Attend a virtual food battle to help local bands and beers.

The Orange Peel hosts the Asheville Hot Sauce Battle 2020, beginning Friday, May 8 at 1 and 4pm. You can watch all of the heats streamed live by IamAVL. You’ll be entertained by local  bands, and get brews news from local beermakers still operating with to-go beer sales at their breweries.

“A bunch of us have been making hot sauce for a while. I personally was inspired by Hot Ones, a YouTube show where a celebrity is interviewed while eating 10 varying levels of hot wings and they get hotter as the interview progresses,” says Justin Ferraby, the Peel’s operations manager. “I also think if you think hot sauce you think wings, you think wings you think beer. And we are here in Beertown USA, after all.”

There will be 32 hot sauce chefs representing dozens of Asheville-area eateries competing. Following the initial day of competition, the rest of round one will take place May 9 at 1 and 4pm. Round two streams May 12 at 2pm, with the quarter-final May 15 at 5pm, and the remaining four sauces judged May 16 at 5pm.

The stream will includes details on a virtual tip jar to support the chefs.

The Asheville Hot Sauce Battle is powered by the Peel’s beer-making neighbors at Wicked Weed, Bhramari, and Hi-Wire.