The craft beer community is an amazing one.

I've said it a hundred times and I'll say it once more – I'm so thankful to be a part of it. In the face of adversity and devastation, craft breweries are among the first to step forward and make efforts to raise awareness and the necessary funds for a variety of causes, from fire relief to natural disasters, and medical research they're supporting it all. My love for craft beer and brewing is obvious, but it's the dedication to supporting our communities that makes up for more than half of why I brew.

A philanthropist by nature, supporting the ALS Therapy Development Institute while leveraging my passion for brewing was an opportunity that I wasn't going to miss. ALS is a truly terrible disease that has touched the lives of too many people, myself included, but we're not giving up on a cure. Knowing firsthand the impact that this disease has on families and patients alike is why Ales for ALS™ is especially important to me. After the loss of my mother, Farida Gonzalez to ALS in August 2018, I sought out more ways to give back and support efforts to find a cure. I truly believe ALS doesn't have to be fatal – the research needed for ending this disease just needs to be funded. I wish no one had a personal connection to ALS, but now that I do, the flame is lit to continue to champion for and support every effort to fund and find a cure for ALS, hopefully in my lifetime.

On behalf of Pilot Brewing Company, we're proud to release “Rebel with a Cause,” a hoppy wheat ale generously dry-hopped with the 2019 Ales for ALS™ hop blend. The name pays tribute to the men and women tirelessly fighting the good fight, never giving up, and standing for what they believe in. In addition, this special brew honors an extraordinary woman and rebel at heart without whom I wouldn't have had the courage to continue pushing boundaries and chasing this craft beer passion of mine – mama, we made it!

Here's to those before us who paved the road for the advancements we have now, to the rebels making progress toward a cure today, to the loved ones who are no longer with us, and to the warriors and their friends and families who continue to battle ALS each day. Let's raise a glass to support this incredible cause and fight together to cure ALS once and for all.

Razia Gonzalez