How to Throw a Cinco de Mayo Party That Will Melt Faces (in a Good Way)

Cinco de Mayo is nearly upon us, so it’s time to make the big decision: risk going out amongst the inevitable throngs and wait an hour for a table at your favorite Mexican restaurant? Or stay in and do some chips, a boring jar of store-bought salsa, and a few premixed margaritas.

The answer? None of the above. You’re a thrill-seeker of flavor…and (we’re just guessing here) well-known among your friends for being a chili head and sauce hound.

So why not throw a Cinco de Mayo party that will go down in history—right after it burns down everyone’s taste buds (in the best possible way, of course)? Read on for our Aardvark-y Cinco de Mayo Hot Sauce Party Guide!

Step 1: Prep the Grub

Tortilla chips? Essential. Guac? A must. But why not go big when it’s so darned effortless(-ish) to do so with our latest roundup, “Easy Mexican Food Recipes That Bring the Heat and Skip the Hassle.” You’ll be dazzled by the simplicity of the recipes— from easy-cheesy bean dip to tacos galore to pozole and beyond. Save yourself time in the kitchen…so you can focus on more of the fun stuff!

Step 2: Assemble Your Arsenal of Heat

A proper Cinco de Mayo party is not just a gathering: it’s an epic quest for flavor. And a perfect opportunity for a hot-sauce tasting. You’ll need a range of sauces catering to both the spice-curious and the fire-breathers.

For Secret Aardvark hot sauces, for example, you might start on the lower end of the heat range with our Smoky Aardvark Chipotle-Hab Sauce. This gateway sauce prioritizes BBQ-worthy smokiness and flavor over tongue-scalding heat.  🔥🔥

Then try our classic Habanero Hot Sauce, made with flavorful habanero peppers and roasted tomatoes. It’s a great “dump it on everything” hot sauce with just the right balance of heat + flavor. 🔥🔥🔥

Our Serrabanero Green Hot Sauce combines serrano and habanero peppers with tomatillos, onions, and secret spices. It brings the heat (and a delicious, green herbiness) without sacrificing the flavor. 🔥🔥🔥

For the adventurous, break out the Reaper Smoked Hot Sauce, which combines spicy smoked reaper peppers with applewood smoke and fire-roasted tomatoes for the happiest of burns. 🔥🔥🔥🔥

Culminate in the memorable mouth-sting of our Red Scorpion Hot Sauce, which features toasted tomatoes, carrots, and the fermented sharp sourness of scorpion peppers. This sauce puts some serious oooh in umami. 🔥🔥🔥🔥

Pro Tip 1: If you want to lead with our lip-tingling lineup, go all-in with our Five Alarm Gift Set, which gets you one each of all of our hot sauces.

Pro Tip 2: Label the sauces with a heat scale so guests can self-sort into “I Like Flavor” and “Ready to Burn.”

Step 3: Get Ready for Gametime

Hot sauce lovers love discovery. So what’s a hot sauce party without reveling in some friendly fire in exchange for prizes, laughs, (and perhaps the occasional cry for help)? Here are just a couple of ideas about how to get sporty with your hot-sauce-tasting event:

Sauce Sweepstakes:

This is a game that people of all spice levels can play (and/or ditch out if the going gets too tough).

Participants take a dab of sauce on a tortilla chip and check off the corresponding square.

Print out game cards with a square for every sauce on the table. Label them with the sauce name.

Whoever checks every box gets a prize!

The Blind Taste Test

Have your guests bring their favorite interesting sauces, too. Ya know, so there’s LOTS of flavors!

• Pick 6 – 8 different bottles and number them in secret.
• Pour samples of each sauce into numbered cups.
• Give your participants a list of the 6 – 8 sauces.
• Have them taste each sauce, guess which they’re tasting, then rank their faves.

Can they pick their favorites out of the crowd? Tell one pepper from another? Pin the proverbial tail on the Aardvark?! Ooh, the intrigue! Start with an easy round (sauces that are easily recognizable or very different from one another) to make it fun for everyone. Give out awards like “Most Confidently Incorrect,” “Least Flinching,” or “Sauce Savant.”  

Ask people about their favorites: the sauces that pack the most flavor or those with unique flavors. Which sauces paired best with different foods?

The Mixing Bar:

Okay, now it gets weirder, but that’s why we’re here. Create a DIY sauce bar where guests can mix and match flavors to find their perfect spicy concoction. Include various hot sauces and some mix-ins like lime juice, soy sauce, and ranch dressing (like our Serrabanero Ranch Spicy Dressing & Dip). Watch your guests create their own flavor bombs [Editor’s Note: the risk of actual explosions is minimal].  

Combine this with a “build-your-own” taco or nacho station, where guests can create their own personalized dishes.

Step 4: Friendly Fire Extinguishers

If you’ve been to a hot sauce Expo or two (like we have), you’ll know that lots of spiciness can overload your tastebuds. It’s good to enable folks to take a break here and there.  So be sure to add a cooling station tongue-soothers like horchata, milk, chips, cheese, sour cream, some sliced avocados, or fruit. We’ve got more ideas (including a few surprises) in our article “Mouth on Fire? How to Get Rid of Hot Sauce Burn, Fast.”

Don’t underestimate the value of Mother Nature’s painkiller at a time like this. You need Cinco de Mayo drinks, and you need them fast. From our Smokin’ Aardvark Michelada to our Aardvark Serrano Margarita to our Grapefruit Tequila Cocktail and Aardvark Reaper Mango Margarita, we’ve got you covered. Check out these quaffable recipes and more in our “Easy Mexican Food Recipes” guide.

Just don’t let anyone convince themselves that beer will save them—it won’t. But it will keep the party going. And they’ll probably mind a lot less.

Party On, Friend

Cinco de Mayo is a celebration, and what better way to celebrate than by making some flamin’-hot memories? Just remember: The first and only rule of hot sauce discovery? Keep it FUN!

Now, go forth with your party planning. And if anyone asks why you’re sweating, just wink and say, ‘I’m just that hot.'”

Happy Cinco de Mayo, you magnificent maker of mischief, you!

P.S. Share your Cinco de Mayo party photos with us on our Instagram! We’d love to see exactly what type of mischief you get up to. @secret_aardvark