Last month, we selected Brewed with Heart as our Pours for a Purpose organization to coincide with the release of Wee Heavy and Little Black Rain Cloud, two collaboration beers supporting Brewed with Heart. A portion of proceeds from the sales of these beers along with $1 from every pour on Thursdays went back to Brewed with Heart, and we were so thrilled to present a check to Brewed with Heart and thank them for their partnership.

Brewed with Heart Collaboration History

Lupulin Brewing Company selected Brewed with Heart as our February 2021 Pour for A Purpose organization to support their cause of helping families and children with congenital heart disease. We had a successful month of supporters on our Thursday nights during the month and were able to provide a donation of $485.00. 

As we all shared beers together in 2021, plans were already being formulated for February 2022 to create Brewed with Heart beers.  

This year, the collaboration involved Boathouse Brewing Company from Prior Lake with raw materials being donated by BSG (Brewers Supply Group) in Shakopee, MN.

Lupulin: What is Little Black Rain Cloud and what is the story behind this beer?

Brewed with Heart – Abi Connor: Little Black Rain Cloud is the Scotch barrel-aged version of Wee Heavy. Brewed in 2020 and aged in non-peated Scotch barrels for 12 months, this beer was created in honor of a special young lady, Andrea, who left this world far too soon due to a cardiac defect. Andrea’s favorite movie was Winnie the Pooh, and the scene where Pooh pretends to be a rain cloud to get honey always made her laugh. Look closely and you can find the “little black rain cloud” floating through the sky.

Little Black Rain Cloud is the Scotch barrel-aged version of Wee Heavy. Brewed in 2020 and aged in non-peated Scotch barrels for 12 months, this beer was created in honor of a special young lady, Andrea, who left this world far too soon due to a cardiac defect. Andrea’s favorite movie was Winnie the Pooh, and the scene where Pooh pretends to be a rain cloud to get honey always made her laugh. Look closely and you can find the “little black rain cloud” floating through the sky.

Lupulin: Can you tell us about Wee Heavy and how this collaboration came to be?

Brewed with Heart – Emmett Swartout: The Wee Heavy collab was a brew roughly a year in the making.  At least that’s how long ago Abi recommended Brewed with Heart as a possible donation recipient of the Pours for a Purpose in February of ‘21.  We were also very honored when the Lupulin crew approached us about repeating the benefit program the following year as well.  The decision to brew a Wee Heavy style Scotch Ale was based around the Brewed with Heart beer we’ve done at Boathouse Brothers a few times over the past few years, “Doctor Punch”.  Sitting down with Aaron, we sort of blended the grain bill from Doctor Punch and Lupulin’s past recipes to settle in on something that would work well on both the 10bbl system in Big Lake and the 3bbl setup in Prior Lake.

Lupulin: How did Brewed with Heart get started and can you tell us what it is?

Brewed with Heart – Emmett Swartout:  Brewed with Heart started as a concept while my wife and I were in the hospital with our newborn son.  I was in the process of trying to get Boathouse Brothers up and running at the time and had planned on doing a home-brew batch to share with friends and family using things like his birth weight or labor time to design certain aspects of the grain bill or mash length.  At about 8 hours old, he was diagnosed with a form of CHD called Hypo-plastic Left Heart Syndrome and recommended for immediate open-heart surgery.  It put my plans for a few extra brew days during paternity leave on hold but when we finally did get back to the tanks, I had a new plan for Soren’s beer.  I made a “Soren Saison” using grains and hops that represented the German and Czech heritage of my wife and I. Since most kiddos with heart conditions are usually lower in oxygen levels, they sometimes get the nickname “blue babies” due to the coloring in their lips and fingers.  I still wanted to use his birth weight in some way so we added 6lbs 15oz of blueberries to every barrel of the saison.  

Brewed with Heart had become a series of beers I knew I was going to brew on rotation when we opened the brewery. We wanted to find a way to give back and help other families like ours affected by CHD.  A few years later, a mutual friend told Ann and I that we had to meet Abi and Matt.  The next spring Abi brought in a recipe that she wanted to add to the series. It was a Wee Heavy Scotch Ale to represent her sister’s strong fighting spirit.

Since then, we’ve added several more beers to the Brewed with Heart series and give ten percent of the profits to a variety of charities and research teams helping CHD kids live better lives.

Lupulin: Where will these funds raised be used?

Brewed with Heart – Emmett Swartout : Abi and I have an almost unfathomable appreciation for what The Ronald McDonald House Charities has done for both of our families, and millions others like us, over the years.  Last year’s donation went directly to the Upper Midwest chapter of the RMHC and we see no reason that this year should be any different.  We’ll be bringing up a load of “pop” tabs as well when we deliver the check.  So, if you picked up a few crowlers of the Wee Heavy, be sure to save that tab.

We want to thank everyone that has purchased both of these beers since the start of February and have attended our Thursday night “Pour for a Purpose”.  We’re excited to announce that through all the avenues of donations, we were happy to present a check to Brewed with Heart for $7,500. 

Little Black Rain Cloud 750 ml bottles are still available, along with crowlers of Wee Heavy as to-go options, and both of these beers are available on draft to enjoy with friends in our taprooms.