For any regular at a brewery, finding yourself recognized with your own special beer on the “on tap” menu would be an incredible honor. But, when every pint sold of that beer also supports a cause near and dear to your heart, it’s even more meaningful.
That’s the situation for Teresa Thurtle at her favorite place to grab a beer, HUDL Brewing Company in Las Vegas, NV. Thirsty Thurtle, an easy-drinking pale ale, was brewed as a tribute to her and her family. It was brewed as part of the Ales for ALS™ program—meaning that a dollar from every pint goes to support the critical research to end ALS at the ALS Therapy Development Institute (ALS TDI).
Teresa has been an advocate for Ales for ALS™ for more than ten years, working hard to get her favorite brewers across the country involved in the program. It’s deeply important to her both as a craft beer lover and someone with several personal connections to the disease.
“I come from familial ALS,” she says. “I lost my dad and my grandma to it. I have three brothers, and two of my brothers and I have tested positive for a known ALS gene. I’m also an Air Force veteran, and those who serve in the military are more likely to develop ALS. So, my fight with ALS is twofold—it’s both sides of my family.”
Teresa first began promoting the program when she was stationed in Washington, D.C., helping to put on a major annual Ales for ALS™ fundraiser with a nearby brewery in Baltimore. Later, after a few years stationed in an area of the Florida panhandle with a lack of local craft beer, she moved back to her hometown of Las Vegas. At that time, she says, breweries were starting to “pop up like weeds.” For Teresa, it meant an opportunity to build community with her fellow craft beer lovers—and to spread the word about Ales for ALS™.
“Within a mile radius of where I live, there are nine microbreweries,” she says. “It’s insane right now. All of them know my name. I just walk in and it's ‘cheers’ everywhere I go.”
While there are so many great options a quick walk away, Teresa says HUDL Brewing has developed a special place in her heart.
“I hate to play favorites, but I'm going to the owner's wedding next year, that's how close we all are,” she says. “So, I told them about Ales for ALS™, told them about the hops and everything, and they immediately said yes. There was no hesitation. And because of the local connection, being born and raised in Las Vegas, being someone who goes in there all the time, they named the beer Thirsty Thurtle after me and my family.”
A hallmark of Ales for ALS™ is the annual hop blend—a new combination of hops every year, provided by Yakima Chief Hops and Loftus Ranches. Brewers participating in the program receive the hops for free, in exchange for a donation to support ALS research. This means that many Ales for ALS™ beers are big, bold IPAs that showcase the year’s hop blend. But Teresa says HUDL took a different approach with Thirsty Thurtle, producing a uniquely mellow pale ale.
“What's unique about Thirst Thurtle is that it's not like a Belgian pale ale or an American pale ale,” she says “it's its own kind of pale ale. It’s one of those beers that you just have to try to get it. Some people might think it’s a lager, some would call it a light beer. But it’s perfect for Las Vegas in the summer. It’s very easy to drink. Some people say it’s hop-forward in its smell, but when you drink it, the hops are very subtle.”
When it’s in season, Thirsty Thurtle can be found at HUDL Brewing Company’s taproom in Las Vegas, as well as at several other bars and breweries that serve fine craft beer throughout the city. While HUDL recently kicked the last keg of the 2024 edition, Teresa says beer lovers can expect another batch sometime in Summer 2025. Like each previous edition of the Thirsty Thurtle, every pint will honor Teresa and her family’s legacy by contributing to ALS TDI’s essential research to end ALS.
“My baby brother was 15 when my father passed away,” she says. “No teenager or child should have to lose their parents like that. So, my focus is on a cure. That's what leads me to Ales for ALS™ and ALS TDI. Other organizations might do a little bit for research, but it’s not their 100% focus like at ALS TDI. Through the years I’ve been with ALS TDI, they’ve grown so much—seeing how they work with organizations like Google and pharmaceutical companies, the technology and the forward-thinking approaches they bring to research, that’s what keeps me going.”
To learn more about the Ales for ALS™ program and find a participating brewer near you, click here.
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