Atlanta’s oldest brewery, Red Brick Brewing Co. and Georgia Aquarium have teamed up to raise money for whale shark research and conservation with a new shark-themed ale, Whale Shark Wheat.
Whale Shark Wheat is an American style wheat ale featuring El Dorado, Sorachi Ace and experimental hop varieties. It is a soft, easy drinking beer with a fruity tropical hop character.
“Sustainability is an important thing to us and the craft beer industry in general,” said Red Brick president and brewmaster Garett Lockhart. “It’s great to partner with Georgia Aquarium on something that will raise funds for conservation efforts across the world.”
According to a press release, Whale Shark Wheat highlights Georgia Aquarium’s endangered marquee species, the whale shark. A portion of Whale Shark Wheat sales will go towards Georgia Aquarium’s whale shark conservation efforts, including international whale shark research trips and research equipment, such as satellite tags.
“It is a unique experience to be able to enjoy a craft beer while at the same time contributing to conservation efforts,” said Dr. Alistair Dove, vice president of research and conservation at Georgia Aquarium. “This local partnership will have an important global impact in the important research we are doing with whale sharks.”
Whale Shark Wheat will launch on Friday, June 2, with a public event held at Red Brick Brewing Co. Guests can get their first taste of the beer, tour the Red Brick brewery, enjoy eats from Peace of Pita food truck, and the chance to win a Journey with Gentle Giants swim with whale sharks program at Georgia Aquarium.
The beer is a limited-edition release and will be available on draft at Red Brick beginning Friday, June 2. Whale Shark Wheat will be in select stores on Monday, June 5.
For more information on Whale Shark Wheat and Georgia Aquarium’s whale shark research and conservation efforts, visit www.georgiaaquarium.org/whalesharkwheat.