Old Bay hot sauce sells out less than an hour after launch

Old Bay set off a frenzy Wednesday with the release of a new product infused with its signature flavor: hot sauce.

Old Bay Hot Sauce sold out within an hour after it was launched around 11:15 a.m. on the company’s website. The Old Bay website also crashed shortly after the hot sauce’s launch — likely from all the traffic.

Owned by Hunt Valley-based McCormick & Co., Old Bay said in an announcement that the new hot sauce is “tangy with a kick of heat, and that distinctive Chesapeake flavor."

The company promised to restock soon. Customers who were able to secure some of the sauce began reselling it on eBay almost immediately, charging anywhere between $50 to $200.

“Your [love] for all things OLD BAY may have broken the internet,” the spice brand tweeted Wednesday. “Thanks for always being ready to try something new. SOLD OUT, but RESTOCKING. Please stay tuned!”

If Old Bay lovers can’t get their hands on the sauce through McCormick’s online store, the company said the new delicacy will be on sale over the next month at select stores — such as Acme, Giant, Food Lion, Martin’s, Safeway, Wegmans and Weis — for a limited time. A 10 oz. bottle has a suggested retail price of $3.49, according to the company.

It’s unclear how long the sauce will be available, as the company is calling it a “limited edition."

Since Old Bay announced the hot sauce release on a social media, the tweet has been retweeted over 1,800 times and received more than 5,400 likes. Many replied to the tweet saying they can’t wait to try it on a Popeye’s chicken sandwich, while others said the company better reconsider it being a limited edition and make it a permanent product.

The new hot sauce will be great for comfort foods, like chilis, soups and stews, the company said, and also go well on chicken wings, nachos and dips. They also suggested adding a dash to Bloody Marys and other cocktails.