Facade renovations at Rhinegeist Brewery, Cincinnati, uncovered a stunning early-twentieth-century encaustic tile mosaic by famed ceramicist Herman Mueller. The mosaic was exceptionally well-preserved under layers of paint and has not been visible to the public for over 100 years. 

Housed in the former bottling plant of the prolific pre-Prohibition Christian Moerlein brewery, Rhinegeist’s historic home features many hallmarks of Cincinnati’s rich nineteenth-century architectural heritage, but the one-of-a-kind mural was a complete surprise. 

“We were cleaning the walls to prep for tuckpointing when some of the old, peeling paint came off,” explains Vince Vickers, superintendent at Buckeye Construction & Restoration, which is doing the renovation work at Rhinegeist. “Underneath, we noticed colors that looked like part of a drawing. We started pulling off more of the paint, and little by little, the century-old mural began to show itself — hidden in plain sight for decades.” 

The mural’s creator, Herman Mueller, was a famed American ceramicist and founder of the Mueller Mosaic Company of Trenton, N.J.. His work is on display at the New Jersey State Museum, Newark Museum, Brooklyn Museum, Smithsonian Institution, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. “It’s not every day you get to open a time capsule into another era. Discoveries like this remind us why we love what we do — it’s truly what makes this work great,” said Brad Rogers, P.E., vp-business development, Buckeye Construction & Restoration.

“The mural features an interesting anomaly,” notes Adam Bankovich, CEO at Rhinegeist. “One tile that makes up the corner of the main figure’s hat was installed 90 degrees in the wrong orientation. We brewed a pre-Prohibition-style lager to celebrate the mural’s discovery, and named it Tip of the Hat as a nod to this easter egg. This small batch beer will be available on draft in the taproom for a limited time.”

The mural discovery comes on the heels of the announcement of the American Museum of Brewing, a planned national museum to be built in Cincinnati’s Over-the-Rhine in 2028. The museum will serve as a destination for travelers interested in the history of brewing in America, and will highlight OTR’s rich brewing history.

“The museum will be a great addition to the neighborhood, and visitors to the American Museum of Brewing will certainly want to work in a visit to the mural as well,” adds Bankovich. Rhinegeist has been working with the Cincinnati Museum Center to get historical background and images of the mural from the time of its initial installation. 

Rhinegeist is located at 1910 Elm St. in the historic Over-the-Rhine neighborhood of Cincinnati, Ohio. The mural is currently available for viewing to the public, and Tip of the Hat, a pre-Prohibition-style lager, is available on draft in the Rhinegeist taproom for a limited time.