 In 1868, he grew his first commercial pepper crop, selling the first bottles of his product the following year, which he called "Tabasco brand pepper sauce".In 1870 McIlhenny obtained letters patent for the sauce, which he packaged in cork-top two-ounce bottles with diamond logo labels very similar in appearance to those in present-day use.At first McIlhenny sold the product mainly along the Gulf Coast in places including New Orleans, New Iberia, Louisiana, and Galveston, Texas.