Dovetail Brewery Opening June 11

CHICAGO - June 7, 2016 - PRLog -- Filling an important niche within Chicago's growing craft beer scene, Dovetail Brewery will officially open Saturday, June 11 in Chicago's Ravenswood Corridor at 1800 W. Belle Plaine. This sizable 22,000 square foot facility, owned by certified master brewers Hagen Dost and Bill Wesselink, is producing a traditional German-style Lager, a Bavarian-style Hefeweizen and a Franconian-style Rauchbier.
Dovetail Beer can be found on tap at the following Chicago bars and pubs: Hopleaf, Fountainhead, Paddy Long's, Kaiser Tiger and the Long Room.

A partnership of two certified master brewers
"It was very clear that we were of the same mind when it came to brewing methods, philosophy and tastes," said Wesselink. "We spent a great deal of time researching the business, sourcing equipment and ingredients, and developing a solid plan."
"We share an enthusiasm for the small, independent, family-run breweries of Bavaria and the Senne Valley in Belgium" said Dost. "These breweries produce from 1,000 to 20,000 kegs per year, and when we researched the area, we found that there are 287 small breweries-quite a concentration. Famous labels from this region are Mahr's Bräu, Schlenkerla and Brauerei Spezial."
Having completed the equipment's testing and calibration process, the first batches of beer were produced in April.

The brewery also has an attractive 1,700 square foot tap room, with a capacity of 99. The public is welcome to hang out, sample the beers and purchase them.

Dovetail's philosophy: beer that delights all of the senses
Dovetail's brewing philosophy is that great beers play on all of the senses. Beer that delights all of the senses sounds rich on the pour and is mouth-watering to view.  The nose of the beer sets the scene: ranging from a flowery hop field to a butcher's smokehouse. The mouthfeel establishes personality: smooth and creamy, or light and sharp, like Brie vs. Parmesan. Taste forms the complex core of the beer: sweet, bitter, sour and/or salty in orchestration. Lingering, pleasant aftertaste creates the desire for the next sip.  Overall, the beer needs to be delicious: a sublime, fleeting experience that engages all of the senses and is greatly influenced by the food it's paired with or the season during which it's enjoyed.

Dost and Wesselink believe that there are three keys to making sublime, delightful beer: old-school methods, patience & brewing expertise. To this end, Dovetail Brewery is equipped with authentic old style brewing and fermenting apparatus that is rarely seen in modern breweries. The coolship and cold fermentation processes are a return to the small batch foundations upon which great German and Belgian beers have been produced for centuries.
"Today's breweries have moved away from these early brewing methods, not because they want to produce better beer, but because they want to simplify the process and save money," said Dost. "Bill and I agree that our methods produce the finest beers and even though it takes more time and requires more patience, the quality, flavor, body and overall beer-drinking experience are completely worth it. That's why, as we've told our story to Chicago beer enthusiasts, they have responded with excitement. They understand that our brewing methods produce simply the best beers, and they can't wait to taste them."

A product line that bridges the gap between tradition and modernity

Their Lager is unfiltered, golden, malty, rich, creamy and complex, with aroma of malt and fresh hops. An easy to drink, full-bodied 4.8% ABV with a lingering pleasant after-taste and foam that stands like a cloud above the rim of the glass with lacing at every sip. It is produced using cool fermentation temperatures and a patient 4-to-5-week cold maturation.

Dovetail's Rauchbier (5.3% ABV) is dark with reddish tones and an off-white head with a rocky foam standing above the rim of the glass. Produced using 95% beechwood-smoked malt it gives the impression of eating a bar of chocolate in a smokehouse, full and rich with generous hopping to balance the flavor of beechwood smoked bacon.

Dovetail's Hefeweizen (4.8% ABV) -- A pleasant rich, yolky-orange wheat beer, featuring the aroma of clove and fruit in perfect balance; refreshing on a warm day, with a hint of mandarin-orange-like acidity; huge effervescent head; Thick lasting foam that leaves an attractive lacing after every sip.

The fourth beer in the lineup is a Belgian Lambic-style beer brewed using traditional mashing and spontaneous fermentation methods. "In Belgium, the Senne Valley is known for its unique beers-Lambic and Gueuze-which are 'spontaneously fermented' beers," said Dost. "They are slightly sour and acidic, with low carbonation and complex flavor profiles. Lambic beers are barrel fermented for six months to two years and blended, often with fruit, to achieve their final character. Gueuze beers are a blend of 1, 2, and 3 year-old Lambic beers that are bottle fermented, similar to champagne."
"We think beer drinking should be a sublime experience that engages all of the senses. Our beers will reflect the season in which they are enjoyed and the food they are paired with."

Brewers who follow their passion
"I received my first beer education in my late teens from my beer-enthusiast cousins. They would travel the country discovering the history of beer in America, and would bring me back "Breweriana" and various regional beers. During family get-togethers they would share these rare beers and the stories behind them. They taught me to appreciate only good, flavorful beers and ever since, I have enjoyed craft beer and its history, hoping one day to make my own."

For more information about Dovetail Brewery, please visit the brewery's website at http://dovetailbrewery.com (under construction), their newsroom at http://www.newsline360.com/dovetailbrewery  or contact Bill Wesselink by email at bill@dovetailbrewery.com or Hagen Dost by email at hagen@dovetailbrewery.com. For additional information, call 773-683-1414.