Some people drink beer just because; but it may be better to drink beer for a just cause.
One such is “Ales for ALS,” a fundraiser to support research into Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS, also known as "Lou Gehrig's disease"). There will be a Sonoma County introduction to Ale for ALS on June 3 at Santa Rosa's Third Street Aleworks.
Over 40 craft breweries in 15 states have offered to brew special beers with a proprietary hop blend, and they will donate a portion of the sales to ALS Therapy Development Institute (ALS TDI). You can see the ingredients and proportions on the Ale for ALS website.
The idea came from Cheryl and Mike Smith, owners of B.T. Loftus Ranches in Yakima, Wash., who grow hops for the craft brewing industry. Currently, two of Cheryl’s family members are living with ALS, and a long line of family members dating back to her great-great grandmother have succumbed to the disease.
B.T. Loftus and Hopunion donated the hops for experimental blend. From these hops, participating brewers will brew a unique beer and donate a minimum of $1 per pint to fund ALS drug development taking place at ALS TDI. Target brew availability is June and July 2013.
The blend was co-designed by local brewery Russian River’s Vinnie Cilurzo, and their “Ale for ALS” will be poured at a special tasting event in Santa Rosa on June 3 to highlight the Ale for ALS program.
The other beers featured will be “Red Racer” from the Bear Republic and “ALS Brown” from Third Street Ale Works. The three brews will be available side by side, with tasty snacks created to complement them.
The event goes from 6 – 8 p.m. on Sunday, June 3, at the Third Street Aleworks (610 Third Street, Santa Rosa). Tickets are $15 and can be bought at the three participating breweries.
Other participating Northern California breweries include Iron Springs Pub & Brewery (Fairfax), Drakes Brewing (San Leandro), Sierra Nevada Brewing (Chico), Faction (Oakland), and Triple Rock (Berkeley).
ALS is a degenerative nerve disease that leads to paralysis, due to the death of motor neurons in the spinal cord and brain. The average person survives only 2-5 years following diagnosis; there are about 30,000 people in the US diagnosed with ALS today, and 5,000 more diagnosed every year.
There is no known cure.
The ALS Therapy Development Institute is the world's leading ALS research organization and aims to discover and develop effective treatments and a cure for ALS. The Massachusetts-based drug development institute operates as a 501c3 nonprofit, “combining the optimal entrepreneurial practices of a biotechnology and pharmaceutical company with the passion and urgency of a nonprofit mission.” For more information, visit www.als.net.
