Two Hearted Day

August 15th is Two Hearted Day, when we celebrate the release of our beloved American IPA.  Here are seven ways to celebrate Two Hearted Day. Get outside Two Hearted was inspired by the great outdoors, particularly the Two Hearted River in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. A great way to celebrate the day is to get outside, go for a hike, paddle down a river, and enjoy a Two Hearted afterward. Brew some homebrew We got our start as homebrewers, and brewing your first batch isn’t as complicated as you think. We have tips and guides at our General Store on how to get started, as well as Two Hearted (grain kit or extract kit), Light Hearted (grain kit or extract kit), and Double Two Hearted (grain kit or extract kit) clone kits to get you all the ingredients you need. Have a Hearted Family reunion We all fell in love with Two Hearted — but there are more members of the family to meet. Light Hearted Ale is our Lo-Cal IPA that’s aromatic, balanced, full-flavored, and incredibly easy-drinking, all at just 110 calories. Double Two Hearted is a double IPA take on the original. With two and a half times the amount of Centennial hops, Double Two Hearted has intense pine and citrus notes, a resinous hop aroma, and a rich malt character. Cook some Two Hearted inspired food We all know — after a Two Hearted, or two, we start thinking about eating something. Here are some recipes to make some Two Hearted dishes and food that pairs well with our American IPA and Lo-Cal IPA sibling. TWO HEARTED BUFFALO SAUCE TWO HEARTED CHICKEN TACOS OVEN-BAKED TANDOORI TWO HEARTED CHICKEN WINGS GRILLED TROUT WITH CHILI ROASTED BRUSSELS SPROUTS TWO HEARTED VEGGIE AND BRAT GRILL PACKETS TWO HEARTED SPICY CARAMEL CORN LIGHT HEARTED JERK CHICKEN LIGHT HEARTED TEMPURA BATTER LIGHT HEARTED GULF SHRIMP WITH GINGER AND ORANGE STIR FRY Shake up a Two Hearted cocktail It’s hard to have a drink better than Two Hearted… but sometimes you want to mix it up. Here are some recipes for Two Hearted inspired cocktails TWO HEARTED POLOMA TWO HEARTED + GRAPEFRUIT JUICE MAKES AN EASY BEER COCKTAIL THE BITTER BRO (TWO HEARTED) LIGHT HEARTED BEERGARITA   Call a friend and say you ❤️❤️ them Two Hearted is best enjoyed with friends. Given Two Hearted Day is a holiday, pick up the phone and call a friend who you enjoy drinking Two Hearted with and tell them you ❤️❤️ them. Crack a beer, reminisce and plan your next Two Hearted adventure. Attend a Two Hearted celebration Break out of your routines and find a new place to enjoy a Two Hearted at… we have a list of some upcoming events. Oh yeah, and if you want to rock some Two Hearted swag, we got you. Have a happy Two Hearted Day! Be safe, savor the beer and people you’re with. Share your celebration with us by using the hashtag #TwoHeartedDay.

This recipe makes 6-8 servings and is best enjoyed with a Light Hearted (or a few). Ingredients 1tsp cinnamon 1tsp ground nutmeg 2tsp ground All spice 3tsp paprika 2tsp dried thyme Red onion – peeled and rough chop 6 Habanero peppers – remove seeds 2tsp sea salt ¾ C dark brown sugar 1/2 C mustard powder 4 limes, zest and juice 1 head of garlic, peeled ½ C Cider vinegar 1 can of Bell’s Light Hearted or chicken broth 2 whole chickens cut into portions, drumsticks, thigh, breast, bone in cut in half Or 8 chicken thighs/drumsticks Directions In a blender, place all ingredients (except Chicken) and blend until smooth. Place chicken pieces in large bowl or Ziploc bag, cover and coat with marinade, refrigerate overnight, up to 2 days ahead. Place chicken on a foiled tray, removing some of the marinade, bake at 275*F for 25 minutes. Pre heat BBQ grill to medium hot. Remove chicken from oven and finish on the grill until the skin begins charred and golden brown. Do not burn! Remove from grill and serve with rice and beans, grilled corn on the cob and a pint of Bell’s Light Hearted Ale

