Crystal Hot Sauce was started in 1923 by Alvin Baumer who came to New Orleans after the Civil War. Alvin’s future father-in-law gave him a personal loan to buy a sno-ball syrup production company on Tchoupitoulas Street called Mill’s Fruit Products.
Inside a drawer at Mill’s, Alvin stumbled upon a hot sauce recipe labeled Crystal Pure. Turns out, it was a recipe for success. Renamed Baumer Foods, Inc., the company grew quickly and moved to a larger plant on Tulane Avenue in Mid-City.
We work with integrity. We are ethical, open, and trustworthy in all we say and all we deliver. We are empowered to do right, and make it right, always.
Make it right ... always
During World War II
Baumer manufactured preserves and jellies enjoyed by U.S. troops as part of their combat rations. Alvin Sr. used to joke that so much of our product went down with the ships that the ocean must taste sweet.
We are passionate about creating great food tastes. In creative and unconventional ways, we deliver the best tasting quality product in the market, using only the best ingredients worth sharing. We use the whole pepper–there is no waste. Using the skins and seeds of the Cayenne pepper results in a richer product.
We use the whole pepper
HUrricane Katrina
In 2005, Hurricane Katrina destroyed their 75-year-old manufacturing facility, resulting in a move to a new, state-of-the-art facility in Reserve, Louisiana. A replica of the beloved Crystal Hot Sauce sign was placed at the site of the old factory, a reminder of the indestructible spirit of New Orleans.
In producing and delivering our products to our customers we hold safety above all else. With each decision and at every step along the way we are personally committed to the safety of our product and to one another.
Safety above all
3 generations of crystal
Crystal is a third-generation, family-owned-and-operated business. Today, Alvin Jr. works alongside his son, Alvin “Pepper” Baumer III, who was given his nickname in the womb by his grandmother, Dottie Brennan, one of the original proprietors of Commander’s Palace.
4.5m gallons a year
- Manufacturing and distribution all done under one roof
- Four production lines
- Capacity for growth
- Easier freight ingress and egress
- Plant SQF Certified
- Baumer Foods processes more than 4.5 million gallons of Crystal Hot Sauce annually, using the whole pepper
- You can find bottles of Crystal on tables in at least 30 countries–everywhere from New Orleans to Dubai
- We couldn’t do it without the insight and dedication of more than 80 hard-working employees