Ten years ago, scientists at the Florida Museum of Natural History wondered if they could persuade the community to raise a pint to butterfly conservation. Eighteen beer launches later, Gainesville has turned that experiment into a lasting success. The 10-year milestone will be celebrated with the release of two new beers at this summer’s Pollinator Palooza.

Since the inaugural launch in 2016, scientists of the Daniels Lab and brewers at First Magnitude Brewing Company have collaborated on the release of one or two new beers each year, highlighting imperiled and charismatic species or conservation risks along the way. The launch events, which often include free native plant giveaways and a chance to meet the very insects that inspire the beer, have captured the attention of both museum regulars and unsuspecting brewery visitors alike.

“It’s been really rewarding to bust that ivory tower perspective of science,” said Jaret Daniels, a curator at the Florida Museum’s McGuire Center for Lepidoptera and Biodiversity. “Conservation should be fun and engaging. It is a community endeavor, and this way anyone can participate.”

On Saturday, First Magnitude will be serving up two new brews: the Pollinator Palooza Hazy IPA and Blue Bee Watermelon Mint Gose. A portion of the beer sales and all event proceeds will go toward supporting pollinator conservation. Throughout the years, these fundraisers have generated tens of thousands of dollars to help fund the daily care of rare species being reared at the lab, advance research and monitoring, protect critical habitat and safeguard vulnerable butterflies and pollinators across the Southeast. Beyond the financial impact, these events bring even greater value in visibility for conservation.

“Most people don’t think about insects when it comes to conservation,” Daniels said. “We always try to have live organisms available, including those featured on the beer label whenever possible, so people can see them up close. Conservation action starts with those connections.”

For First Magnitude Brewing Company, the decision to pair up with the Daniels Lab fit seamlessly into a track record of supporting conservation efforts, but it was also a financial gamble. Luckily, the first beer launch of the Schaus Stout was an immediate hit. And the featured Schaus’ swallowtail (Papilio aristodemus) happens to have its own success story. Endemic to Florida, this federally endangered butterfly can only be found in remaining intact tropical hardwood hammocks in northern Key Largo and islands within Biscayne National Park. While it has always been rare, range-wide surveys in 2012 recorded only four individuals in the wild. The Daniels Lab has worked with partners to help rebuild those populations by captive breeding, reintroducing organisms into the wild and enhancing habitat. Today, populations have significantly rebounded to over 1,000 individuals in the wild.

Craft brewing is both a science and an art, and First Magnitude team’s creativity shines in the way a beer’s color or flavor complements the species featured on its label. The blueberries and pomegranates added into the mix of the 2018 Atala Pale Ale reflect the colorful red and blue markings on Florida’s striking atala butterfly (Eumaeus atala). Although still of conservation concern, this butterfly made a remarkable return after it and its sole host plant, coontie (Zamia integrifolia), was nearly eliminated from Florida.

The lopsided hazy IPA, brewed with inspiration from the eastern beard-grass skipper. Florida Museum photo by Kristen Grace.

The black witch beer, with inspiration from the nocturnal moth of the same name that is native to parts of North, Central and South America. Florida Museum photo by Jeff Gage.

A maple bourbon barrel-aged imperial stout in recognition of the monarch butterfly. Florida Museum photo by Jeff Gage.

A stout named after the Schaus swallowtail butterfly.

Frosted elfins are a rare type butterfly native to the eastern United States. Florida Museum photo by Kristen Grace.

One of the easiest things you can do to help protect moths and other nocturnal insects is turn off your outdoor lights at night or install insect-friendly lighting. Florida Museum photo by Jeff Gage.

Sometimes, the brewers take more than inspiration from the featured organism. For the 2019 Frosted Elfin New England-Style Session Pale Ale and the 2023 Calamintha Hibiscus Wit, they used yeast collected directly from the organisms in the brewing process. Out in the field, the team netted the frosted elfin (Callophrys irus) and blue calamintha bee (Osmia calaminthae) and gave the insects a gentle swab to collect the yeast before safely releasing them unharmed. Back in their lab, First Magnitude brewers grew petri-dish colonies of the yeast and then faced the real challenge of selecting the strain of yeast that produced a good flavor in the beer.

“Part of the winning combination is working with a brewery that is creative, has a strong environmental commitment, and gets it – and clearly First Magnitude gets it,” Daniels said. “They’re willing to work with us and take some risks, but it has to be mutually beneficial. That’s why this initiative has lasted so long.”

Butterfly conservation does not happen overnight, and the next 10 years will undoubtedly bring new species of concern that need our attention. But for now, scientists have a simple request: pull up a chair, sit back and crack open a cold one.

“It reaches people where they are. If someone is at a brewery, and all they do is read a label and learn something about the featured organism? Job done,” Daniels said, “Science doesn’t have to be cumbersome. If you like beer or want to do something fun and social, you’re contributing to conservation.”

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June 2026 Pollinator Palooza event details.

Beer for butterflies, main page.