Drink for the Animals:
The Survival Series
Art Director, Graphic Designer
Writer: Jay Brockmeijer
The Opportunity
The Detroit Zoological Society does critical conservation work around the world, including helping bring species back from being endangered or threatened in the wild. The opportunity was to spotlight that work in a way that felt tangible, celebratory, and culturally relevant.
The Idea
We launched the first-ever Survival Series — a limited-edition beer collaboration between Griffin Claw Brewing Company and the Detroit Zoological Society.
Planned as a four-beer series released seasonally throughout 2019, each can was inspired by a different success story animal the zoo had helped bring back. The beers became collectible storytelling vehicles — using craft, illustration, and taste to celebrate real conservation wins.
Proceeds from each release directly supported future conservation efforts at the Detroit Zoo, allowing the series to give back to the work it was inspired by.
The Impact
The Survival Series transformed conservation into a cultural moment — blending craft beer culture with meaningful storytelling and real-world impact. By turning each release into both a celebration and a contribution, the project helped fund ongoing conservation efforts while deepening local pride and awareness around the zoo’s global mission.
Sample the Lineup
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Piping Plover Pilsner
REFRESHING PILSNER WITH A HINT OF LIME
Great Lakes piping plovers are tiny shorebirds that make shallow nests on the beaches of northern Michigan. By 1986, 600 nesting pairs had dwindled to just 17. The DZS leads a federal recovery program to hatch abandoned eggs and rear the chicks until they can be released to join wild plovers. -
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Grauer's Grace
HEARTY BANANA STOUT
Grauer’s gorillas are on the brink of extinction, with fewer than 3,800 left in the wild. The Detroit Zoological Society collaborates in a worldwide initiative to help the GRACE Center provide rescue and rehabilitative care for these great apes to ensure their survival in the wild. -
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PANAMANIAN GOLD
GOLDEN LAGER RICH WITH FLAVOR
The beautiful and locally revered Panamanian Golden Frog is nearly extinct as a result of deforestation, capture and a deadly amphibian fungus. The DZS participated in a captive breeding program that may someday make it possible to return these golden frogs to the wilds of Panama. -
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Partula Snail Ale
SLOW-HOPPED DOUBLE IPA
At one time, all the Partula nodosa snails in the world lived at the Detroit Zoo. For three decades, the Detroit Zoological Society has been breeding this Tahitian land snail as part of a collaborative program to restore the wild population, underscoring a commitment to conserving even the tiniest of creatures.
