CINCINNATI -- It may not have black raspberry ice cream puree in it, but the taste of a national historic landmark is coming to Northside Thursday night as Urban Artifact unveils a beer brewed using yeast collected at Union Terminal.
Urban Artifact collected yeast on the grounds of Union Terminal over seven months ago in July 2016. While the location is one of a kind, the process is nothing new for the craft brewery that specializes in beers brewed with locally caught wild yeast, bacteria or mixed cultures of both. The brewery harnesses those wild microorganisms to create flavors that are tart and crisp, tropical and wild and downright funky.
"We couldn't be more excited about collaborating with Cincinnati Museum Center and Union Terminal. A literal icon and architectural artifact, it is the physical embodiment of what our brewery stands for: preserving history and carrying it through into the modern day with a scientific twist," says Bret Kollman Baker, co-founder and chief of brewing operations for Urban Artifact. "There could not be a more vexing and romantic place for us to collect yeast in the Queen City."
The result of seven months of fermentation and brewing was a bock with toasty German-style malts and notes of caramel, honey and crusty bread. Dried sour cherries add a tart, cherry pie fruitiness.
"Cincinnati is, and for over 200 years has been, a beer city and now Union Terminal has its own place in that incredible history," says Elizabeth Pierce, president and CEO of Cincinnati Museum Center. "This collaboration with Urban Artifact has been a fascinating science experiment with an intoxicating outcome that we're looking forward to sharing with people at our CurioCity event."
You can grab a pint of the exclusive Union Terminal brew at CMC's CurioCity event Crafting Culture at 7 p.m. Thursday. The event, held at Urban Artifact's taproom, is $10 for museum members and $15 for non-members. Visit the website here or call (513) 287-7000 to purchase tickets and get more information.
