How UPS Helped Hot Bone Suckin' Sauce Become A Hit

Everyone knows that nothing can stop the UPS — not thunderous rain, frigid snow, or scorching hot barbecue sauce. Yes, the UPS' sense of duty even extends to assisting with condiments — Hot Bone Suckin' Sauce, specifically. In fact, without the UPS, Hot Bone Suckin Sauce might not have hit the market.

But before we delve into the creation of Hot Bone Suckin' Sauce we first have to understand the origins of its flavorful forebear, the original Bone Suckin' Sauce. According to the brand's website, it all began as a simple experiment when creator Phil Ford started tinkering with a family barbecue sauce recipe. People loved his honey and tomato-infused creation and his sister-in-law, who saw its potential, urged Ford to get selling.

However, Ford's barbecue sauce wasn't expected to last long. The company responsible for bottling the fledgling product was so sure of the brand's failure that they only delivered half of the portion of the original order. But Bone Suckin' Sauce beat the odds and can now be purchased across the U.S. and in 26 other countries throughout the world (via Triangle Business Journal). Fans have even tried to recreate its recipe at home (per Food.com). But what about its spicier iteration? How did Hot Bone Suckin' Sauce come to be and what role did the UPS play in its success?

Phil Ford and his family did not care for hot food. That was evident through their business model (via Walter Magazine). The Ford family did not even think to develop a fiery version of their already established barbecue sauce until they realized there was a profit in it.

When Ford created the spicier sauce, adding cayenne pepper as an ingredient, Walter Magazine reported that no one, not him or any of the partners making Hot Bone Suckin' Sauce, wanted to try it. Thankfully, Ford gave his not-yet-in-stores hot barbecue sauce to the UPS man to try out. The package delivery company is known for its feats of goodwill. For example, the UPS foundation partnered with the United Nations World Food Program to assist with efforts to relieve global hunger (per UPS). And through the willingness of one delivery driver and his taste buds, Hot Bone Suckin' Sauce was born. 

Thanks to this fortuitous interaction, it could be argued that UPS can take partial credit for Ford's continued exploration of barbecue sauce flavors. To that end, Hot Bone Suckin' Sauce recently announced on its Instagram that it will soon be including two new sauces in its arsenal — Sweet Southern and Hot Sweet Southern — for Bone Suckin' Sauce enthusiasts to add to the meat at their next barbecue.