“I was talking with some of the promoters of the expo, and the theme was actually brought to us, and we thought it was a great idea,” said Tom Collins, a co-owner of Third Eye Brewing, which opened its Hamilton location last year. The beer’s name, Powers of Illusion-Talosian Lager, is inspired by the 1965 pilot episode of Star Trek. The Talosians were an alien race, and have powers of illusion and mind-reading abilities, “So we thought with Third Eye, it was a perfect connection with kind of your mind’s eye,” Collins said.
The Cincinnati Comic Expo was first held in the Queen City in 2010, and since its home at the Duke Energy Center is undergoing a massive renovation, it relocated the 2024 expo to Sharonville, which runs through Sunday. Thousands of people attend the expo, and celebrities like Jason Isaacs, Ron Perlman and John Rhys-Davies are scheduled to appear this year.
Credit: Michael D. Pitman
Credit: Michael D. Pitman
Collins said they are happy to be a part of celebrating a franchise like Star Trek that has a huge following.
“It’s a privilege for us to partner with them,” he said.
The beer is a light, crisp lager with some galaxy hops added, which “gives it a unique twist from your traditional style lager,” Collins said. He said Third Eye will have it on tap at the Sharonville and Hamilton taprooms, but the bigger seller will be the six-packs, which will be available at both taprooms, at the expo and at select retailers, including Jungle Jim’s in Fairfield. “It’s a unique design so we’re hoping the Trekkies come out in full force,” Collins said.
It is not unusual for Third Eye to partner with others to create a unique product. They’ve partnered with Hamilton’s Municipal Brew Works in the past, as well as other Cincinnati-based breweries. They’ve also partnered with some of the events that were held at the Sharonville Convention Center. But since this is the first time the show’s in Sharonville, Collins said, “We thought it was a great opportunity to do that, and we’re going to be doing some things in the taproom that go to the show.”
This is likely not the last commemorative beer Third Eye will brew.
“We’re having some conversations,” Collins said. “I think we’ve got some fun ideas ahead.”
Credit: Michael D. Pitman
Credit: Michael D. Pitman
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