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Hooksett’s White Birch Brewery releases a new ale for Alzheimer’s

White Birch Brewery in Hooksett has released its third batch of “Unforgettable” beer in support of the Alzheimer’s Association. The beer is notable for its purple container, the Alzheimer’s Association color, and 50 cents of every bottle purchased will go directly toward funding Alzheimer’s care programs and research.

“Heather from the Alzheimer’s Association office in Bedford really spearheaded the Unforgettable line of beer,” said Bill Herlicka, founder of White Birch Brewery. “Our first batch was released June 15 and sold out. We’ve received overwhelming support.”

“The cool thing about it is the beer is actually really good,” said Heather Carroll, the coordinator of programs and advocacy at the Bedford office for Alzheimer’s Association. “I got to help pick out the hop for the beer, or the beer’s base. I choose a warrior hop, which has a tangerine, wild fruit and oats base. I thought warrior was appropriate for the cause. The beer is usually customized Belgian ale, but this line of beer seems fruitier than what they typically brew.”

Carroll has been working for the Alzheimer’s Association since January but has volunteered for the organization for 13 years. According to Carroll, the idea for the beer came from working on the Memory Ride event, which is a 100-mile bike ride from Fort Devins to New Hampshire in support of Alzheimer’s research.

“We had our first New Hampshire team of four New Hampshire guys who like to drink beer and ride bikes,” Carroll said. “I was looking for a place to hold the kick-off event and wanted somewhere that supports that demographic. Once I approached White Birch Brewery, Bill told me he had a personal connection to Alzheimer’s, and that’s when the idea for the beer came about.”

“My wife’s grandmother had Alzheimer’s, and we had visited her in New York at a nursing home,” Herlicka said. “We drove all the way there and stayed for 30 seconds, and she told us it was nice meeting us and said her goodbyes. We found out from the nursing assistant that people with Alzheimer’s don’t have a sense of how much time has passed. You don’t really think about losing your mind like that, and so when Heather approached us to work with her, the answer was simple.”

On Friday, June 15, the White Birch Brewery hosted a kick-off event for the New Hampshire Live Free or Die team and released the first batch of Unforgettable beer. All proceeds from the event went to supporting the team’s goal to raise $3,000 for Alzheimer’s research.

On Saturday, July 14, at the Southern New Hampshire Brewers Festival, White Birch Brewery released the second batch of Unforgettable beer. Today, Sept. 7, the third batch of beer debuts in New Hampshire and Massachusetts.

“The proceeds from Unforgettable beer go to a variety of programs, such as family and caregiver support groups, awareness programs, and events that our office puts on,” Carroll said. “We also have a 24-hour help line in which people can call in 24/7 – from 2 a.m.-2 p.m.– and ask questions about Alzheimer’s at 1-800-272-3900 and care consultations which help families with Alzheimer’s come up with a plan of care.”

According to Carroll, there are an estimated 22,000 people with Alzheimer’s in New Hampshire alone and 2 million people across the nation. Some patients are diagnosed as young as 45.

“A lot of people who have Alzheimer’s symptoms don’t understand what is going on,” Carroll said. “A lot of people think Alzheimer’s is just an elderly problem, but that’s not always the case.”

Although there is not yet a cure for the disease, Carroll said the Alzheimer’s Association encourages a healthy lifestyle and activities to keep one’s heart and mind healthy.

“We always tell people that a healthy heart equals a healthy mind,” Carroll said. “Drinking, smoking or eating junk food excessively puts you at risk for health problems. We also say, when it comes to the brain, ‘If you don’t use it, you’re going to lose it,’ and so we encourage staying social and practicing puzzles to keep your mind sharp.”

According to Carroll, some of the symptoms of early Alzheimer’s is memory loss and problems with visual perception, thinking, planning, sequencing and mood swings.

“The primary symptom is memory loss, and if a patient has three or more of the other symptoms, that’s when red flags go off,” Carroll said. “One of our programs we carry is Changes in Memory, which works to identify typical senior movements versus Alzheimer symptoms. All of our programs are free, which is nice, because it’s an expensive disease.”

The Alzheimer’s Association is the largest national voluntary health organization dedicated to providing care and support for those affected by the disease, as well as advancing research into causes, treatments and cures. The local office is at Bedford Farms and hosts support groups as well as activities for those suffering from Alzheimer’s and their families.

White Birch Brewing was founded in 2009, making beer 15-20 gallons at a time. They rapidly grew to about three barrels, or 93 gallons, by summer 2010. Currently, they brew at a seven-barrel capacity. They produce their own interpretations of Belgian styles, barley wines and wild ales, among others. Each batch is unfiltered, unpasteurized and traditionally made.

White Birch Brewing beer can be found at Harvest Market in Bedford and the Mobile gas station off Route 101 in Bedford. The Unforgettable beer, however, is only served at three New Hampshire retailers: Bert’s Better Beers in Hooksett, the Beer Store in Nashua and the State Line convenience store in Brookline. For more information, visit www.whitebirchbrewing.com or call 206-5260.

Katelyn Dobbs can be reached at 594-6549 or kdobbs@nashuatelegraph.com.