Bell’s Celebrates Debut of Two Hearted with a Week-Long Celebration

By Bell's Brewery on August 10, 2020

This week, Bell’s Brewery is celebrating the anniversary of its classic American IPA, Two Hearted Ale.

Two Hearted Day, August 15, marks the day that Two Hearted Ale debuted in 1997. This is the second annual celebration of Bell’s iconic IPA that has been voted Best Beer in America three years in a row by members of the American Homebrewers Association.

“Two Hearted Ale is a special beer for so many,” said Larry Bell, president and founder of Bell’s Brewery. “This week-long celebration is also a way to honor everyone who has helped to make this beer what it is, including all of our incredibly passionate fans. From the brewers to those who package, sell, ship and stock this beer to the fans who love it, without them, this beer wouldn’t be what it is today.”

Specials and events are planned all week-long; details will be added to Bell’s website as details are confirmed. See what’s happening in your area on the Bell’s Event Calendar. From recipes to homebrew clone kits to specials at Bell’s pub, the Eccentric Cafe, fans of Two Hearted can find multiple ways to celebrate this week on Bell’s website: bellsbeer.com.

The Bell’s General Store is offering special discounts online all month-long:

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

Bell’s has also partnered with it’s local hockey team, the K-Wings, to auction special, limited edition Two Hearted jerseys. Proceeds will go to local Kalamazoo organizations that help those in need. Additional details can be found here. Bids can be placed here. This is the final week for the auction.

The eagerly sought after Double Two Hearted (11% Alc. by Vol.) will also return soon; fans can expect it to start arriving on store shelves and in coolers toward the end of August.

Two Hearted is a special beer for Bell’s and many beer lovers. A defining American-style India Pale Ale, Two Hearted is brewed with just one hop: Centennial. Its significant malt body balances the hop presence and results in a a remarkably drinkable IPA.

It has been a go-to beer for so many, year after year.

As fans enjoy a Two Hearted this week, here are some fun facts about Bell’s American IPA:

The first version of Two Hearted debuted in the late 1980s as a pale ale brewed with English malt and Wisconsin grown hops (the two “hearts”).
Named after the Two Hearted River in the U.P., the original recipe was designed for fishing trips up north.
In 2015, Bell’s brewed a “throwback” version for its 30th Anniversary Funvitational Beer Festival, called OG Twoey, that paid tribute to that original recipe.
The Two Hearted we know and love today debuted in 1997 as a winter seasonal. In 2003, it became a year round offering and surpassed Oberon as Bell’s best-seller in 2013.
Today, it is brewed with one single hop variety: Centennial.
There have been at least seven variations on Two Hearted:
- Double Two Hearted: A double IPA that first debuted in bottles in 2019.
- OG Twoey: a take on the original Two Hearted recipe.
- Spruce Hearted: brewed with spruce tips and birch syrup,
- Honey Hearted: Two Hearted aged in barrels, fermented with honey and champagne yeast.
- New Hearted: an Eccentric Café exclusive that was dry hopped in a similar way as a Hazy IPA.
- Light Hearted: a low calorie IPA, originally a General Store Exclusive, debuted as a year-round offering in January and is now available in 6-packs and 12-packs of 12 oz. cans across Bell’s distribution footprint.
- In February of this year, a limited release of Black Hearted, a Black IPA, was offered for Valentine’s Day at Bell’s General Store.
Two Hearted was Named No. 1 beer in America by members of the American Homebrewer’s Association and Zymurgy Magazine three years in a row (2017-19). This is significant and important to Bell’s because homebrewing is how the brewery got its start.
Debuted in cans in 2014. Available in a wide variety of packaging options that now also include 19.2 oz cans.