Nice little article on Tabasco in the New York Times today that touches on what the McIlhenny family went through with Hurricane Rita and how they plan to recover and rebuild before the 2008 hurricane season. Nice to see a hot sauce company (any hot sauce company) getting coverage in the New York Times.

AVERY ISLAND, La. ­ In April, board members and shareholders of the McIlhenny Company plan to gather here for their annual meeting. Unlike well-publicized events at big public companies this year, where activist shareholders often hope to create a stir, a private gathering is planned, and the agenda will probably not be debated. The meeting promises to be what it always is: one part business and one part family reunion.

Food is on the menu, and plenty of it: Cajun specialties, like boudin, corn-and-crab bisque and crawfish pie. There will be sweet tea, soda pop and bloody marys. And on every table, there will probably be all six flavors of Tabasco sauce. But for the McIlhennys, this is no idle condiment to spice up bland food. This is business.

The McIlhenny Company, the maker of Tabasco, is one of the country’s biggest hot sauce makers. Its fiery condiment has become so popular that its name is a generic term for hot sauce. Less known is that the family has weathered storms, both personal and economic, to keep the business going since its founding more than 130 years ago.

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