THE “BUTTERFLY BREW” IS BACK AND BETTER THAN EVER

This unique beer features actual local prairie grasses and helps to save endangered prairie butterflies, like the Dakota skipper. This butterfly brew will officially be tapped at Fair State Brewing Cooperative on Thursday, July 13 at 4:00 pm. Beer coinsures will also be able to purchase this specialty beer at the Minnesota Zoo during the Adult Night Out event on July 20.
The limited-edition beer will also be available at the following local locations:
- Black Sheep Eat Street
- Black Sheep North Loop
- Smack Shack
- Lolo’s Stillwater
- Rock Elm Tavern
- Mill Valley Kitchen
Minnesota prairie butterflies and other pollinators are vanishing at an alarming rate, along with 99% of their habitat. Luckily, local organizations like the Minnesota Zoo and Fair State Brewing Cooperative are working together to protect the local wildlife. When guests order a Dakota Skipper Endangered Reserve, $1 goes directly to supporting the Zoo’s efforts to save pollinators through the Prairie Butterfly Conservation Program. This brew is as rare as the butterfly it’s named for and available for a limited time -- from July 13 to August 31, or until the beer runs dry.
“We are so thankful for amazing community partners like Fair State Brewing Cooperative that help us spread the word about the plight of threatened and endangered species of all sizes,” says Dr. Tara Harris, Minnesota Zoo’s vice president for conservation. “We were able to conduct the first-ever reintroduction for the threatened Dakota skipper this summer and it was incredible. Our partners help make these amazing milestones happen.”
The Minnesota Zoo, along with partners at The Nature Conservancy, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, recently successfully reintroduced the threatened Dakota skipper into The Nature Conservancy’s Hole in the Mountain nature preserve near Lake Benton, MN. This reintroduction is an incredible milestone in the future survival of this species.
The Minnesota Zoo is a year-round destination located in Apple Valley, just minutes south of Mall of America. The Zoo’s mission is to connect people, animals and the natural world to save wildlife. For more information, call 952.431.9500 or visit mnzoo.org. The Minnesota Zoo is an accredited member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) and an institutional member of the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA).