It all started as a joke...

I had been making fruit syrups for years. My wife especially appreciated my cooking cranberry syrup to give as Christmas gifts. One day, several years ago, after joking about it with my brother, I decided to try habaneros in place of the cranberries. To my surprise, the resulting syrup was delicious! I used it on ice cream at first, then began to experiment with other uses. I gave some jars of the habanero syrup as gifts and found that others liked it as much as I did. In 2001, I entered the recipe in a recipe contest and it won first place.

Our home garden bumper crop of habaneros in the summer of 2002 compelled me to experiment even more. My friends who love fiery foods raved about my syrup, and kept asking for more.

In 2003 the Chile Pepper Magazine Fiery Food Challenge judges agreed with my friends and awarded Sweet Agony Habanero Syrup the coveted Golden Chile award as BEST DESSERT CONDIMENT.

In September 2004, the judges for the 2005 Chile Pepper Magazine Fiery Food Challenge decided our newest entry, Sweet Agony InCINNerator Habanero Cinnamon Syrup was in the top 3 of the BEST NEW PRODUCTS category.

In October of 2004, Sweet Agony InCINNerator garnered a first place and our original Sweet Agony Habanero Syrup won a second place in the 2005 Scovie Awards, sponsored by Fiery Foods Magazine.

Today you, too, can enjoy these award-winning fiery sweet syrups.

...It's no longer a joke

Charles D. Burklund
President, Birch Grove Enterprises, Inc.
Keeper of the Flame

Joy E. Burklund
Vice President