Hammajack Heat Co. and the Creation of Pittsburgh’s Hot Sauce Scene

Hammajack Heat Co.: A Sauce is Born

Lisa and Frank Ray started Hammajack Heat Co. after Frank decided he could make a better hot sauce than what he could find on the shelves of his local grocery store. Eight years ago, Frank and Lisa made their first batch. Friends asked for Frank to make more, and it became a seasonal hobby using the peppers from their garden.

Making hot sauce isn’t always an easy feat. In fact, it can come with a learning curve when working with the super hots, like ghost peppers. Frank explained, “We tear gassed our house. We didn’t have a mosquito problem for a month!” Over the past eight years, there was friendly pressure from their friends to commercialize the sauces. Frank and Lisa moved from their home kitchen to a commercial kitchen. They received their health permit in October 2022. What was once their hobby for friends is now a commercial venture. Their sauces are now on the shelves of 26 stores. They currently make eight different sauces with peppers from local organic farms.

Bring on the Heat: Pittsburgh’s Rivers of Fire Festival

Lisa created the city’s first-ever hot sauce celebration: Pittsburgh’s Rivers of Fire Festival. On October 4, 2025, hot sauce lovers from all over the area will gather in Pittsburgh’s South Side at Velum Fermentation to celebrate all things hot sauce. Local and not-so local hot sauce artisans and food vendors will be there to tempt attendees with delicious sauces and food that will accompany the sauces as well. There will also be plenty of activities for everyone.

Some of the events include:

• The League of Fire Pepper Eating Contest
• Pittsburgh Hot Talk: Pittsburgh’s version of “Hot Ones”
• 10-Wing Challenge

And you will not want to miss the Fire and Ice Challenge fundraiser for Animal Friends for Veterans, where participants can eat a hot pepper and take a cold plunge in an ice bath — all for a good cause of course!

Lisa has put together a great event, and we can’t wait to see everyone there!

To buy tickets or learn more visit the Pittsburgh’s Rivers of Fire Festival page here.

To read more about Pittsburgh’s saucy history, check our our piece on Heinz.