— A new collaboration brew from The Brewer’s Art and the Maryland Zoo —
BALTIMORE, MD – Panamanian golden frogs (PGF) are among the rarest species in the amphibian world. Panamanians revere the golden frog as a symbol of good luck, and the golden frog likeness appears all over Panama from its currency to lottery tickets. It is an iconic figure in their culture, much as the bald eagle is in America; however it is functionally extinct in the wild. In their honor and to raise awareness of this amazing species, The Brewer’s Art and the Maryland Zoo in Baltimore are excited to announce a new collaborative beer, PGF IPA!
“PGF IPA is a beer that sprang from a partnership created five years ago when we celebrated both the Zoo’s 140th and Brewers Art’s 20th anniversaries in 2016 with the creation of Penguin Pils,” said Kirby Fowler, president and CEO of the Maryland Zoo. “We were really excited that Brewer’s Art wanted to broaden its commitment to the Zoo with a new beer in support of the conservation of Panamanian golden frogs.”
“Brewer’s Art is excited to expand upon our collaboration with the Maryland Zoo by creating PGF IPA to help support this highly endangered species,” said Volker Stewart, co-owner of The Brewer’s Art. “The draft beer released in August was brewed at The Brewer’s Art, and the packaged product was made for The Brewer’s Art and the Maryland Zoo at Baltimore’s Oliver Brewing Company.”
At 6.4% ABV, PGF IPA is an easy drinking, well-balanced IPA, dry-hopped with Mandarina Bavaria and Amarillo hops. A portion of all sales of PGF IPA will benefit the Maryland Zoo in Baltimore’s Panamanian golden frog conservation program. As another element of the collaboration, Hailey Hays, senior director of marketing at the Zoo, designed the artwork for the PGF IPA cans.
PGF IPA is now available in the Baltimore Metro area. “Bond Distributing is proud of its long-standing and ever-evolving relationship with the Maryland Zoo in Baltimore,” said Nick Gestido, director of craft brands. “Working closely with the team at the Zoo has allowed us to address the fundraising and visibility needs of the Zoo while bringing exciting activation of our brands onsite to zoo guests. From Brew at the Zoo, to OktoBEARfest, which has grown exponentially in recent years, Bond Distributing and The Maryland Zoo in Baltimore personify the meaning of a true Charm City partnership!”
About Panamanian golden frogs:
As a precautionary measure against extinction in advance of amphibian chytrid disease, golden frogs were legally collected in Panama and sent to Association of Zoos & Aquariums (AZA) accredited institutions in order to create assurance populations. Prior to collection, biologists studied golden frog habitat and collected environmental data from these habitats in order to achieve the highest potential of survivability and breeding success once the frogs were in zoo/aquarium collections.
The Maryland Zoo was the first to breed these gold and black spotted frogs and holds the international studbook for the species. Nearly 50 other zoos and aquariums accredited by the AZA in the U.S. and Canada currently have golden frogs in their collections. With the species now believed to be extinct in the wild, the long-term hope is to be able to reintroduce PGFs once the chytrid disease is no longer considered a threat. Zoo visitors can see Panamanian golden frogs in their climate controlled habitat inside the Chimpanzee Forest.
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