Well Seasoned: How Old Bay seasoning became a cult favorite

BALTIMORE -- The last weeks of summer mean barbecues, cookouts with family and friends -- and for part of the country, the seasoning called Old Bay.

Old Bay has been a pantry staple in the Mid-Atlantic for more than eight decades.

Gustav Brunn, who invented the seasoning, started the Baltimore Spice Company in 1939 after fleeing Nazi Germany.

"He had spent, actually, 16 days prior to coming here in a concentration camp," said Brunn's son, Ralph.

Ralph Brunn, now 97, described the family's narrow escape as a "touch-and-go situation."

Ralphs was 14 years old when he and his family arrived with little money and fewer prospects.

"My father looked for a job and couldn't find one, and ultimately somebody told him, 'Well, you've got the equipment here, go get into business,'" he said.  "And he did."

The equipment was an industrial spice grinder brought over from Germany. The machine is so central to the Old Bay story it is on display at the Baltimore Museum of Industry.

At the time, Gustav made and sold spices mostly to meatpackers, for things like sausages, hotdogs and bologna.

"His place of operation was directly across the street from the Wholesale Fish Market, which existed there at the time in downtown Baltimore," said Ralph Brunn.

And that's how Old Bay found its way into the seafood you eat today. Fishmongers would buy Gustav's spice mix to steam crabs.

The seasoning includes red pepper, black pepper, celery salt and paprika.

Ralph eventually took over the company before selling to a British firm. Spice giant McCormick owns Old Bay now.

If you haven't noticed, Old Bay is seemingly everywhere these days -- printed on shoes, aprons, bandanas, shirts, and infused into Goldfish crackers, hot sauce, beer, and yes, vodka.

Greg David is CEO of George's Beverage Company, which took three years to develop Old Bay vodka - now sold in the Mid-Atlantic.

The first batch produced 600 cases.

"It sold out in 24 minutes," said David. "We've done almost 10,000 cases since the middle of March."

The same is true of Old Bay Goldfish, also sold out in record time.

Ralph Brunn had no idea his dad's creation would become such a cult hit.

"And of course, I wish my father were alive today in order to see this," said Brunn. "He was proud, this was his baby."

But he does think the spice swooning can go overboard.

"I think when they get carried away with having all these Old Bay this and that and the other that you're talking about - I think it's ridiculous, but that's what they do," Brunn said. "It's a seasoning. That's all it is!"