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Subscribe to RSSPaul McIlhenny, the chairman and chief executive of the Louisiana company that makes Tabasco brand pepper sauce, has died at age 68, the McIlhenny Co said on Sunday.
McIlhenny died on Saturday, the family-owned company said in a news release that described him as "a true bon vivant" whose passions included hunting, fishing, wine-tasting and game cooking.
He was a sixth-generation member of the McIlhenny family to live on Avery Island in the southern Louisiana bayou, and a fourth-generation member to produce pepper sauces sold worldwide under the Tabasco brand.
The McIlhenny company was founded in 1868 on Avery Island. It supplies hot sauce to the U.S. presidential plane Air Force One and to Britain's royal family, the Times-Picayune newspaper said on its website.
Paul McIlhenny joined the company in 1967 and directly oversaw the production of its sauces for 13 years, expanding both its line of spicy sauces and the array of aprons, neckties and other merchandise bearing the familiar red-and-green Tabasco logo.
He spent much of his time in New Orleans and in 2006 he reigned as Rex, the first King of Carnival during Mardi Gras celebrations after the city was devastated by Hurricane Katrina.
"All of McIlhenny Company and the McIlhenny and Avery families are deeply saddened by this news," said Tony Simmons, president of McIlhenny Co and fifth-generation McIlhenny family member. "We will clearly miss Paul's devoted leadership but will more sorely feel the loss of his acumen, his charm and his irrepressible sense of humor."
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RIP. Tabasco sauce on scrambled eggs is the best!
I carried a bottle of your tabasco sauce in my ruck during all of my deployments and FTXs while in the military - made C-rations and MREs so much more tastier and flavorful. The ham and eggs in particular! Thanks Mr. McIlhenny.
RIP Paul - ya done good and helped a GI make the best of field ration experiences.
My kids won't put tabasco on their scrambled eggs, but they have no idea how much tabasco is always IN their scrambled eggs...
I have your sauce almost every night with dinner, will always remember the name Paul McIlhenny. Your gone but your legacy lives on
Rest In Peace, Paul.
Tabasco makes perfect slices of pizza even MORE perfect.
The yolks of sunny-side-up eggs is Divine with Tabasco all over it.
Tabasco is good on everything - including vanilla ice cream!
The McIlhenny Company, by their hard-headed approach and tons of money, was successful in driving out all their competition and forcing them to go out of business. They illegally copyrighted the name 'tabasco', which is a specific pepper, so that other companies could not use it.
No loss here in the death of this unethical businessman.
An American legend, I carried a small bottle in my helmet band in Viet Nam just so it would be handy when chow time came. C's to crackers. I prefer Crystal now though.
Yeah, cause there are CLEARLY no other hot sauces in any market. Sounds like someone had a failed hot sauce business????
I once tried the legendary Louisiana Tabasco sauce, that stuff gets to your bones, couldnt breathe and I was told my nose and ears turned Red then blue Green....had to call 911 folks
I hope his own sauce didnt take him out...RIP
Last time I was in the gourmet shop they had 47 mild to suicide hot sauces. Seems like everyone has one on the market now days. I am a franks man myself I find the aftertaste of bitterness from Tobasco unpleasent and before i could finish a bottle it had become mostly vinegar. But fresh out of the bottle it is a good taste before the aftertaste kicks in.
Tobasco sauce only needs a few drops on fried eggs or other foods. However, Louisiana hot sauce bathed in fried chicken is the way to go. You will be in flavor country. Bathe fried chicken in Louisiana hot sauce and then dip it in buttermilk cream sauce. Your mouth will thank you.
I consume Tabasco in large quantities - like 2 ounces on Denny's eggs and stuff. But for real great taste, I prefer sriracha pepper sauce from Thailand - the garlic adds to the taste and it's quite a bit "hotter". the HOTTER, the BETTER
And where would the Bloody Mary be without Tabasco? RIP...I'll see ya on the next world.
Tabasco sauce rocks! Great on eggs and grilled steaks.
R.I.P. ,Mr McIlhenny and thanks for all the great meals.
Rip Mr. Mcllhenny! I grew up on your sauce, even carried around tiny 1-serving bottles, with a green ribbon around the neck, in case I needed a fix, or the restaurant I was at didn't carry your Tabasco Sauce!
Many years ago, as a college student at the University of Nevada, Reno, I was part of a core group of 8 students who built a makeshift geodesic dome out of tarps and fencing materials and journeyed down to the state of Tabasco in E. Mexico to set up camp for the summer. The tabasco pepper was plenty, but I could never duplicate your original reciepe. No matter, we had a supply of your sauce along to spice up the bags of rice. We did find other, ahhh 'herbs', that supplimented the joy of tabasco. I will never forget that summer!
As an adult, I still use Tabasco Sauce, but have expanded into other peppers as well.... habenero, thai, and bhut jokalai.... but I still make sure the pantry has room for your Tabasco Sauce! Thank you Paul!