This coming Saturday, Aug. 15, marks the official debut of Two Hearted in 1997. With a beer like Two Hearted, one day simply isn’t enough so, we’re celebrating all week-long.  Here are lots of ways to join in on the celebration! Bid, win and help support those who need it: We’ve teamed up with the K-Wings to auction off a limited number of special edition Two Hearted jerseys. This is the final week to claim one of these beauties. Go here for more.  Save, save, save: Our General Store has some great promos all-month long and not just on Two Hearted merchandise.  10% off all apparel, now through Aug. 16; discount code is ALLTHEAPPAREL 10% off pet items and bandannas, Aug. 17-23; discount code is FORTHEPETS 10% off all homebrew clone kits, Aug. 24-31; discount code is ATTACKOFTHECLONES Browse our online store.  Cheers at home or wherever you are socially distancing at these days: Our Events Calendar is being updated with event info, specials and more as it is confirmed. Our Beer Finder is always there for you to find the closest Two Hearted and Light Hearted (along with all of our other beers). Pro tip: Just be sure to call ahead to verify availability, just in case.  Double Two Hearted: Yes, it will be back! (How could we celebrate without it?) Just know it will be a little late to the party. Keep an eye on our social media for more before it heads out toward the end of August.  Two Hearted trivia: Help prove how big of a Two Hearted fan you are. We’ll be sharing out some fun facts over on Twitter.  Send some Ale Mail: Use our free postcard service to send some mail to a friend, family member or even yourself. There is a Two Hearted and a Light Hearted option. Send one now.  Recipe collection: We have assembled our favorite ways to use Two Hearted (and Light Hearted) with food, which we all know is one of the best ways to use this beer and others. Check them out.  Two Hearted begins with quality ingredients: How do we source the hops for our beloved IPA? We go right to the farms we work with. Here’s a look at last year’s hop harvest in Yakima.  Celebrate locally: Our Eccentric Cafe will be celebrating Two Hearted Day on Saturday with $1 off Two Hearted pints and trout food specials. And of course our General Store has all your beer needs covered for those in the Kalamazoo area.  Celebrate socially: Share your best Two Hearted photo and/or tell us about your most memorable Two Hearted experience and we may re-share it. Use the hashtag #TwoHeartedDay.  Of course, the best way is to grab a can, bottle or pint and raise a glass with us to you and everyone else who has helped make this beer what it is today. From the farmers who grow quality hops to the brewers, packagers, quality, distributors and retailers, but most importantly, you. With fans like you, we would not be where we are today. Thank you and Happy Two Hearted Day. Cheers! Need help finding some Two Hearted? Our Beer Finder can show you the way. 

