WASHINGTON — Northern Virginia craft brewers are gathering in Lorton on Thursday to create a special batch of beer as a fundraiser for a colleague with cancer.
“When Kerri [Rose] was pregnant, we were excited for Matt and Kerri because they’d been trying for a long period of time, but unfortunately that excitement turned to sadness when she found out she had Stage 4 stomach cancer,” says Casey Jones, CEO of Fair Winds Brewing Co.
Kerri Rose experienced extreme fatigue and other symptoms during her pregnancy but wasn’t diagnosed with stage 4 adenocarcinoma until a month before giving birth last September.
Now, baby Lance is fine. And Kerri Rose and husband Matt Rose, who own Forge Brew Works in Lorton, are doing the best they can.
“She’s having a tough time,” Jones says of Kerri Rose, who is hospitalized in Intensive Care.
To raise money for Rose’s medical bills, 19 brewers are gathering at Fair Winds Brewing Co. to brew 30 barrels of beer. They chose a Belgium Pale Ale to honor the Rose family’s style and approach to brewing.
“We’ll then go on to ferment it. And then keg it up for each of the participants and have it back to their tap rooms to be served on the weekend starting Friday, Jan. 29,” Jones says.
“Buy a pint and the money goes to helping this young woman, this young mother fight cancer,” Jones explains.
The following Northern Virginia brewers are participating:
- Adroit Theory Brewing Company
- Adventure Brewing Company
- Bad Wolf Brewing Company
- Caboose Brewing Company
- Capitol City Brewing Company
- Corcoran Brewing Company
- Crooked Run Brewing
- Fair Winds Brewing Company
- Forge Brew Works
- Heritage Brewing Company
- Lost Rhino Brewing Company
- Mad Fox Brewing Company
- Ocelot Brewing Company
- Old Bust Head Brewing Company
- Old Ox Brewery
- Ornery Beer Company
- Port City Brewing Company
- Spencer Devon
- Tin Cannon Brewing Company
Learn more about Kerri Rose’s condition and situation at her Go Fund Me page.
WTOP’s Max Smith contributed to this report.
