Tabasco Just Dropped Its First Merch Line For Your Grilling Parties

We now know that Beyoncé was referring to a baseball bat when she sang about having hot sauce in her bag (swag) in her song "Formation" (per The Verge), but carrying a bottle of a spicy condiment on one's person at all times seems like a wise idea, too. Hillary Clinton certainly seemed to think so in 2016, and so does Chrissy Teigen. Hot sauce enthusiasts have their preferred brands, but Tabasco is among the more well-known names. 

Spice lovers might consider any of these vinegar-forward condiments to be as essential to a savory dish as salt and pepper, which is why toting around a bottle makes so much sense. Tabasco happens to make teeny-tiny ⅛-ounce bottles of its Original Red Sauce — whose modest ingredient list includes just distilled vinegar, red pepper, and salt — for this very reason. When it comes to cooking at home, though, the bigger bottles come in handy. With grilling season in full swing, Tabasco is launching a limited-edition capsule collection for grill masters and barbecue guests this summer.  

Dubbed the Dripping Hot Summer Collection, Tabasco's line of "summer grilling inspired fashions" will be available online only for a limited time, per press materials shared with Mashed. Items include a picnic blanket (pictured), a bucket hat fitted with a mini "bottle holster" for easy hot sauce access, a branded button-down for those more formal barbecue occasions, a "Light Things Up!" t-shirt, and a very official-looking Tabasco 2022 jersey. The brand is also slinging temporary Tabasco tattoos, a drink koozie that also features a mini holster for your hot sauce (which we reckon Tabasco might recommend for giving a shot of heat to a Bloody Mary), a pair of slip-on sandals, and an insulated cooler bag. 

Tabasco is clearly intent on appealing to a grill-obsessed audience this year. On Instagram, it posted a Guga Foods video about smoking ribs. On Facebook, Tabasco asked fans to make the difficult choice to get rid of hot dogs, burgers, ribs, or corn on the grill. And recently, it launched a line of barbecue sauce, which the brand calls a "fiery take on America's favorite summertime flavors." With its capsule line, which launches on August 1, Tabasco is no doubt hoping fans will make all their remaining summer backyard parties Tabasco-themed.