Original TABASCO Pepper Sauce has long been Louisiana’s most famous export after Mardi Gras and New Orleans’ jazz. The most famous name in heat for over 140 years, the fiery red hot sauce is indispensable when it comes to making drinks, a fact that makes it a fixture behind every bar in the civilized world. Introduced in 1868 by the McIlhenny Company of Avery Island, Louisiana, TABASCO Pepper Sauce is made from handpicked Capsicum frutescens red peppers. To ensure they’ve reached peak ripeness, field workers carry red sticks and use them as gauges to check each peppers color. If they’re not the right shade of red, the peppers are left on the vines. After harvesting, they are immediately mashed and placed in used bourbon barrels along with salt from the company’s own mine. The barrels are sealed, then transferred to a warehouse where they remain untouched for three years to age.