MARIA STEIN — Local breweries Moeller Brew Barn in Maria Stein and Lake Rat Brewing in Celina, along with more than 145 breweries in 39 states across the United States, will participate in Ales for ALS this summer, a charitable program that raises money for the ALS Therapy Development Institute (ALS TDI) in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Ales for ALS breweries raise money through sales of unique, limited-edition Ales for ALS beers made from a blend of experimental hops donated by B.T. Loftus Ranches and YCH Hops and through proceeds generated from events and festivals. Since 2013, Ales for ALS breweries have raised more than $1,750,000 for ALS research taking place at ALS TDI.
Moeller Brew Barn is planning an Ales for ALS series of beer, including the Hoppy Heff (May 11 release), Hazy May Ekuanot (May 20), and Shred ALS Saison (June 15).
“The unique blend of Ekuanot hops opens up the product planning playbook for us. We’ve created a few recipes using three different malt bills, three different yeast strains and with the same blend of hops but in different quantities. The Hazy May Ekuanot is our first crack at a New England Style IPA. Hopefully, we knock it out of the park,” said owner Nick Moeller. “My cousin, Jeff Homan, has been battling ALS with his family for a little over a year and is actively trying to #ShredALS. It’s been heartbreaking, but one thing keeps sticking with me: this is not an incurable disease. It’s an underfunded one. Every little bit helps, and $2 of every pint in our taproom will go to Ales for ALS.”
Lake Rat Brewing will brew Lou Brew 2.0, in honor of legendary baseball player Lou Gehrig. Brewmaster Jacob Poeppleman said, “It is the second year of participating in Ales for ALS and this year we are doing a summer time crushable session IPA, as opposed to last year’s highly bittered west coast IPA.” Lake Rat plans to release Lou Brew 2.0 mid-June.
For more information about Ales for ALS, participating breweries, festivals and events, visit www.alesforals.com. For regular updates about the program, including select brewery “takeovers” on Instagram, follow Ales for ALS on Facebook and Instagram.
