Toppling Goliath, the critically acclaimed brewery located in Decorah, Iowa, has found a new partner- one that isn’t normally associated with adult beverages.
Chicago’s Field Museum of Natural History, one of the most visited and beloved museums of its kind, is teaming up with Toppling Goliath Brewing and will become the first place in the greater Chicago area to sell Toppling Goliath beer. The museum and brewery also plan to collaborate on at least one beer in the near future.
I know what you’re thinking. Why would a museum form a business partnership with a small town brewery? These are two entities that would seem to have nothing in common, so why would they consider a partnership? Well, if you are already familiar with Toppling Goliath beers, you may have already stumbled upon a possible connection. You see, two of Toppling Goliath’s most popular beers happen to be Pseudosue and King Sue, both of which portray a dinosaur on the labels. And what do you suppose was the inspiration for these names? Yes, it was Sue, the T. Rex dinosaur that happens to be one of the Field Museum’s most popular attractions.
When something like this happens, it usually leads to lawsuits and legal action was certainly on the minds of the folks at Chicago’s famed museum. It was potentially a true- to- life David vs. Goliath story in the making with Chicago’s massive and well- supported educational and historical institution ready to pounce on this small, Iowa brewery that dared to use one of its most famous images. But rather than quarrel over legalities and waste potentially thousands of dollars on legal fees, Toppling Goliath Brewing and the Chicago Field Museum of Natural History decided to work together, utilizing the business talents and assets of each company for the mutual benefit of both. Trademark attorney Martha Engel from the Minneapolis law firm Winthrop and Weinstine looked at the situation as an opportunity for both businesses and she was instrumental in bringing the two sides together.
Megan Williams, the Filed Museum’s Director of Business Enterprises, says she was naturally concerned about a brewery using an image of Sue the T. Rex, but she had a change of heart after reaching out to Toppling Goliath founder Clark Lewey. Among other things, she quickly learned that Toppling Goliath Brewing’s naming of its beers isn’t taken lightly and reflects the brewery’s own sense of adventure and education.
“We looked at it and realized these guys are really into history,” Williams told the Chicago Tribune. “They’re into science and history. They’re not just naming this stuff for nothing.”
With the new partnership, The Field Museum will be the only place in the state of Illinois to sell Toppling Goliath beer when it debuts there on January 25, 2017. The beer will eventually enjoy distribution throughout the state sometime in the spring but for a few months, Chicago’s Field Museum will be the only establishment in the state selling this beer.
PseudoSue will be available on draft in the museum’s Field Bistro and can be purchased in packaged form in the museum’s main store. To kick things off, the museum will host a special Hop to It beer event on January 25 from 6-9 p.m. to celebrate the once unlikely partnership. Tickets can be purchased through the museum website and cost $35 for Field Museum members, $40 for nonmembers.
With the growth in craft beer and the need to come up with creative names, slogans, etc., trademark disputes and lawsuits are likely to become more commonplace. Toppling Goliath Brewing and the Chicago Field Museum have shown that differences can be handled in ways beneficial to both parties and their example is one that I hope more businesses emulate in the years ahead.
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