A Waters Family Tradition

"THE SAUCE" has been a part of the Waters family for over 50 years. My father, Jack, taught me to make his recipe about 40 years ago in our home kitchen in Beech Island, SC. When the crisp air of the fall came around, this meant that the Waters Family reunion was soon approaching and we knew it was time to make The Sauce. 

As a child, I remember my dad pulling out the big pot and pouring in all the ingredients, filling our home with that awesome aroma. After making The Sauce, we would fill ketchup bottles, remove the label, and then take a sharpie and write “Sauce” on it. After the passing of my father in the late 80's, I (Donald Waters) continued the tradition of making The Sauce for our annual BBQ family reunions.

For several years, family and friends asked time and time again if I would sell or market The Sauce. At the family reunions, bottles would quickly disappear. Any extras were gladly taken by family and friends, which meant that there was hardly ever any of The Sauce left over for myself to take home. In 2016, I decided to fill a few bottles. We started giving away bottles of The Sauce to see what people would say and the response has been overwhelming. Our next step was to set up tent events around the local Aiken, SC area and give out free samples of The Sauce along with selling 16oz bottles. Recently, I started working with Clemson University for the nutritional information. This has helped continue building "The Sauce" into a real business.

This story is to be continued...