Illustration Ale 2012 edition launch party!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Joe Wos, ToonSeum Executive Director, (412) 760-1896, joe@toonseum.com


The ToonSeum and East End Brewing Company to Release
Illustration Ale, a Special Hand-Bottled Beer



Pittsburgh, PA - The ToonSeum, Pittsburgh’s museum of to the cartoon arts, is proud to announce the 2012 edition of Illustration Ale, a robust Belgian style beer brewed exclusively for the ToonSeum by Pittsburgh's own East End Brewing Company.

Illustration Ale is a 700-bottle limited-edition Belgian specialty ale created as a fund-raiser for the ToonSeum. Two dollars from the sale of each one-liter, swing-top bottle will directly benefit the ToonSeum. The beer is a bottle-conditioned ale, brewed with a spicy farmhouse ale yeast which adds nuance to the rich dark malt character.

As with the May 2010 release of the first batch of Illustration Ale, each bottle bears a label created by one of six Pittsburgh cartoonists and graphic artists, making for a unique six-pack collection. This year's labels were designed by Mark Bender, Vince Dorse, Jasen Lex, Nathan Mazur, Ed Piskor, and Dave Wachter.

"Once again, a group of Pittsburgh artists created spectacular work for Illustration Ale. The labels provide fantastic images for people to ponder while they enjoy their beer," says East End owner and brewmaster Scott Smith. Specially illustrated labels on beer bottles has become a brewing tradition, and Smith, who enjoys his cartoons almost as much as his beer, has worked closely with many local artists (among them Wayno, Jim Rugg, and Mark Zingarelli) to design labels for his beers.

John Mattie, ToonSeum manager and craft-beer aficionado, said “East End Brewing Company continues to be a great friend of the ToonSeum and we're thrilled to team up for another batch of this special craft beer. Most people - myself included - will try a bottle of craft beer based on the artwork of the label alone. We're proud to say that a product bearing The ToonSeum name is just as notable for what's inside the bottle as for the awesome art on the outside."

East End Brewing and the ToonSeum will unveil the 2012 Illustration Ale with a special tasting session at the ToonSeum on February 4th at 6:00pm. Guests will not only get the first sips of the special brew, but will also be able to meet past and present label artists, have their bottles autographed, and enjoy the current exhibit, Funky Turns 40. A bottle of Illustration Ale will be included with the purchase of a ticket. A portion of proceeds benefits the ToonSeum.

Tickets for the event are $30 (members pay only $20) and can be purchased online at www.illustrationale.eventbrite.com or at the ToonSeum reception desk, 945 Liberty Avenue Downtown during regular business hours.

The ToonSeum’s mission is to celebrate the art of cartooning. Its goal is to promote a deeper appreciation of cartoonists and their work through hands-on workshops, community outreach, cartoon-oriented educational programming, and exhibitions of original cartoon art.

The ToonSeum is open Wednesday through Sunday. For more information, call 412-232-0199, or visit the ToonSeum website, http://www.toonseum.org.