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Akron Art Museum teams up with Thirsty Dog Brewing

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Craft brewers often say they create liquid art.

Well, some of that art is going on permanent display in Akron’s largest gallery.

The Akron Art Museum is installing a four-tap draft system in its iQcafe and has partnered with Thirsty Dog Brewing Co. to provide the beer, including a rotating, museum-exclusive brew that will be designed around new exhibits.

The new museum-beer relationship just may be the first of its kind in the nation, according to the American Alliance of Museums in Washington, D.C.

“This is very exciting for us to work with the Akron Art Museum as craft beer is an art all its own,” Thirsty Dog co-owner John Najeway said Wednesday. “Many times we are referred to as artists and act like artists in the creation of masterpieces in the kettle. And the art for the labels and advertising that goes with it is some of the best advertising art in history.”

Museum Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer Mark Masuoka came up with the idea after deciding to start offering food and beverage service again.

The museum wanted to partner with passionate local businesses that see their craft as an art form, he said.

“John is an artist in his own right,” Masuoka said.

Ultimately, he added, the goal is to get people to visit the museum. It attracts about 65,000 visitors a year now.

The first exclusive beer, called Muttley’s Multiplicity, will be available starting Friday in the cafe, along with Labrador Lager, 12 Dogs of Christmas and Thirsty Dog root beer.

The launch coincides with the museum unveiling its new exhibit Multiplicity. The exhibit showcases more than 80 prints by modern and contemporary American artists, including Chuck Close, Helen Frankenthaler, Louise Bourgeouis, Jim Dine and Barbara Kruger.

Thirsty Dog designed the custom-made beer with multiple hops and grains. It’s a black Belgian-style pale ale, with 6.5 percent alcohol by volume.

The brewery names its beers after dogs, and Muttley’s is a reference to the old Hanna-Barbera cartoon pooch.

Food and drinks are not permitted in the galleries themselves, but people can sip the beer elsewhere in the museum.

The museum offers new exhibits quarterly and Thirsty Dog has agreed to provide an exclusive brew for each opening.

Museums, traditionally seen as attracting more of a wine crowd, are warming up to craft beer because of the variety and complexity of the brews.

The Akron Art Museum held its sixth annual Art & Ale fundraiser earlier this year. The Cincinnati Museum Center held a Gears & Beers microbrew event last month. And the Greater Cleveland Aquarium is hosting a beer tasting Saturday.

But the new partnership between the Akron Art Museum and Thirsty Dog is unusual because of the custom-made beer — and perhaps is the first of its kind.

“I have never heard of anything like that before,” said Dewey Blanton, spokesman for the American Alliance of Museums, which represents everything from art museums to zoos. “That’s pretty novel. It’s very clever. It’s a win-win because certainly offering such adult beverages could attract not only the usual audience but also a younger crowd, as well.

“Museums are trying a lot of novel approaches to attract younger audiences, particularly young professionals.”

Najeway said he hopes to do monthly beer tastings and quarterly beer dinners at the museum cafe.

“It’s exciting to have a clean palate and design beers outside of our core lineup and be able to feature them in such a great venue as our world-class museum,” he said.

Rick Armon can be reached at 330-996-3569 or rarmon@thebeaconjournal.com. Read his beer blog at www.ohio.com/beer. Follow him on Twitter at @armonrick.


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