Conservation in a can — Riverbanks Zoo and Peak Drift Brewery partner with two new drinks

COLUMBIA, SC (WOLO) — The next time you pop open a can of beer at Riverbanks Zoo and Garden, a portion of the sale will go to the care and conservation of the animals, thanks to a new partnership with Peak Drift Brewery.

“From researchers in Malaysia supporting that research, to building ranger stations in Africa, to organizing river cleanups right here on the Saluda, Riverbanks is showing our community that there are countless ways to engage in conservation work. And through this partnership with our friends at Peak Drift, I think we might have created what is the easiest, most enjoyable way that people can directly support conservation,” says Lochlan Wooten, the zoo’s Chief Operating Officer.

The zoo will now offer two new Peak Drift Brews including “Meerkat Mango, a hard seltzer, and the “Botanical Garden American Blonde Ale,” or “Botanical Blonde” for short.

“Our support that we have in this community matters to us so much, and so finding the exact right partner who is equally dedicated to making the Midlands better, and driving sustainability, innovation, and conservation, I can’t imagine a better partnership,” says Wooten.

Co-owner of Peak Drift Brewery Sara Middleton Styles says their brewery’s water purification system — which eliminates a significant amount of chemicals found during a typical brewing process — and their 100% recyclable cans make their sustainability efforts a perfect match for the zoo’s focus on conservationism.

“And over the past year and a half, have spent diligently making this partnership happen and become a success, and it really just came together from similar ideas and belief systems in two separate industries that have so much in common, it was really just a beautiful thing to be able to put together,” Middleton Styles says.

For now, the two new brews are only available at Riverbanks Zoo and Garden, but will soon be made available in stores as well.