Raise your glass to Fiona: Listermann partners with the zoo to make hippo beer

She might not be 21, but the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden’s baby hippo Fiona is getting her own beer.

Listermann Brewing Company has created Team Fiona New England-style IPA and plans to donate 25 percent of the proceeds to the zoo's Team Fiona.

The beer will be released at 10 a.m. June 10 at Listermann Brewing Co., 1621 Dana Ave. (about two miles from the zoo). Starting June 12, four-packs will be sold at the Oakley, Hyde Park, Anderson and Harper’s Point Kroger stores, both Jungle Jim’s locations and at Cappies in Loveland.  

Members of Fiona’s care team helped brew the 6.2 percent ABV beer, which Listermann describes as having "soft mouth feel, hazy appearance and ... fruit/juice flavor."

More:Q&A with Fiona's handlers while she takes a dip

More:Meet Team Fiona: What it's like to take care of the zoo's baby hippo

More:Fiona takes a nap in the shower

"It's great when you can turn a casual tap room discussion into reality," vice president of marketing and communications, Chad Yelton, said in a news release. "I actually thought the idea of a Team Fiona beer was a joke at first, but after hearing about all the Fiona fans at Listermann's, I knew we had something brewing."

“One of my fondest childhood memories is going to the zoo with my family, so it is a dream come true to be able to collaborate with the zoo," Jason Brewer, general manager of Listermann, said in a news release. "The people there are fantastic, and the conservation work they do is world class. Watching Fiona grow up has been a true joy. Knowing that our beer will be helping her is going to make this even more special for us.”

Yelton expects the cans to have a long shelf life – once they've been sold, that is.

"Similar to the old HuDey cans from the 80s, we anticipate Team Fiona beer being a collector's item," he said.

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