DOWNTOWN — The Field Museum is getting crafty again.
Following up on the success of its Tooth and Claw beer, the museum has come out with a second beer, brewed in collaboration with Two Brothers Brewing Co. in Warrenville and chef Cleetus Friedman.
Cabinet of Curiosities, a White IPA with a whiff of citrus and coriander, will be released June 26 at the museum's second annual Hop To It event.
It will be sold by retailers such as Binny's; at the Two Brothers brewhouse; at Fountainhead, the Ravenswood tavern where Friedman is chef; and at the Field Bistro inside the museum. (Friedman also consults with the museum on its food service.)
Janet Rausa Fuller talks with DNAinfo Radio about "Cabinet of Curiosities:"
The net proceeds from the sale of Cabinet of Curiosities will go back to the Field Museum to fund its educational programs, said Megan Beckert, the museum's director of special events and food operations.
The beer's name is a reference to what museums used to be called.
"Literally, artifacts would go into these huge cabinets. They represented the natural history world and all the disciplines in that world, such as botany and zoology," Beckert said.
Beckert said the idea for museum-specific beers started to come together about four years ago, when she was tapped to manage the on-site restaurants whose contracts were expiring.
"One of the things that's really important to me was creating a sense of community within our restaurants. I always joke that what better way to do that than to bring people together at a bar," she said.
The Field had already had its label on a wine, but with such a plethora of breweries in the Chicago area, making beer made even more sense, she said.
Tooth and Claw, a Czech-style Pilsner inspired by Sue the T-Rex and brewed by Logan Square's Off Color Brewing, has taken off since its November release, with distribution in several cities, including New York, San Francisco and Baltimore. It was even part of the Copenhagen Beer Celebration earlier this month.
The only place to drink Tooth and Claw in Chicago is at the Field Museum.
While Cabinet of Curiosities differs in style from Tooth and Claw, the labels on both beers share a tiny detail — a field mouse holding a magnifying glass.
Tickets to Hop To It, an interactive event about the science of beer, are $45 ($40 for museum members). Admission includes entry to the launch party of Cabinet of Curiosities after the event. Tickets to just the beer launch cost $20 and will be sold online starting Tuesday.
