Terps fans, get ready to shellabrate! UNION Craft Brewing has partnered with the University of Maryland Athletics to launch Testudo Premium Lager, the official craft beer of the Maryland Terrapins.
The beer will debut later in August in athletic venues including SECU Stadium and XFINITY Center, and in retail locations across Maryland.
The name of the beer was inspired by the Maryland mascot, which has been a symbol of the University of Maryland’s history and pride for over a century. Cans of Testudo Premium Lager have a vintage Testudo logo from the late 1980s and 1990s.
“Partnering with UNION Craft Brewing is a perfect union,” said Brian Ullmann, Maryland Athletics’ Executive Athletic Director/Chief Strategy Officer, in a statement. “Co-founded and operated by a Maryland alum, Adam Benesch, who is passionate about his alma mater, we are thrilled to offer Testudo Premium Lager to all of Terp Nation, at our events and across the DMV.”
Benesch (’98) is UNION’s CEO and earned his undergraduate degree from Maryland’s Robert H. Smith Business School. The brewery was founded in 2011 and launched their flagship beer, Duckpin Pale Ale in 2012. They’re located in the Union Collective business hub in the Medfield neighborhood of Baltimore.
“UNION takes pride in creating beers that unite people and support the local community, and that is now shown with pride in partnering with Maryland Athletics,” reads the press release.
A portion of the proceeds from sales of Testudo Premium Lager will benefit the One Maryland Collective, the NIL collective that serves student-athletes at the University of Maryland. NI gives student-athletes the chance to work with charitable causes and through that work connect with fans, alumni, and businesses.
The partnership with UNION Craft Brewing will also provide internships and learning opportunities for students studying fermentation science, marketing, and other majors.
“We are Terps through and through and being able to bring this refreshing craft beer to each of them is a dream come true for me and all of UNION Craft Brewing,” said Benesch. “We couldn’t be more excited to spread the word of Testudo Premium Lager through the region with tremendous Maryland pride.”
There will be a special launch event on Aug. 14 hosted by Maryland Athletics, the University of Maryland Alumni Association and UNION Craft. It starts at 4 p.m. at UNION Craft Brewery, located at 1700 W. 41st Street, #420, Baltimore, MD. For more information about the event, please click this link.
If you go, don’t forget to take a shellfie!
