Boathouse Brothers to brew Resilience IPA for fire relief fund

Prior Lake American

The Boathouse Brothers Brewing Company in Prior Lake will join more than 1,000 breweries across the United States in brewing the Resilience Butte County Proud IPA, with proceeds from the beer going toward the Camp Fire Relief Fund.

The Camp Fire wildfire broke out in northern California on Nov. 8. The fire has killed more than 88 people, injured at least 17 people and burned more than 153,300 acres, according to the San Francisco Chronicle and other outlets. The fire was deemed contained on Nov. 25 but caused an estimated $7-13 billion in damages.

The Sierra Nevada Brewing Co., which is based in California, created the Resilience Butte County Proud IPA and the Sierra Nevada Camp Fire Relief Fund to aid the efforts of organizations rebuilding communities affected by the fire.

“We know that the rebuilding process will take time, but we’re in this for the long haul,” Sierra Nevada Brewing Company Owner Ken Grossman wrote on the company’s website. “Our hope is to get Resilience IPA in taprooms all over the country to create a solid start for our community’s future.”

Grossman reached out to breweries across the United States through a letter, asking them to brew the Resilience IPA and donate 100 percent of the proceeds to the relief fund. The company arranged for malt, hops and yeast donations for participating breweries from raw ingredient suppliers as well.

As of Nov. 30, more than 1,000 breweries had volunteered to brew the Resilience IPA. Boathouse Brothers Brewing Company in downtown Prior Lake was one of them.

“From the start, before we even opened, we had the concept in our heads of we wanted a specific line of beers or a specific tap line to be running for charity,” Boathouse Brothers Brewing Company co-owner Emmett Swartout said. “The fact that this one came across as an opportunity to collaborate with breweries nationwide, we thought that would be a fun jumpstart into our foray into the charity beer side of things.”

The supplies for the beer will come from the Brewers Supply Group in Shakopee, which is where the company normally get its malt, hops and yeast. Swartout said he is hoping to have members of the Prior Lake Fire Department help brew the IPA.

“We’re going to take turns mashing it in and making it more of a community effort,” Swartout said. “If five or six are able to make it in and show their support for the fire effort, we thought that would be a nice way to show our community — not just the brewery — was behind everything they’re doing.”

Swartout said he estimates the beer will be ready in early-to-mid January, if not earlier. While each brewery participating in the relief efforts will have the same recipe, each brew will have a different taste.

“Every brewery’s fermentation profile is going to be a bit different,” Swartout said. “There’s thousands of breweries that are brewing up the same beer, but no matter what taproom, you’re going to get a different experience.”

Giesenbräu Bier Co. in New Prague, Angry Inch Brewing in Lakeville, Shakopee Brew Hall in Shakopee, Unmapped Brewing Co. in Edina and Wild Mind Artisan Ales in southern Minneapolis also signed up to brew the Resilience IPA, according to the nationwide map on the Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. website.

“We’ve done a lot of things to support some places here in Shakopee, but this is a way to do an outreach beyond Shakopee,” Shakopee Brew Hall co-owner Ryan Lindquist said. “This definitely falls in line with the ‘share more than a beer’ aspect. This is a real treat to take this on a different scale, and we’re certainly happy to support those in need out in California.”

Both the Shakopee Brew Hall and Boathouse Brothers Brewing Company plan to make one batch of Resilience.

“This gives the experienced craft brew drinking another excuse to go out and enjoy a pint for a good cause,” Swartout said.