Brewing for good

“The story actually dates to 2019 before we were open,” recalls Jamie Minotti, managing partner at My Yard Live, which recently released 4 Wise Dudes Winter IPA, a collaboration with 4DUDESBREW. “I received an email from a woman who was advocating for her son to get an internship with us. She shared that she had seen an article about My Yard Live Beer Co. opening, and that her son James Zoul, who had a love for beer, had been looking for a place to intern, and ultimately work. James, who has been with us now since our first training day with him in 2019, has Down syndrome. The pandemic and the years have passed, and James has continued to be a key team member in moving us toward the organization we have strived to become in the community.” 

The 7% ABV IPA marks the fourth time My Yard Live has partnered with 4DUDESBREW, which is made up of four adults with developmental disabilities — Zoul and three of his friends since childhood, Nick Bahen, Mike Roth, and Matt Zimmerman. It was brewed with Centennial, Amarillo, and Chinook hops to provide a balanced, hop-forward flavor with citrus and tropical notes upfront, giving way to a resinous and piney taste. An addition of crystal malts provides both a sweetness to balance out the abundance of hops and an amber hue.

Past collaborations include 4DUDESBREW West Coast IPA in December 2021, Quatro Amigos MX Lager in May 2022, and Hazy Dudes Hazy IPA in February 2023. Quatro Amigos was so popular that it is being re-brewed to become part of My Yard Live’s core lineup, and will soon be available in cans. 

While the collaboration has been fruitful on the beer side, there is more to it than that. Minotti expounds, “I have a background in education and human services, and my father was a special education teacher and ran a camp for people with special needs, so I grew up with, and around, people with special needs my whole life. When releasing that first beer, we had lots of guidance from the 4DUDES parents and support team. We wanted to make sure we were respecting them and the process as a whole. Our Brewmaster, Shaggy, was militant in making sure the guys were involved in the process — from choice of style, to hop selection, to cutting and pouring malt bags. This isn’t, nor was it ever, about selling beer; it’s about ongoing efforts that we hold dear to our mission and offering an outlet for the 4DUDES to show just how cool they are as people and community members. This is why a portion of the proceeds of the sales go into a fund, and the 4DUDES decide to what organizations and causes they would like to donate.”

After 4 Wise Dudes Winter IPA is tapped, Minotti estimates that just under $15,000 will have been donated to charities of the 4DUDES’ choosing, including REINS Therapeutic Horsemanship Program, ALS Foundation, Big Shrimp Foundation, Southern California Care Community, and the Agua Hedionda Lagoon Foundation.