Fresh Hop Pocket Rocket Kölsch

Name: Fresh Hop Pocket Rocket

Style: Fresh Hopped Kölsch

ABV: Less than 0.5% ABV 

Quantity: 4pack/16oz. cans

Description: Do y’all remember three years ago, when a bunch of asshats were in a race to see who could become the first billionaire in space, while the rest of us struggled to survive in a world completely ravaged by a pandemic, all while huge corporations profiteered off of us? Self Care remembers. And now, three years later - those billionaires are even richer (no…really…we couldn’t be more happy for them...).

So, to celebrate their obscene levels of wealth, we’re bringing back our Pocket Rocket Kölsch, in order to provide a pocket sized “liquid ego stroke for us common folk”. And we’re sprucing it up with fresh, local, whole cone hops from our friends at Roy Hop Farms in Yakima Valley. Like…we literally brewed with their hops the same day they were harvested. Let’s see you do that, Bezos!

These days, everything seems like a race in this space (or, a “space race”, if you will) to try to do the next coolest thing in non-alcoholic beer. In fact, the non-alcoholic beer industry almost feels like the leaded beer industry of six or seven years ago. By that, we mean that breweries are going to excess for the sake of excess, in order to turn heads and get the WOW factor. You know. Kind of like those billionaires in their cute little phallic rocket ships.

And while we do like to dabble in “WOW”, we also like to dabble in nuance. No offense to the great Marshawn Lynch, but at Self Care we’re not just “all about that action, boss”. We like action. But we also like a good love story.

And this love story starts with a hefty amount of fresh, whole cone Adeena hops, delicately balanced with the malty-sweet honey notes that one gets from an authentic Kölsch barley. We also added a smidge of mash hopping with an old school American noble hop, along with two small hop additions in the kettle, in order to get the minimum bitterness required for a proper Kölsch. Keeping the kettle hop modest let the fresh hop steep do a little bit of sweet talking, which made for a beer that is more balanced, and less bitter on the finish. A light finish that dances on the tongue with floral aromatics that provide a tiny charge of lemon and lavender.

The fresh hop flavor is present enough to enjoy Pocket Rocket right now with all of it’s fresh-hopped goodness - a vibrant flavor that simply cannot be replicated using pelletized hops. And we recommend that’s when you drink it- now! But this beer also can hide out for a while in the back of your fridge, and months later when you dig it out from behind way too many condiments, be the most balanced can of non-alcoholic beer you’ve ever had.

WARNING: similar to many juices, kombucha, and other beverages you'll find in the grocery store, this product has not been pasteurized, and therefore may contain harmful bacteria that can cause serious illness in children, the elderly, and persons with weakened immune systems.

PLEASE NOTE: like other beverage industries have been doing for centuries, we mitigate the potential for bacterial growth in other ways, rather than to pasteurize and destroy the nuanced flavors that make our beer stand out from many pasteurized non-alcoholic beer offerings, though we do acknowledge pasteurization is the most effective way to inhibit bacterial growth, or potential for refermentation in the can. Risk may be exacerbated by prolonged warm storage, so to mitigate risk, always cold-store Self Care immediately upon receipt, and avoid exposure to extreme heat.