BetterBeerBlog Lupulin for Lupus Fundraiser

Here is a copy and paste of a blog post of BetterBeerBlog for a fundraiser.  Peter is a great blogger and beer advocate for the Bay Area.  Hope to see some of you there.

2011 Lupulin for Lupus Fundraiser

Tied House Brewery & Cafe has been kind enough to allow us to host our annual Lupulin for Lupus “Pint Night” Fundraiser at their brewpub for the second year in a row. This page is to be a “living document” for the fundraiser. As some details become more concrete, the changes will be reflected on this page. So please bookmark this page for your reference. Details below:

Who: Tied House Brewing Company
What: Lupulin for Lupus 2011
Where: 954 Villa Street, Mountain View, CA 94041 map
When: Friday, October 7, 2011 @ 5pm
Cost: No cost to go, just pay for the beers that support the fundraiser.

What is the fundraiser?

The fundraiser is incredibly simple: buy a beer and help the cause. Tied House holds a regular “First Friday Firkin” in which they tap a cask of real ale on the first Friday of every month. Just buy a pint of the beer from any of the donated firkins and you’ll be doing your part to help find a cure for lupus. All proceeds will benefit the Lupus Foundation of America. If you don’t want to wait until the fundraiser to donate, you can do so directly to the Lupus Foundation of America by clicking here.

What is Lupus?

Systemic lupus erythematosus, better known as lupus, is a chronic, autoimmune disease. In the most simple of terms, people with lupus have bodies that attack itself. These attacks, or flares, can happen to any part of their bodies at any time. Some of the more common organs attacked include: the heart, joints, skin, lungs, blood vessels, liver, kidneys and the nervous system. Lupus is also known as “the great imitator” as symptoms of the disease are often mistaken for other diseases.  It is sometimes known as “the invisible illness”, many people who suffer from lupus appear as if nothing is wrong on the outside but are suffering greatly within.
Lupus can be fatal. Although, with the proper diagnosis, the disease is highly treatable. Despite this, lupus has no cure. Many of the treatments today are focused on reducing flares as well as treating the individual symptoms.
No one knows for sure what causes lupus but there are several factors that contribute to it’s development: genetics, environmental triggers and reaction to drugs. Lupus is non-communicable, which means that it’s not contagious.

What is Lupulin?

Lupulin is the name of the glands within hops that produce a resin that contains the essential alpha acids and essential oils that contribute hop bitterness, flavor and aroma to beers. I thought that since “lupu” is in “lupulin” and “lupus”, it would be great to combine both for the fundraiser. Kinda cheesy, I know, but it is the most appropriate for what I’m doing and what I’m doing it for.

Who is Karen?

Karen is the key, she is the inspiration and the reason I am doing this. Karen is a close friend of the BetterBeerBlog family. I’ve actually known her since she was 5, maybe 6 years old and she also happens to be Mrs. BetterBeerBlog’s BFF (best friend forever, in case you weren’t sure.) Karen is also living with lupus. But she isn’t the only one. This fundraiser is for her and for everyone else living with lupus.
Read more about Karen’s story in her own words at her Lupus Foundation of America Page of Hope.

Participating Breweries

The kindness and generosity of my local breweries never ceases to amaze me. Our little fundraiser would not be if it weren’t for the breweries below. Please take the time to click on the links below to learn more about these breweries and consider buying a pint or bottle of their beer next time you see them. If you’re a brewery and would like to participate in our little fundraiser, please email me at betterbeerblog[at]gmail[dot]com and we can discuss what you have in mind.

Tied House – Big thanks goes out to the Tied House for continuing to give this fundraiser a home. We can’t thank Carolyn, Sabio and Peter enough for helping us out. For the fundraiser, Tied House will have a firkin of their Maltopia Strong Scotch ale, perfect for those of you who aren’t into hops as I am.

Drake’s Brewing – My sincerest appreciation goes to Drake’s Brewing for participating in our fundraiser this year. Thank you John, Kelsey and Alexandra. Drake’s will be bringing a cask-conditioned firkin of their Alpha Session, a 3.8% NorCal Bitter brewed with Cascade, Citra, Summit and Simcoe and dry-hopped with Galaxy, Citra, and CTZ.

Firehouse Brewery & Grill – Firehouse brewmaster Steve Donohue will be back again this year with a firkin of pale ale dry-hopped with El Dorado hops! I don’t think I’ve tried these hops before so I’m definitely looking forward to this!

Sponsors

Local businesses are the lifeblood of our communities. They provide the goods and services necessary to keep our communities going. We had several, outstanding local business donate to help our fundraiser last year. If you’re interested in helping to sponsor our event this year, please shoot me an email at betterbeerblog[at]gmail[dot]com. Thank you!
Wine Affairs -Ever feel a bit overwhelmed when browsing a wine shop or restaurant menu? How do you know which to choose? Is the wine worth the price, and more importantly will you like it? Wine Affairs answers those questions. Our mission is to take the guess work out of buying wine. Just minutes from downtown, Wine Affairs is the ideal place to meet friends, business associates or even that special someone.