Off Color Tooth & Claw 6Pk

Off Color Tooth & Claw 6Pk is a dry-hopped Czech-style lager brewed at 5.0% ABV, sold in a six-pack format from Off Color Brewing in Chicago. What makes this beer singular is its origin story: it was created as the official house beer for The Field Museum of Natural History, tied to the museum's famous Sue the T. Rex exhibit. With an 87 rating on BeerAdvocate and over 15,000 ratings on Untappd, it has earned a devoted following well beyond the museum's walls.

Quick Facts: ABV: 5.0%  |  Origin: Chicago, Illinois  |  Style: Dry-Hopped Czech Lager  |  Brewery: Off Color Brewing

Production & Heritage

Off Color Brewing was founded in 2013 by John Laffler and Dave Bleitner in Chicago, Illinois, with a mission to brew styles overlooked by the American craft beer mainstream. Tooth & Claw follows a Czech lager blueprint — built on a pale malt backbone and featuring European hops — but diverges with a dry-hopping step that amplifies the herbal, floral hop character without adding bitterness. The collaboration with The Field Museum gives the beer a cultural identity that few lagers can claim, and the name itself nods to the natural world with an unmistakable prehistoric edge.

Tasting Notes

Aroma: Pale breadlike malt and light grain lead the nose, followed by herbal, floral, and subtly peppery hop aromas from the dry-hopping. There is a clean, inviting quality with no off-notes — restrained and classic in its presentation.

Taste: The entry is crisp and malt-forward with crackery, biscuit-like grain flavors. Mid-palate, the European hop character emerges with gentle herbal bitterness and a faint floral lift. The balance tilts toward the malt but never becomes sweet, maintaining a lean, refreshing core throughout.

Finish: Medium-bodied yet clean, with a semi-dry finish that encourages another sip. Lingering traces of noble-style hop spice and toasted grain fade gradually, leaving the palate refreshed rather than coated.

How to Drink Tooth & Claw

Serve cold — around 40–45°F — in a Pilsner glass or a simple pint to let the pale-gold clarity and gentle carbonation show. This is a beer built for drinking as-is, but it also functions well as a base in beer cocktails. A Michelada benefits from its dry, crackery profile balancing lime and hot sauce. A Shandy with fresh lemonade plays off the herbal hop notes for warm-weather drinking. A Beergarita — equal parts lager and frozen margarita — works because the clean finish prevents the drink from becoming cloying.

Best For

• A museum visit or cultural outing where the backstory becomes a conversation starter
• Backyard cookouts and grilling sessions where sessionability matters at 5.0% ABV
• Introducing craft-curious drinkers to Czech-style lagers without intimidation
• Gifting to beer enthusiasts who appreciate unusual brewery collaborations

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Tooth & Claw taste like? Tooth & Claw delivers crackery pale malt and light bread grain flavors balanced by herbal, floral European hop character, finishing clean and semi-dry with easy drinkability.

How does Tooth & Claw compare to Utepils Keller Pils? Both are European-inspired American-brewed lagers, but Tooth & Claw uses dry hopping to push its floral and herbal aromatics further than the more traditional, unfiltered Keller Pils approach from Utepils. Tooth & Claw also finishes slightly drier, while Utepils Keller Pils leans into a softer, rounder malt body.

Is Tooth & Claw good for beginners? Yes — at 5.0% ABV with a clean, balanced flavor profile and no aggressive bitterness, it serves as an approachable entry point into Czech-style lagers and craft beer in general.

Where is Tooth & Claw made? Tooth & Claw is brewed by Off Color Brewing in Chicago, Illinois. The brewery, founded in 2013, specializes in underrepresented beer styles and created this lager specifically for The Field Museum of Natural History.

What foods pair well with Tooth & Claw? Grilled bratwurst or sausages complement the crackery malt backbone. A classic Chicago-style hot dog mirrors the beer's local roots. Soft pretzels with mustard echo the breadlike grain character. Mild white cheeses like Havarti work with the clean finish. Herb-roasted chicken aligns with the floral, herbal hop profile.

What sizes does Tooth & Claw come in? Tooth & Claw is commonly available in six-pack format, which is the standard retail configuration from Off Color Brewing for this release.

Is Tooth & Claw worth the price? Tooth & Claw positions as an accessible craft lager — priced in the everyday six-pack range while delivering a level of hop complexity and cultural backstory that most beers at this tier do not. Its BeerAdvocate score of 87 reflects solid critical regard for the style.

Why Tooth & Claw?

Few beers arrive with a built-in narrative as compelling as being brewed for one of the world's great natural history museums — and for Sue the T. Rex, no less. Beyond the story, the liquid stands on its own: the dry-hopping technique applied to a Czech lager framework delivers aromatic depth that straight-ahead Pilsners rarely achieve at this ABV. Off Color Brewing's commitment to brewing outside the mainstream means Tooth & Claw exists in a category of one — a sessionable, thoughtfully constructed lager with genuine cultural provenance and a flavor profile that rewards attention without demanding it.