Cincinnati Museum Center and Rhinegeist Team Up On Beer 375 Million Years in the Making

Tiktaalik was brewed by Rhinegeist in partnership with the Cincinnati Museum Center. Photo: Provided by Cincinnati Museum Center

The Cincinnati Museum Center (CMC) is teaming up with Cincinnati brewery Rhinegeist to create a limited-edition beer to celebrate the museum’s upcoming fossil exhibit, Ancient Worlds Hiding in Plain Sight.

Tiktaalik Cold Double IPA will be released Sept. 4, with a portion of the beer’s sales being donated to CMC.

“Cincinnati’s prehistoric past and its brewing legacy have made it a destination for researchers and revelers. Now, we’re bringing those two together once again,” Dr. Brenda Hunda, curator of invertebrate paleontology at CMC, said in a press release. “Our partnership with Rhinegeist allows us to pique the interest of amateur paleontologists and gives us something to toast with as we open a new gallery dedicated to telling Cincinnati’s prehistoric story.”

The name “Tiktaalik” is a nod to the prehistoric fish that will be featured in the exhibit. Ancient Worlds Hiding in Plain Sight is a permanent exhibit showcasing the museum’s impressive collection of Late Ordovician fossils and walking visitors through 150 million years of evolutionary history. The Tiktaalik fish was chosen as the name of the beer because it has features that define it as a critical transition fossil in the evolution from swimming fish to four-legged vertebrates, says the museum.

This brew is the third partnership between CMC and Rhinegeist, which saw the creation of Brittlebrain, a Belgian-style golden ale, in 2018 and the draft-only lager Lagerstatte in 2022.

“Rhinegeist has teamed up with Cincinnati Museum Center several times in the past, and we are always excited to work with such a beloved Cincinnati institution. We strive to add as much value to Cincinnati’s brewing history as Cincinnati Museum Center does to the fossil record in the area, and we believe there are many parallels – although geologic time runs a lot longer,” said Beth Boswell, community engagement and partnership coordinator at Rhinegeist. “Turns out paleontologists love to share a beer, and we will always be happy to dig up a cold one with Cincinnati Museum Center!”

Limited quantities of Tiktaalik will be available at Rhinegeist starting in September, including at its Sept. 13 Beer for Humans Pint Night where guests receive a token with every pint purchase that can be used to vote on their favorite nonprofit, including CMC. Those votes then correlate to a donation from Rhinegeist to the nonprofits.

Rhinegeist patrons can also get a sneak peek of CMC’s invertebrate fossil collection in a mini-exhibit opening in the taproom at the end of the month.

CMC will also be offering Tiktaalik at exclusive events like the opening of the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology’s annual meeting on Oct. 18 and the Layers of Discovery event Nov. 3.

CMC’s Ancient Worlds Hiding in Plain Sight opens Sept. 28.

Rhinegeist Brewery, 1910 Elm St., Over-the-Rhine. More info: rhinegeist.com.

Cincinnati Museum Center, 1301 Western Ave., West End. More info: cincymuseum.org.