Johnny Dabs, an artist and wanderer, is thrust into a shadowy web of intrigue after a chance encounter with his idol, Martin Kippenberger, on the streets of Manhattan. Events begin to catalyze around an ineffable and mysterious beverage-an alcohol agonist with distinctly psychedelic effects and an apocryphal origin-which Martin entrusts to Johnny's care.

As Johnny seeks to unravel the mystery of Kippenberger's beer, he finds himself caught up in a conspiracy: the art market is being manipulated not by gallerists and dealers, but through political backchannels and the leverage of soft power. Artists, spies, spooks, ingenues, and the memory of a vile 16th-century composer converge in this story that unfolds at the intersection of high art and dirty deeds.