There are lots of ways to use this light tempura batter, from veggies to fish and beyond.  INGREDIENTS 2 cups All-purpose flour – sifted Teaspoon of salt 4 egg whites 12oz can of Cold Light Hearted 4oz – ice cold water DIRECTIONS Sift flour into a large mixing bowl with salt. In a separate bowl whisk egg whites until they form a soft peak. Gradually stir in ¾ of the Light Hearted to sifted flour. Add egg whites and fold into flour and beer mixture. Use the remaining Light Hearted and then the ice cold water, folding the batter as you add it, to achieve a perfect tempura batter consistency. Make fresh each time and use immediately, it does not hold up well as you are looking to benefit from the carbon dioxide in the beer and aerated egg whites to have a light and airy batter. Use ice cubes to keep cold if making more than one hour ahead, substitute cold water for ice cubes. Oil for tempura, high quality frying oil , rapeseed or peanut oil 355* - 365* how to use the tempura light hearted batter: It is important to allow vegetables to dry for 30-45 minutes before frying, slice, place on paper towel, turn after 15-20 minutes, this will give you best results. Sweet potato into rounds with the skin on. Sweet Vidalia onion rings, thinner slice than pub style! Eggplant, slice into wide strips lengthwise or in rounds if a large one. Baby zucchini you can leave whole, just cutting off the ends, cut regular zucchini into wide strips. Carrots, slice on a bias nice and thin or into matchsticks. Green beans, leave whole, just cutting off the tops and tail Asparagus, use the tips for best results, 3-4 inches in length. Seafood and meats, again allow meat and seafood to dry for 15-20 minutes before battering and frying, follow same directions as for vegetables; Deveined and butterfly shrimp, leave tail on – 16/20 recommended. Thin fresh chicken strips, 2-3 inches long Thin slice sirloin with soy, garlic and ginger After drying, sprinkle with salt and pepper, I use a little white pepper and fine Himalayan salt mixture and a light dusting of cornstarch to help batter adhere to your food choice . Run vegetables/seafood/meat through the batter and allow excess to fall back into bowl, carefully drop into oil, don’t overcrowd oil when doing Tempura. Fry until cooked, floating, turn over when on the surface. Remove from oil, drain excess cooking oil on absorbent paper. Serve immediately with fine salt, lemon wedges and with a can of Light Hearted Ale. Enjoy!

Summer, grilling, Two Hearted. What more do we need to say? Makes 4 servings. Ingredients 4 Cups sliced/diced veggies (zucchini, pepper, onion, potato, broccoli, mushrooms, etc) 4 Brats, whole or diced 2 tbsp olive oil 1/4 cup Bell's Two Hearted 1 tbsp paprika 1/2 tbsp garlic powder 1 tbsp parsley 1 tbsp oregano Directions Preheat 400 degree oven, grill or campfire. Combine all ingredients. Divide mixture onto 4 sheets of tinfoil and close to form packets. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until brats reach 160 degrees Farenheit and veggies are cooked through. Enjoy with a Two Hearted!

This recipe doesn’t use Two Hearted but it does pair with Two Hearted! 4 servings Ingredients 12 lbs of trout, skin on, cut into 6-8 oz portions 6 Serrano or birds eye chilies, seeded and finely diced 2 lbs Brussels sprouts, cut in half 1 red onion, large diced 4 cloves of garlic, minced ½ cup chopped parsley 1 grapefruit, segmented 2 Tbs olive oil Salt and Pepper to taste Directions Preheat your oven to 400F and turn your grill on. If not using a grill, you can use a cast iron skillet or a stove top grill pan. On a large sheet tray, with parchment paper underneath, mix together the Brussels spouts, onion, garlic, and chilies with the olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Roast the vegetables at 400F for 12-20 minutes or until the Brussels are softened and browning along the edges. While the vegetables are cooking, oil both sides of your fish and season with salt and pepper. Grill the fish, skin side down, for about 5-8 minutes, or until the flesh of the fish has turned opaque along the edges. Flip the fish and finish cooking flesh side down for a few minutes. Once the vegetables come out of the oven, put them into a bowl and mix in the segmented grapefruit and parsley, taste and season with salt and pepper if necessary. Serve the trout, skin side up over a few spoonfuls of the roasted vegetables and a pint of Two Hearted.

