Take a deep breath and think of a calming candle scent. Is it lavender you smell? Maybe it's eucalyptus or rosemary. Trick question; your answer doesn't matter. All that's left to smell is grilled meat. Are we living in a nightmare? Better yet, does it matter? All you need to know is that A.1. Sauce Candles for Father's Day exist, and they smell like meat. With three flavors (original meat, burger, backyard barbecue) and a low price point ($14.99), there's no reason for you to not wake up and smell the meat candles. Even though they're being marketed for Father's Day, this is also an appropriate gift for a coworker, a stranger, someone you love, someone you hate — the options here are endless.
If you're wondering how A.1. came up with this idea, Bustle has reached out and asked the same question, and we'll update this piece when we hear back. But the description of the Original Meat Candle provides some context: "The even burn of this candle fills any room with the signature aroma of A.1., conjuring warm memories of delicious meals shared with the ones you love. Pairs well with dad jokes." I don't know that I've ever wanted a room to smell like steak sauce, but it's now an option.
You know how some people's homes have a unique scent? If you want people to think of you every time they visit a steakhouse, there's no better investment than this one. The burger candle is easily the most intriguing, perhaps because the description declares that "every dad has that one burger they'll never forget." Most hamburgers I've had — even the really good ones — don't occupy much space in my mind, but it may be different for the father figures in our lives. Regardless, A1 says that the candle burns for 40 to 60 hours, which is pretty impressive for the price. (In comparison, a three-wick candle from Bath & Body Works retails for $24.50 and burns for 25-45 hours.)
I haven't had the chance to smell the candles myself, so I asked Bustle lifestyle editor Emma Lord what she thought after smelling one of the meat candles. "It is as if a candle had a secret tryst with a steak, immediately regretted it and said, 'Don't tell our friends about this,' and then the steak tweeted about it the next morning," she says. Not exactly a ringing endorsement, but Lord is admittedly not a member of the target audience, which is dads.
For its part, A.1. is taking the skepticism from some of its customers in stride. The official company account tweeted, "Father's Day just got a lot smellier," a stomach-turning but endearing phrase. (For what it's worth, the official Twitter also doesn't show any tweets from Nov. 4, 2015, to May 28, 2018.) And the candles may be more than just a viral moment — in 2014, Kraft changed the brand's name from A.1. Steak Sauce to A.1. Sauce, to make the case that the sauce is versatile enough to be used with anything. The first thing I think of when I think of A.1. is steak, but with burger and barbecue flavored candles, the company is branching out.
And if you're unsure whether you want to spend $15 on a meat-scented candle, A.1. notes in a press release that the candles are limited-edition, so who knows when they'll sell out? The resale value on these could end up being astronomical — like a rare Beanie Baby or sought-after baseball card. This could be an investment that pays off if it's flying off the shelves. Of course, it's more likely that you'll just be left with a meat-flavored candle that has a surprisingly decent throw, aka the smell a candle gives off when it's not burning, but the point is, there are options. Happy father's day, y'all.
