About

"Hey man...Try this!"

My roommate was notorious for calling me into the kitchen after a long day of studying to test out his new spicy concoctions on me. He was somewhat of a sadist and very much enjoyed watching me, and any unsuspecting visitors, try hot peppers, hot pepper seasoning, hot pepper oil and hot pepper sauce! In the beginning I was unaware of his obsession for hot food but after a few times being ambushed with tear producing spicy creations I soon knew what to expect every time I heard "Hey man...Try this!"...

It was not uncommon for him to get a package in the mail with new and EXTREMELY spicy fresh peppers and want me to taste test them with him. Habanero, scotch-bonnet, ghost pepper, Trinidad-Scorpion, 7 pot chili and every other type of fresh hot pepper he could get his hands on were all on the table. It was always a contest of who could handle the most heat and how much pain a person could withstand (he always won).

Mixing hot peppers with other ingredients became a daily practice. Many times we would just throw together different flavors until we found something that tasted good and then test it out on different foods. We spent every minute of our spare time in the kitchen and at the grill smoking meat, mixing up sauces and just enjoying culinary experiments.

Being that we were both in the Army, we ended up splitting ways after a few months to go to our new duty stations. He went to Korea and I went to Joint Base Lewis-McCord in Washington State. It was there that I started paying attention to the ingredients I mixed together to get the flavor and spice that I wanted in my own cooking.

I started recording the different type and amount of ingredients I was mixing together and started testing them on my friends, family and co-workers. I finally landed on a flavor and spice range that captured their attention; Holy Habanero!

Holy Habanero is a versatile and moderately spicy hot sauce. Its floral base, smoky undertones and hint of garlic make it an excellent sauce to spice up any dish! Habanero peppers register at 100,000-350,000 Scoville Heat Units (SHU) placing it roughly 35-40 times as hot as a jalapeño pepper. It has a naturally sweet and floral taste which makes it an excellent base for hot sauce. Smoked paprika adds a nice red color to it while introducing a subtle smoky undertone. This sauce also features a hint of garlic which ties together the flavors and completes it's range of tantalizing mouth feel. Holy Habanero is a vinegar based sauce which stabilizes its pH level to shelf stable (below 4.6 pH) for your convenience. For those who like exceptional flavor and a medium heat, this is the perfect sauce for you!

My Background

I grew up in the Pacific Northwest and have always enjoyed cooking, grilling and smoking food. Hunting, fishing and the outdoors was my comfort zone and there was nothing like good, fresh meat and delicious home-grown food!

At age 16 I moved to Texas where I attended a paramilitary search and rescue academy learning high and low angle rescue, survival, navigation, first aid, firefighting and underwater search and recovery. At age 21, after a few years of civilian employment, I joined the Army and went to basic training at Fort Benning, Georgia where I became an Infantryman. I served four years in the Virginia Army National Guard while attending college, graduating in 2014 and commissioning into the active duty Army Officer Corps as an Ordnance officer.

From 2014-2016 I went to Basic Officer Leadership Course and Navy School, Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD). After graduating from EOD school I was transferred to Oahu, Hawaii where I served as an EOD officer until 2019 working with foreign militaries (Australia, Japan, Korea, Cambodia, Vietnam and the Philippines). I then attended Captain's Career Course and transferred once again, this time to Joint Base Lewis-McCord (JBLM) in Washington State.

In 2020, amid the COVID-19 crisis, I began the "Rock'n K Hot Sauce" brand. The brand and style was inspired by my love for cowboys, western styles and a modified version of my late grandfather's ranch symbol (a K on a rocker).

At Rock'n K Hot Sauce we strive to provide inspiring flavor, excellent customer service and a culture of unity, respect and innovation.

We are always looking for ways to improve. Please leave a comment here to help us continue to improve and expand. Your opinions and suggestions are important to us!