Tampa, FL (July 25, 2022)– Now when you enjoy a cold beer on a hot day, every sip you take plants food for manatees. Thanks to a unique partnership between the nonprofit Fish & Wildlife Foundation of Florida and the original craft beer restaurant World of Beer Bar & Kitchen (WOB), $1 from every purchase of Secret Llama Oh The Hu-Manatee! Imperial Hazy IPA at select Florida WOB locations will be donated to the foundation’s planting efforts in the Indian River Lagoon.
In 2021, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission recorded 1,101 manatee deaths, many due to starvation in the lagoon. In the last ten years, nutrient runoff and pollution have created toxic algal blooms that have decimated 46,000 acres of seagrass. Now all that remains are food deserts for an animal that typically would consume almost 10% of its body weight per day.
In response, the foundation is replanting seagrass at 10 sites in the lagoon with promising water quality. At one such site, the Loxahatchee River, a lagoon tributary, 60,000 eelgrass plants were transplanted this spring and are being protected so they can expand rapidly, becoming an important food source for manatees. In fact, biologists are already observing impressive growth at the fenced sites.
Underwater plants are the lungs of the lagoon. In addition to feeding manatees, two-and-a-half acres of seagrass can support as many as 100,000 fish and 100 million invertebrates. “Habitat loss is the main threat to the majority of our state’s plants and animals,” said Foundation President and CEO Andrew Walker. “We’re elated that WOB has stepped forward to help us fund restoration efforts in the lagoon, making an immediate impact and creating long-term solutions.”
WOB is notorious for their proprietary line of beer, Secret Llama, which was created with Brew Hub in Lakeland, FL. In honor of this partnership, a new flavor of Secret Llama is being brewed, Imperial Hazy IPA. This IPA is brewed with 2-Row and Flaked Oats, and dry-hopped with Cashmere and El Dorado. Embodying flavors of lemon, lime and tropical fruits, it showcases a smooth bitterness and a subtle herbal bouquet. WOB and Brew Hub held a social media contest to rename the beer in the manatees’ honor. After over 100 entries, the overwhelming winner was “Oh the Humanatee.”
“We are honored to partner with Fish & Wildlife Foundation of Florida on their planting efforts in the Indian River Lagoon,” said Paul Avery, CEO and President at WOB Bar & Kitchen. “The foundation’s dedication to their mission makes our organization proud to enter this partnership and raise funds for this meaningful cause.”
About World of Beer
WOB Bar & Kitchen was founded in 2007 by two best friends in Tampa who wanted to create a welcoming place where friends could gather, drink, eat and explore. WOB, the original craft beer bar, boasts hundreds of beers and rotating taps at each location along with signature food menus specifically designed to enhance the flavor of beers. WOB has grown to a global franchise with 50+ locations in the United States and China. For more information, visit worldofbeer.com.
