Today we’d like to introduce you to Cameron Ball.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Cameron. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I started home brewing in San Luis Obispo while studying Civil Engineering. After graduating, I moved back to my hometown in San Diego and began working as an engineering and brewing a lot more homebrew. People loved my homebrew and said I should take it to market. I really enjoyed the art and science that goes with brewing and decided to put my engineering to use and build a brewery.
I began renovating an old brick building with a wood trussed roof because atmosphere was a top priority along with epic beer. I bought a brew house made in America by Americans from Portland Kettle Works because I wanted to give back to the country that allowed me to follow my dream of starting a brewery. I wanted to show everyone in the brewery the brewing process from where our grain is stored/milled, the brew house, all our fermentation and also where the beer is poured from. The only walls we have are bathroom walls and everything else is completely visible. I wanted to create an atmosphere that paralleled the quality of our beer. After 14 months of building, our first beers poured out of the taps and people were stoke on the beer.
Since then, Helix has been brewing many different styles of beer and also venturing out into sour/wild ales with 100% barrel fermented sour beer. Brewing is an art and science and brewing many different styles of beer keeps it fun and keeps me learning.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
There is no clear path to start a business or a checklist that can be followed. Yes, there are some key necessities that you need like a building, a brew house, somewhere to ferment and a place to serve beer, but after that it’s all about doing what you love and following the path that keeps a smile on my face and allows me to continue my hobby and not a think of it as a job. As owner, I don’t have anyone telling me what I should or should not do. I do what challenges me and keeps my brain working. A struggle is only a testament that one can succeed. An engineer’s mind is structured to take a known problem and a desired solution and figure out how to get from the problem to the solution. It is never easy, but good things come with tenacity and passion.
Please tell us about Helix Brewing Co.
Helix Brewing Co is a small local brewery in San Diego, CA, specializing in fresh local independent beer. Helix is known for quality beer that rotate frequently and a comfortable atmosphere to enjoy the beers in with friends and family. Helix is different from others in the sense that we don’t have beers that we have to brew in order to make quotas or make distributors happy. We brew what we want, when we want and with the ingredients we want to use. We like brewing when the tasting room is open so people can grab a beer and watch, smell and listen to the brewing process while enjoying that fresh beer.
Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
As a child I always loved building. I remember watching people build things like homes or other big buildings. I was always interested in how things work. I built Legos and K’Nex probably every day while also playing sports. This translates into my passion for building things (like a brewery or beer recipes) and also enjoying the outdoors (running trails with my dog, swimming, hiking or disappearing in the mountains).
Pricing:
- Beers range from $4-$6
Contact Info:
- Address: Helix Brewing Co
8101 Commercial St
La Mesa, CA 91942 - Website: drinkhelix.com
- Phone: 619.741.8447
- Email: contact@drinkhelix.com
- Instagram: @helixbrewingco
- Facebook: facebook.com/helixbrewingco
- Twitter: helixbrewingco
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/helix-brewing-la-mesa-2
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