A.1. Sauce
A.1. is a steak sauce and condiment for use with meat or game dishes.
A1 was introduced to the United States by G.F. Heublein & Brothers, and was officially registered as a trademark in North America in 1895.
History and ownership
The original steak sauce upon which A1 is based was created in 1824 by Henderson William Brand, chef to King George IV of the United Kingdom. Legend has it that the king declared it "A.1" and the namesake was born. It went into commercial production under the Brand & Co. label in 1831, and continued in production under this label after bankruptcy forced ownership of Brand & Co. to be transferred to W.H. Withall in 1850. It was renamed A1 in 1873, after a trademark dispute between creator Henderson William Brand and Dence and Mason, who had since purchased Brand & Co. from Withall. It was then introduced to the United States under the ownership of G.F. Heublein & Brothers.
Ownership of A1 was passed to Nabisco in 1981 after it was acquired by R. J. Reynolds. In 1999, Kraft Foods acquired Nabisco, including the A1 brand.
In 2000, the A1 line of marinades was launched, representing the first expansion of the trademark.
Variations
A1 has undergone a number of revisions since its initial inception, the most recent of which was the removal of anchovies from the recipe during the 1990s, and the subsequent introduction of corn syrup.
Eight variations are currently in production. These include A1 Original, Thick & Hearty, Sweet Hickory, Bold & Spicy, Cracked Peppercorn, Kobe Sesame Teriyaki, Supreme Garlic, and Smoky Mesquite.
A1 has also expanded its line of products to include Marinades that can be used on poultry, pork, seafood and beef. Eight variations are currently in production.
Legal Action
A1 was the subject of a trademark dispute between then owners Kraft and “Arnie’s Deli”, which was producing its own recipe condiment under the name “A2 Sauce”. In 1991, Connecticut District Court found in favor of Kraft. (see below)
Trivia
- A bottle of A1 can be briefly seen in an I Love Lucy episode.
References
http://www.metnews.com/articles/2004/reminiscing111804.htm