Beer of the Week: Krushin’ on Ketch(am)

It’s easy for a beer enthusiast to believe they are super-familiar with the individuals working at breweries throughout the county. After all, you read San Diego Beer News to keep up on the sudscape (thank you very much for that!) and religiously read this outlet’s Portrait of a Brewer Q&A features. But the truth is, there are tons of brewing professionals toiling behind the scenes that you’ve never heard of. Heck, even I – someone who’s covered the San Diego beer industry for nearly two decades – don’t know everyone, despite my efforts to dig in and the frequency with which I work with local fermentationists. Don’t worry, as most brewers will tell you, they didn’t get into this line of work to be famous. Some even prefer life in the shadows. Still, there are some folks whose anonymity is near criminal given how much they’ve accomplished, not just for themselves but the local industry and its members. The most obvious case I can think of is that of Kris Ketcham. A 20-plus-year veteran of Stone Brewing who has been managing the 10-barrel brewery at the company’s Liberty Station location since it opened (13 years ago today, as a matter of fact), Ketcham has brewed by far the largest number of new and unique beers than any of his coworkers past or present. The Great American Beer Festival and World Beer Cup medals Stone has racked up over the years…they were garnered by his creations. On top of all that, he’s likely collaborated with more people – brewers, homebrewers, celebrities and everyday people – than anyone in the county. In short, dude’s a beast…and about the nicest guy you could ever hope to meet. And while you may not be familiar, San Diego brewers know and respect him. An example of that admiration is presented in liquid form via this week’s featured beer, Krushin’ on Ketch(am). A rare triple-pun brew, it references its primary hop, Krush, as well as the name of the Kearny Mesa brewery where it was crafted, Ketch Brewing, and, of course, the brewer called in to collaborate on the recipe, Ketcham. But there are plenty of other interesting aspects beyond naming conventions, starting with the fact this beer represents a mash-up of styles, one of which is a Bavarian hefeweizen. When I first got into beer, I really loved these hazy wheat-enriched ales. As the style became more popular (yes, there was a time when they were popular, young whipper-snappers), much as they did with hops, craft brewers went heavier and heavier with the style’s inherent yeast-born banana- and clove-like character. In this beer, Ketch and Ketcham exercised restraint on that front, aiming to replace those trademark flavors with the peachy, citrus character of the aforementioned Krush hops. The result is a lovely beer with the tastebud-enrobing charm of a hefe, plus the hop allure and drinkability of an American wheat ale. Kudos to Ketch, not just for brewing up something fun and unique, but for bringing in a local legend and shining a brighter spotlight on him than he typically enjoys.

We brewed this wheat/pale ale hybrid beer to be hoppy and refreshing. It was fermented with a clean, neutral yeast strain, foregoing the classic banana and clove notes associated with traditional wheat beers in favor of vibrant Krush hops, giving off aromas of pear, nectarine and ripe honeydew melon. We also layered in a little Centennial to keep a classic element in the hop profile. For malt, we used a blend of red and white wheat for fresh baked bread character, and a little Cara-Ruby sprinkled in to add a subtle orange hue. It was a fun beer to put together, and it’s an easy one to keep drinking!”

Sam Billheimer, Head Brewer & Director of Brewing Operations, Ketch Brewing

Getting to brew with Sam and his team at Ketch Brewing has been on my radar for a long time. Not only do they make tasty award-winning beer, but they also have a really awesome name for a brewery. Krushin’ On Ketch(am) is a wonderful collaboration brew that brings the best Ketch’s from the brewing industry together. This American pale wheat is a sort of throwback to the classic American-style hefeweizen blended with the hazy pale ales of today. The haze is 100% brought on by the heavy proteins from the wheat malts we used. The Krush and Centennial hops layer in some stone-fruit, melon and citrus character, while the neutral yeast strain lets the wheat character shine through. The wheat flavor is something you will notice right from the start en route to a refreshing, easy-drinking experience. This is part one of two collaboration brews between Ketch and Stone. Stay tuned for our second collaboration, Gotta Krush Em’ All, a Krush-hopped kölsch that we brewed at Stone’s Liberty Station location.”

Kris Ketcham, Senior Manager Brewing & Innovation – Liberty Station, Stone Brewing

Ketch Brewing is located at 7889 Ostrow Street in Kearny Mesa, with bar-and-grill locations inside Portside Pier at 1360 North Harbor Drive in downtown San Diego and 2614 Shelter Island rive in Point Loma