Guest bartenders to raise money to end Alzheimer's at Grand Cru

On Thursday, Aug. 8, from 5-8 p.m., a series of guest “local celebrity guest bartenders” will take over the bar at Grand Cru Beer & Cheese Market at 1094 Route 308 in Rhinebeck for “Brews to End Alz at Grand Cru.” All tips during the event will go to the Alzheimer’s Association.

The guest bartender lineup will start at 5 p.m. with Rhinebeck resident Marybeth Cale, co-owner of Cale Communications and co-editor of Living Rhinebeck Magazine. She will be followed at 6 p.m. by former Poughkeepsie Journal Editor John Penney. Closing the evening at 7 p.m. will be Dan Shapley, former Poughkeepsie Journal Environment Reporter/Editor who now works as Water Quality Program Director for Riverkeeper.

“We are so happy to have this event at Grand Cru,” said Rodney Johnson, who co-owns the venue with his wife Alicia Lenhart. “It’s going to be a great night, with excellent craft beer and wine and live music by Singer/Songwriter Tina Pierce. We’re looking forward to a great turnout to raise money for the Alzheimer’s Association.”

Grand Cru, known for its great variety of craft beers and wine, was originally in the Village of Rhinebeck for about eight years. It recently moved to a larger space, reopening in May roughly five miles outside the village on Route 308. The new location features a newly remodeled interior and a large lawn with a variety of outdoor games, including Corn Hole, Horse Shoes, Ladder Ball and Can Jam. The inside also sports two dartboards.

Grand Cru serves hearty cheese plates and fresh baked soft pretzels and is hosting Friday Night Food Trucks every week through the end of October.

For this event, there will be a variety of snacks available for attendees.

Event organizer Dugan Radwin, also formerly an editor at the Poughkeepsie Journal, who is now Communications Manager for the Alzheimer’s Association Hudson Valley Chapter, said she was excited to hold her fundraiser at Grand Cru.

“The new location is a perfect spot for this event. Hopefully, we’ll have nice weather and people will be able to enjoy the outdoor games,” Radwin said. “But either way, we’ll have some great folk/rock music and some fun raffles, and I’m sure people will have a good time coming out for a good cause.”

Those who are unable to attend but would like to make a donation can do so here.

“Brews at Grand Cru to End Alz” is part of The Longest Day, one of the Alzheimer’s Association’s key fundraisers, in which participants schedule any activity anytime they choose to raise money to help families living with the disease while seeking a cure. Their efforts are celebrated on the longest day of the year, the summer solstice, chosen in honor of the long days faced by caregivers of loved ones with Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia.

About the Hudson Valley Chapter

The Hudson Valley Chapter serves families living with dementia in seven counties in New York, including Duchess, Orange, Putnam, Rockland, Sullivan, Ulster, and Westchester. To learn more about the programs and services offered locally, visit alz.org/hudsonvalley.

About the Alzheimer’s Association

The Alzheimer’s Association is the leading voluntary health organization in Alzheimer’s care, support and research. Its mission is to eliminate Alzheimer’s disease through the advancement of research, to provide and enhance care and support for all affected and to reduce the risk of dementia through the promotion of brain health. Its vision is a world without Alzheimer’s. Visit www.alz.org or call 800.272.3900.