Bell’s Brewery and the Kalamazoo Wings have teamed up to help support two local organizations with a special, limited edition Two Hearted hockey jersey auction. Thirty-four jerseys will be available to bid on beginning July 13 and ending the week of Aug. 10, coinciding with our national celebration of Two Hearted Day.  “Unfortunately, the event we were supposed to have back in March was canceled for safety reasons due to COVID-19. Thankfully, by working together, we are still able to support two fantastic organizations with these unique, one-of-a-kind Two Hearted jerseys,” Larry Bell, president and founder of Bell’s Brewery said.  Proceeds raised from this auction will benefit Kalamazoo Friends of Recreation and the Comstock Community Center. The Bell’s Scrambled golf outing, another annual Bell’s event, was also canceled due to COVID-19. As such, proceeds from this auction will also go to supporting that organization. “The K-Wings are very excited to be able to auction these unique Bell's jersey's to the masses.  Due to the nature of not being able to gather we are utilizing our collective social networks to raise monies for two great local community non-profits,” Toni Lentini-Daniels, K-Wings Governor and Director of Business Operations said.  All online jersey auctions will be held through DASH Auction. Seven jerseys will be auctioned off every week leaving six jerseys the final week. Each auction will begin on Monday and end at 11:59 p.m. the following Sunday. A special broadcast will walk viewers through the entire auction process live on the K-Wings’ Facebook page this Monday, July 13, at 10 a.m. The online auction can be found here. Two Hearted has earned the honor of being voted Best Beer in America three years in a row by members of the American Homebrewers Association.  Two Hearted Day celebrates the debut of Two Hearted which was on Aug. 15, 1997. We will celebrate all week long.  Our Two Hearted Night with the Kalamazoo Wings was originally scheduled for March 21.   

Every September, we travel to the Pacific Northwest for our annual hop selection. This is to make sure we’re getting exactly what we want for our beers. During the trip, we meet with many farmers in Oregon and Washington who've become friends over the years. Their hop fields are extensions of our brewery and they care about quality as much as we do.  This is the beginning of Two Hearted.     The beginning of Two Hearted: Bell's Hop Selection from Bell's Brewery on Vimeo.

Good things come in threes. Bell's Two Hearted Caramel Corn recipe is spicy, salty and sweet, making it the perfect snack to satisfy all your cravings!  Bell's Two Hearted Spicy Caramel Corn Yields about 1 gallon ingredients: 15 cups popped plain popcorn (from about 1/2 cup kernels) 1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar 12 TBS unsalted butter, cut into 6 pieces, and more to coat pan 1/4 cup and 2 TBS light corn syrup  1 tsp salt 2 tsp lime zest 10 dashes of hot sauce 1 tsp ground cayenne pepper 1 cup of Two Hearted 1 tsp vanilla extract 1/2 tsp baking soda  Instructions: 1. Preheat oven to 250°F and place popcorn in a large bowl. 2. In a large saucepan, combine the brown sugar, butter, corn syrup, salt, lime zest, hot sauce, cayenne, and Two Hearted. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Boil for 5 minutes.  3. Remove from the heat. Stir in vanilla and baking soda, mix well. Pour over popcorn and stir until well-coated. Pour into two greased 13x9 inch baking pans.  4. Bake, uncovered, at 250°F for 45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes. Cool completely. Store in air tight containers.   

Check out this recipe for one of our favorite foods paired with the Best Beer in America. Cheers! Ingredients 8 bone-in skinless chicken thighs 1 small yellow onion, diced 1 clove of garlic, minced 1 TBS vegetable oil 12 oz. Two Hearted Ale 1-2 cups chicken stock 1 tsp salt 1 tsp black pepper 1 tsp smoked paprika 1 tsp chipotle powder 1/2 tsp sugar Suggested garnish Taco shells Your favorite salsa/slaw Diced onion Cilantro Yields: 12-15 servings  Instructions  1. In a large skillet or saucepan, heat the vegetable oil over high heat. Sear the chicken on both sides, add the onion and garlic and cook until the onion is slightly translucent. Add all of the spices and stir to make sure everything is coated. 2. Deglaze the pan with Two Hearted Ale and 1 cup of the chicken stock and bring to a boil. If chicken isn’t fully covered with liquid, add more of the chicken stock. 3. Lower the heat so that the chicken is simmering in the liquid. Cook for about 15-20 minutes, or until the chicken can be shredded. 4. Once cooked, pull the chicken out of the liquid (use tongs or a slotted spoon as the chicken will be hot), pull the chicken off the bone and shred. Put chicken back in liquid and you are ready to have some delicious tacos! 5. Pour yourself a pint of Two Hearted, you deserve it! Download a PDF of this recipe.