Brewery crafts ‘The Ish IPA’ to raise money for family of fallen Deputy Brian Ishmael
A local brewery has dedicated a beer to a fallen officer to raise funds for his family.
Solid Ground Brewing unveiled a new beer Wednesday in honor of El Dorado County sheriff’s Deputy Brian Ishmael. It was a unexpected success, selling out all 11 kegs during a fundraising event.
People turned out in droves to the Diamond Springs brewery to sample “The Ish IPA,” a dark lager with an ABV of 6.8 percent named by Ishmael’s family. Owner KC Sare said the brewery anticipated selling about two kegs worth Wednesday, but it was all gone by night’s end. The brewery said it doesn’t have plans to make more of the beer.
According to Sare, the close-knit nature of the community was a key reason for its selection as the brewery’s location by he and other owners. That was evident Wednesday. Sare said on a typical day, 25 percent of its revenue comes from returning customers, but The Ish’s unveiling pushed that number over 60 percent. Also, there was a large turnout from law enforcement and others in the community.
Who was Brian Ishmael?
Ishmael, 37, was fatally shot in the line of duty Oct. 23 while responding to a call in the town of Somerset, a rural community about 10 miles southeast of Placerville.
Prior to his career in law enforcement, Ishmael attended Ponderosa High School and was honored in 2000 by the El Dorado Union High School District for outstanding effort and achievement in trades and industry, according to The Bee’s archives.
Sare said many members of the community knew Ishamel prior to his time in law enforcement.
“Well obviously, it’s a small community,” Sare said. “We have a lot of officers who come in. My wife is a teacher here and as soon as it happened we wanted to do something to help.
“When something happens in a small community, it leaves a real wound.”
Sare said Ishamael’s favorite at the brewery was Clouds Rest, a hazy IPA with a 6.5 percent ABV. He added that the brewery’s house IPA typically sells four kegs a week. On Wednesday, once The Ish sold out, the brewery turned to its Black Desert IPA to continue generating funds for the officer’s memorial fund, which came out to approximately $8,000 for the night during what Sare called the brewery’s busiest day.
Sare said that he made sure to clear the idea with the Sheriff’s Office prior to planning the event, but had no idea the Monday Facebook post would generate such enthusiasm in two days.
“We had a line out the door by 11. We don’t open until noon,” Sare said. “Stuff like this is why we built the brewery here.”