Cincinnati brewery Urban Artifact recently made booze history with the creation of its Missing Linck ale, a unique beer brewed from a previously unknown strain of yeast discovered in a 164-year-old lagering cellar hidden beneath the city streets. The golden ale, which is reminiscent of a Belgian beer, “permits the flavor of its ancient yeast to shine through, producing a distinct, flavorful brew with a crisp, dry finish,” according to event’s Facebook page.
June 1 was officially declared Missing Linck Day in Cincinnati, as Urban Artifact has given the yeast to the city, making it a sort of open-source yeast available for other local breweries to spin off into their own beers.
Giving the yeast to the city was only the start, however. Starting this year, Urban Artifact hopes to host a Missing Linck festival to celebrate the star yeast and the “missing link” it provides to Cincinnati’s brewing past.
Urban Artifact is tapping a keg of Missing Linck at 4 p.m. — last year, when they released a test batch of the brew, it sold out in a day — and brewing-related antiques will be on view until 6 p.m. for those who want to dive even deeper into Cincinnati’s alcohol heritage.
Visitors who pay $15 can tour the Urban Artifact campus, during which they can appreciate the beauty of the taproom’s historic venue while sipping on a pint of the star beer (tours run 4:30, 5:15, and 6 p.m.). Those who want an even more educational experience can pay $20 for “Everybody’s Beer Class,” where they’ll also get a pint of Missing Linck alongside a flight of beers curated by co-yeast-discoverer and local beer historian Mike Morgan (at 4:30, 5:15, and 6 p.m.). Both events are limited to 20 people per session and tickets are first come, first served. The brewery is also screening Wild Yeast and the Missing Linck, a short documentary that follows the creation of their ancient ale.
Attendees will also be able to purchase Missing Linck on draft and packaged into $12.99 four-packs.
4-8 p.m. $20 classes; $15 tours; $12.99 Missing Linck four-packs. Urban Artifact, 1660 Blue Rock St., Northside, facebook.com/urbanartifactbrewing.
Get more event info here. Tasting and tour tickets here.
This article appears in May 29 – Jun 5, 2019.
