is only a couple inches away - it's just a plain bottled beer but good enough! ;-)
ReplyDeleteI love those bottles! I would keep them out on the table at all times.
ReplyDeleteWe are big hot sauce fans, especially me. ☺ I love it on eggs.
Great drink, too!
I know you can get Cholula in Toronto in speciality stores, however, my parents insist on bringing me my annual bottle straight from the Wal-Mart in whatever city then happen to be vacationing in, in Mexico!
ReplyDeleteI love the wooden caps on the cholula bottles too! But I never realized that the caps were different colors depending on the flavor. Interesting. You learn something new every day. Cholula takes tapatio any day!
ReplyDeleteCholula is probably my favorite mass market hot sauce. I like the body it has. My all time favorite is Fire Ant Juice but that's a micro brew.
ReplyDeleteCholula is the brand of hot sauce in every one of my favorite Mexican restaurants, so your great mind thinks wisely! This cocktail sounds like it could be a Friday evening go-to for me!!! Thanks for sharing with someone (me) who cooks very little, if any, Mexican recipes.....we simply go out to our local, damn good, Mexican hang-out in town from which I cannot top any of their cooking!
ReplyDeleteIf you're looking for something to make with Cholula, try my Ultimate Stuffed Burger - http://tipsforbbq.com/Recipes/Beef/Stuffed-Burger
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