Enneagram1 This man wasn't alive when the name was copyrighted.
1906 - In 1898, another Louisiana entrepreneur (and former McIlhenny employee) named B. F. Trappey began growing tabasco chiles from Avery Island seed. He founded the company B. F. Trappey and Sons and began producing his own sauce, which was also called "Tabasco." The McIlhenny family eventually responded to this challenge and a several decades-long feud by receiving a trademark for their Tabasco® brand in 1906. http://whatscookingamerica.net/History/Tabasco.htm
Original Tabasco is nothing but spicy vinegar with little to no flavor. Luckily they came out with other flavors to keep up with the better tasting hot sauces.
wonder if he died from heartburn !!or from the burn out the other end?
A true loss to a great family. May the 5th generation in this business carry on proudly and continue to produce the Tabasco we have loved for many years. God bless.
It was reported McIlhenny died of complications from an overdose of Tabasco pepper sauce.
your hot turkey sauce in peanut oil will live forever ... rip
68? I thought hot foods supposed to make you live longer. Must be that good Louisiana water.
What a crock. Just do a Google image search of "Hot Sauce" and you'll see a plethora of different labels.
Crystal is still out there, so are others - Mexican sauces have been coming into the US - lower priced and quite suitable for spicing chili
My favorite is Cholula. Tabasco tastes of too much vinegar.
RIP, Paul! Love their hot sauce. It really does go great with almost everything. I saw a documentary (or some behind-the-scenes kinda video) of the whole process and it's extremely labor intensive (all peppers are handpicked and selected by workers) that I was surprised it doesn't cost more than it does.
This just burns me up!
RIP Paul
(Frank's is better though)
RIP as well....Great Tradition
I must unfortunatley agree that Franks is better ( it is the garlic)
However their Bloody Mary mix is the BEST !!!
Pretty hot news.
The McIlhenny Company, by their hard-headed approach and tons of money, was successful in driving out all their competition and forcing them to go out of business. They illegally copyrighted the name 'tabasco', which is a specific pepper, so that other companies could not use it.
No loss here in the death of this unethical businessman.
to Enneagram - You, sir, are an idiot!
Perhaps driving out the competition was a simple case of " When Y'r Hot, Y'r Hot...When Y'r Not, Y'r Not ?
Mother Beaver, I have no doub that you are not the first person to offerthat observation to Enneagram, he probably got a lot of that when he failed in his hot sauce business.
I grew up using Tabasco but 2 years ago I started to make my own hot sauce.
RIP Sir because your product cured bland food in college.
Mother Beaver and Singletermlimits: My statements are well documented, you freaks. The book (not that you know how to read other than to call people names with NO BASIS AT ALL) is called Peppers (Library of Congress ISBN 0679744274). Have someone read it to you!
Enneagram1 - I think they had plenty of basis to call you the names they did. After all, they read your comments.
But here you are, accusing them of not knowing how to read (after they responded to your written comments), and insulting their intelligence for not having read the same book as you (and we know every book is true).
And you call someone else "unethical" while you say "no loss" at their death announcement.
All in all, I think you've been summed up pretty well.
that's as bad as the guy who patented the tennis ball thrower - I don't understand HOW a device around since the CAVE MAN (literally) can be PATENTED.
Give the guy a posthumous break - the sauce was OK and putting tiny bottles into C-rations and MREs was a stroke of GENIUS
The book Peppers is about how peppers spread around the cooking world with interviews of growers, chefs, etc. One small section covers the lawsuit over the use of the word Tabasco. Its not an indictment and the Company is not an evil overlord. Enneagram, your comments were rude and troll like. "Cool down".
Enneagram1 This man wasn't alive when the name was copyrighted.
1906 - In 1898, another Louisiana entrepreneur (and former McIlhenny employee) named B. F. Trappey began growing tabasco chiles from Avery Island seed. He founded the company B. F. Trappey and Sons and began producing his own sauce, which was also called "Tabasco." The McIlhenny family eventually responded to this challenge and a several decades-long feud by receiving a trademark for their Tabasco® brand in 1906. http://whatscookingamerica.net/History/Tabasco.htm
Make sure someone slips a bottle in the casket. RIP, we loved your sauce.
Avery Island is awesome! If you ever get a chance you should go. It's a mini paradise.
Fun fact: All Tabasco sauce is aged in barrels purchased from the Jack Daniels distillery that were used in aging the whiskey in Lynchburg, Tennessee. It's how Tabasco gets it's unique flavor.
i agree it is a wonderful place for a visit. the bamboo grove, and the giant buddha are awesome, but if they're cooking when you tour...ah, the burning eyes, the fact that your clothes reek of pepper when you leave, those are the things that make it a pilgrimage for the true tabasco believer.
