The team netted the tiny butterflies, gently swabbed them for yeast and released them back into the wild. Florida Museum photo by Jeff Gage
The tiny brown frosted elfin butterfly might seem small and unimportant, but this at-risk species contributed to its own conservation by helping make a beer! In our ongoing partnership with First Magnitude Brewery, we collaborated on a new beer with a surprising ingredient—wild yeast carefully collected off these butterflies.
On May 17, 2019, we cohosted an event at the First Magnitude Brewery to launch the new special brew called Frosted Elfin New England-Style Session Pale Ale. On May 25, we hosted a fundraiser at The Brass Tap in Tallahassee to further call attention to this at-risk species.
The frosted elfin’s survival depends on the integrity and management of pine barren, oak savannah, and upland pine and sandhill habitats throughout the eastern U.S., which support its wild indigo and lupine host plants.
First Magnitude Brewery’s Frosted Elfin New England-Style Session Pale Ale and custom beer glass. Photo by Kristen Grace
Matt Standridge from the McGuire Center for Lepidoptera and Biodiversity speaks with guests during the beer launch. Museum photo by Kristen Grace
Guests learn about the frosted elfin butterfly and conservation efforts to help this small butterfly. Museum photo by Kristen Grace
Live butterflies and caterpillars were on display during the event. Museum photo by Kristen Grace
Each beer created in this the collaboration between The Daniels Lab at the McGuire Center for Lepidoptera and Biodiversity and First Magnitude has its own unique beer glass. Museum photo by Kristen Grace
Many of the beers created in this collaboration also have a unique t-shirt. This one highlighted the butterfly and its natural habitat. Museum photo by Kristen Grace
Guests check out the frosted elfin t-shirts available for sale during the beer launch. Museum photo by Kristen Grace
Enamel butterfly pins were available for sale during the frosted elfin beer launch. Museum photo by Kristen Grace
Guests enjoy New England-style session pale ale in the custom frosted elfin glasses. Museum photo by Kristen Grace
T-shirts, pins, beer glasses and other merchandise were available for sale at Frosted Elfin Beer Launch. Museum photo by Kristen Grace
The Museum graphics team worked with the First Magnitude creative team to design attractive logos and merchandise for the butterfly beers. The eye-catching designs bring together the style of beer with the at-risk butterfly to draw attention to each species and its environment.
