Rumor patrol: Texas Pete pepper sauce is alive and kicking

I started my morning chasing an early report from a source that Texas Pete pepper sauce -- the clear bottle packed with little green/yellow peppers and filled with vinegar, not the brick-red hot sauce -- had been discontinued. Two people who contacted me had trouble finding it at a local supermarket, found a short supply at a second supermarket and then saw two online sources that appeared to list it as "discontinued by manufacturer."

Even though New Year's is over and we all have eaten our collards, dosed with plenty of pepper vinegar, I knew  news like that would shake country cafes to the core. Those bottles stuffed with peppers are as common at meat-and-threes as bottles of Sriracha at Asian restaurants.

Ann Garner Riddle, president of T.W. Garner of Winston-Salem, the maker of Texas Pete, was quick to return my call and said she was flummoxed by the rumors. She quickly assured me that they're still making the product.

Now, that isn't to say that a particular store may not be carrying the product, she said. If you find that's the case, you can ask the manager to get it. Never hurts to make your wishes known.