Are not the Oaks on Avery Awesome? If I could post pics, I would. The McIlhenny family essentially kept a lot of people on The Island working during downtimes. And as said the prices are so low. I grew up with Franks, but hated the overly vinegat taste and Tabasco opened up a whole new world of Hot Sauces for me. I but and collect Hot Sauces from around the world and make an exceptionally butt burning green and some reds. But there is always a couple of bottles of Tabasco in different flavors on my shelves.
RIP Mr. McIlheeny, other than the Nutria, your family is doing great for S. LA.
People laugh when I tell them that I take a couple of splashes of Hot Sauce every noght when I have a cold/sore throat. Taugh this by an old cajun from Crowley, LA, and it works. Nuh, it wasn't Boudreaux or Thibodeaux, but old Mr. Comeaux
Some enterprising soul could cash in on the Nutria down there as they eat them in South America. Start a business!
Nutria is the largest RODENT - a big RAT... (but if they taste good, it really doesn't matter)
I wonder what would happen if they tried aging some bourbon is barrels that were used for Tabasco? Or maybe BEER?
Oooh..Tabasco BEER...THAT would be interesting (and eye opening)...
RIP in peace Paul. I have enjoyed your families Tabasco Sauce for nearly 60 years, and made two wonderful trips to Avery Island.
RIP Paul.
@twodogsloving- Frank's is not better. It's just different. BTW, Tabasco is an icon. Frank's is a wanna be.
Hey! Tony Simmons, please return the green sauce back to it's original recipe. It had more / better flavor, better quality heat, and I would start to buy it again. The current green sauce recipe is basically the red sauce with green color!
The Chipotle sauce ROCKS!
VITA IGNUS CORPUS LIGNUM!
I agree oreraider. I never saw anything special about Tabasco but the Chipotle is incredible.
Tapatio.
Yep. i gree. Tapatio is good AND cheap. Comes in those industrial-size glass bottles hahahaha.
The Chipotlee Tabasco is absolutely delishous.
The Tabasco chipotle is absolutely amazing. The smokey flavor is good on steaks and burgers instead of ketchup.
Try ROOSTER sriracha sauce (Thai hot sauce) made in California. A different kind of burn (I call it Thai ketchup)
Yeah Yeah ! That sriracha is good stuff ! I like it on certain things...
I cut my cuspids on your sauce. Your elementary sauce still holds a place on the top shelf of my fridge. Though I've graduated to more complex flavors and heat; your quality and consistency will live on! Rest in a warm peace!
RIP Paul and thank you - My first experience with hot sauces was with Tabasco. It is awesome in cream of mushroom soup. And I now grow tabasco peppers and add them to just about anything, especially Cajun style andouille/chicken gumbo.
I read that Tabasco is included in some MRE's? Not sure.
Tabasco and Tony Cachere's are a must!
Yes - Tabasco is part of the MREs. I have a tiny bottle I keep as a souvenir.
Hmm.. I love Tabasco - especially on scrambled eggs. Am I the only one that read this story and got the history of the company, but no indication of the actual cause of death? Was he expected to die from some longterm illness, or did he did unexpectedly? Isn't a news article supposed to contain at least something other than several paragraphs about the history of Tabasco sauce and company?
heart failure
Rest in Peace. That Tabasco made the "C" rations we got in Viet Nam palatable. My sympathies to the McIlhenny family.
TRUE that...
MAN! Tabasco on my boiled eggs has been with me for at least 29 years. To be honest though that guy was dead long time ago. Anyway, RIP and may they keep the recipe the same.
Rudeboi: Why? You say "that guy was dead long time ago". Why? Seems like an odd thing to say. I think that 68 is pretty young these days and my sympathies go to his family.
I think it was supposed to read "thought that guy was dead"......
There will be another family member in line to take his place.
Tabasco---the best food product ever invented. RIP Paul
Tabasco Sauce-- I put that @#$! on everything!!
RIP Paul
This is a sad day. His product got me addicted to trying many different hot sauces but this is the industry standard. There's always a bottle in my pantry. RIP
Rest in Peace and thanks for the sauces. I pray that the heat you were involved with was with your temporal life and there is no heat in your eternal. Smile.
Tabasco is my salt. Thanks, Paul. RIP.
Enjoyed that sauce in my C-rats and, later the MREs...
Amazing how that brought taste to those...
Also, on 'spam sammiches', soups, stews and chowders...
Great when fixing a good 'burger patty...mix it with the ground round...
helps with the "HOT?" Chili, too (bland stuff - to ME at least)
what I meant was that what they call "hot" has ZERO heat to me (but then again I eat Thai like the THAIs do - they start at 6 and go up to 12 - I eat at about 10)
Fork, my Dad is like that too...he can swig Tabasco, and all he says is 'Its got a little bite to it..."
A great man of substance and life has passed his joy and presence of Louisiana on to all through his tabasco and lifestyle .Many joys to celebrate of him,live on.
flags throughout louisiana shall be flying at half mast this week.
Went to Avery Island the first time with Pratt Munson about 60 years ago. Knew Paul for many years and will miss him. A great guy and alot of fun with the crawfish races at various events.