"Prehistoric" Beer

I am the Ron Burgundy of beer drinking. Seriously.

You might think that by now, it’s pretty hard to impress me with beer. After all, I've been scouring the mid-Atlantic region and other various locales for a number of years now and I've seen and drank quite a few beers. I am on approach to the coveted rank of “Extraodinary” on Untappd. In other words, I’m kind of a big deal, if I do say so myself. And yet, every now and then, I stumble upon something truly remarkable that astounds even me. This past Thursday, on Independence Eve, I was once again amazed by beer.

And by the way, happy belated Independence Day!

The beer I found that astonished me on this occasion was in Ashburn, Virginia at the Lost Rhino Brewing Company, and was called Bone Dusters Paleo Ale. As a beer, taking no other information into account, Bone Dusters is a very tasty amber ale with a sweet finish and sessionable drinkability. But when you peel back the onion a little bit, you realize how interesting this beer really is.

Pretty cool artwork too.

Apparently, Lost Rhino’s yeast guy teamed up with an old college friend of his from a non-profit called Paleo Quest and cultivated a wild yeast strain from a prehistoric whale fossil that was unearthed in Dismal Swamp, near Chesapeake, Virginia. He then used this wild yeast to ferment Bone Dusters, with a percentage of the proceeds going to buy lab equipment for schools. It doesn't get much cooler than that.

Now before you freak out, let’s think about this. No, the yeast is not prehistoric. It was captured from among the fossilized bones, but unless preserved in amber, or frozen in ice, yeast cannot survive that long. This yeast is a contemporary strand of living wild yeast that was hanging out with the matrix (the stuff that bone fossils are surrounded by) around this prehistoric whale’s skeleton. Wild yeast is used all the time in making beer. In fact, wild yeast is all around us all the time, on the food we eat and in the air we breathe. You are breathing it in right now as you are reading these words.

So no, this is not gross. Not even a little bit.

The yeast they discovered hanging out with the whale bones is a subspecies of brewer’s yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) called Saccharomyces cerevisiae var protocetus, named after the protocetid whale fossil that they swabbed to get it. Lost Rhino’s yeast guy recalled doubting heavily that the yeast would actually ferment, as it didn't hold up well in an alcoholic environment, but he was pleasantly surprised when they sprung to life and began converting sugars.

Jason Osborne (Paleo Quest) and Jasper Akerboom (Lost Rhino)
working on the Bone Dusters project

Some are skeptical about the use of the words “prehistoric” and “paleo” on the beer’s label and press release, saying that there is nothing prehistoric or paleo about the beer, and it’s just a publicity stunt. Sam Calagione, founder of Dogfish Head and maker of unusual beers for the sake of unusual beers, says in his book Brewing Up a Business (I’m paraphrasing) that there is no such thing as bad publicity, because in order to be taken seriously, you have to be recognizable. Recognition can be achieved through “good” publicity, but it can also be achieved through “bad” publicity. It’s easy for skeptics to bemoan what they deem to be marketing ploys or publicity stunts, but that is what sells products. Unfortunately, reputation alone is usually not enough. In Lost Rhino’s case, the beer isn't necessarily prehistoric, but it’s related to paleontology, so calling it “paleo ale” is not an attempt at deception – it’s selling a product.

But if you allow yourself to see a beer for what it is, and more importantly drink it for what it is, what you’ll find is that Lost Rhino’s Bone Dusters is a very tasty amber ale, as I alluded to earlier. Not only is it tasty, but it’s a tasty amber ale with a pretty cool story to tell. And some of the proceeds go to a good charitable cause. And science. And Virginia. What’s not to like?

It is currently available to drink or purchase out of the tap room in Ashburn, if you are in the area. I know they plan to make more, and I think they may even send it out to retail, so there is a good possibility you non-locals can get your hands on it soon, wherever fine Lost Rhino products are sold near you.

Here’s to craft-brewed happiness… Cheers!