Tabasco factory

Did you know that every bottle of Tabasco sauce sold worldwide was bottled right here in LA, and has been since 1868?

Avery Island, LA is not really an island (it is inland LA), but it is surrounded by water, canals, bayous, and you have to cross a bridge to get to it. The McIlhenny family have been making Tabasco sauce here since 1868.

The island has the Tabasco factory and pepper fields, and Jungle Gardens which are all open to the public. There is also a salt mine which is not public, where they get the salt to use in processing Tabasco.

The Tabasco tour includes museum, greenhouse, barrel warehouse, factory tour of blending vats and bottling, packaging. If you go Monday-Thursday you can see the bottling action. Country store and restaurant include all things Tabasco including the ice cream, we were waiting for our free sample until we saw the face on the girl in front of us, and changed our minds.

The grounds are very well kept, there are huge live oak trees hanging with moss. A must-see piece of local history.

see how its made HERE

and more pix HERE