STEREOTYPICAL RURAL MINNESOTANS, especially those of Scandinavian descent—of which there are many—avoid spicy foods. Just a hint of heat in chili is plenty, thank you. And to flavor hotdish, pass the salt and pepper, please. Oh, and that hot sauce, no thank you.
But at least one Minnesota woman, arrested recently in Faribault, loves to spice things up.
Faribault police responded to a disturbance call on April 16 only to find the woman speeding away in her car, evading them. When she eventually stopped, the officer noticed signs of intoxication. But the 32-year-old refused to take field sobriety tests. This is all according to police reports.
As the officer was preparing a preliminary breath test, the woman “grabbed a bottle of hot sauce and began drinking it.” Yes, you read that correctly. She hit the hot sauce in an apparent effort to avoid alcohol detection. Once arrested and taken to jail, the driver refused to take a breathalyzer test.
The report about the incident in the April 29 issue of “The Point After” police newsletter doesn’t list the hot sauce brand consumed. I’m wondering because…a popular Minnesota hot sauce, Cry Baby Craig’s, is made right here in historic downtown Faribault. I hope she was at least loyal to her hometown brand.
While the hot sauce consumption rates as not the brightest idea ever, I give the woman credit for creativity and for making me laugh. But the rest of this incident is not at all humorous, entertaining or smart. There is nothing funny or wise about allegedly driving while under the influence. She now faces charges of fleeing a peace officer in a motor vehicle, 2nd degree DWI, DWI test refusal and child endangerment. There were two children in the car with her. No amount of hot sauce will hide that fact.
© Copyright 2022 Audrey Kletscher Helbling
Minnesota Prairie Roots 
Oh geez. No words.
Yeah, almost unbelievable, isn’t it?
I’m a fan of spicy foods and sauces. I can see her desperate logic,but my advice would be ‘use your hot sauce powers for good,not evil.’
Even though I’m a Minnesotan, I love spicy foods also. Your advice is good.
Tried Cry Baby Craig’s for the first time a couple of weeks ago and loved it! Great on scrambled eggs. I doubt, however, it has any effect on excessive (or any) alcohol consumption. Or maybe she was just preparing herself for several months of jail food? Anyway, good to know I shouldn’t add it to the tater tot hotdish I’m learning to cook. 😉
Good to hear you like Cry Baby Craig’s. Randy and I are big fans of Craig’s hot sauce and we both like spicy foods. You go right ahead and add hot sauce to anything you wish, including tater tot hotdish (just don’t call it “casserole”).
Never a dull moment and oh my goodness to do this with children in the vehicle too. We have some crazy doozy of vehicle incidents down here. Literally have to have your head on a constant swivel. There is just a lot of people and not very good public transit so a lot of cars on the roads too. A female patrol officer put herself in harm’s way recently to stop a drunk driver going the wrong way and the road was closed due to a marathon (the driver just broke through the barricades). The officer saved a lot of lives that day due to her brave actions. DO NOT Drive Impaired. Take Care and Be Safe Everyone
So thankful for that Florida patrol officer who saved lives via her quick thinking and actions.
Interesting story!
I do want to try this Cry Baby Craig’s hot sauce.
If you like hot sauce, you’re sure to like Cry Baby Craig’s.
Oh boy that’s a new technique. It’s as crazy as trying to suck on pennies to avoid failing a breathalyzer test. That sounds like a crazy choking hazard.
I’d not heard of the pennies technique. But not smart. Not smart at all.