John Kretsch has been a member of the Museum of Beer and Brewing for ten years and treasurer since 2004. John is active in the Arrangements Committee and the Membership Committee in addition to his duties as treasurer of the museum.
John has been married to his wife Diane for 37 years. He has one son and three daughters and is happy to report they are all gainfully employed. John attended UW-Madison and has a degree in chemistry. Chemistry is one of John’s passions. He enjoys teaching, showing, talking and
demonstrating chemistry.
He has spoken to brewing groups and provided demonstrations at science events. He enjoys golfing, hiking, brewing beer, card games, traveling and Badger, Brewer, and Packer games. When he is not enjoying a cold Miller High Life on tap, served in a pilsner glass, John enjoys a whiskey and water. His favorite microbrew is a Lakefront Riverwest Stein or a Sprecher Amber. He also enjoys his homebrewed beverages, in particular scotch ales.
John grew up around beer. He grew up in a tavern, well at least above a tavern. His grandfather was set up in a tavern (Kretsch’s in Plymouth, WI) by Joseph Schlitz Brewing Company in 1938. He ran it for many years, turned it over to John’s father who ran it until his death, and his mother continued to run it until 1989. It was in the family for 51 years. John started tending bar when he was 11 and continued until after college. (Oh what could have been!) Working and dealing with people helped bolster his self confidence and ease of being in crowds and doing things under pressure… in the tavern he was usually working alone and had to deal with any number of ‘situations’ that might arise. Think of your own experiences in taverns.
John is currently Vice President of Ace Chemical Products, a supplier of cleaning and sanitation chemicals to the food, beverage, and paper industries. Ace supplies the cleaning compounds breweries use to clean their equipment and to transfer bottles and cans from one part of the brewery to another.
In addition to being a Board member of the Museum of Beer and Brewing and their treasurer, John belongs to the Master Brewers of the Americas, American Chemical Society, Beer Barons Homebrew Club, Wisconsin Breweries Guild, Illinois Craft Brewers Guild, Federation of Environmental Technologists, and the American Society of Brewing Chemists.
There was a natural transition from Master Brewers to the Museum of Beer and Brewing. Friends on the board of the Museum of Beer and Brewing asked him to attend meetings and then to join. His knowledge of the brewing industry and the people associated with that industry convinced him to become an active member. John would like to see the museum find a permanent home in the Milwaukee area, preferably downtown or near visitor activities. He would like to see the museum as a destination for visits to Milwaukee.
