Dovetail Pilsner
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Tasting Notes
The aroma is soft and inviting — fresh bread dough, a faint grassy note, and a gentle herbal quality from Czech Saaz hops. On the palate, expect a clean malt sweetness up front that yields to a firm, lingering bitterness; the body is medium and round rather than thin and watery. The finish is dry with that characteristic Saaz spice hanging on just long enough to pull you back for another sip. This is a beer that rewards slow attention more than casual pace.
About the Brewery
Dovetail Brewery is based in Chicago's Ravenswood neighborhood and was founded in 2016 by Hagen Dost and Bill Wesselink, both graduates of the Doemens brewing academy in Munich. They built their identity around traditional European brewing methods — open fermentation, horizontal lagering tanks, decoction mashing — at a time when most American craft breweries were chasing hop-forward ales. Their commitment to lager-centric, process-driven brewing has made them a respected outlier in Chicago's craft scene.
Food Pairings
Roast chicken works well here because the malt softness mirrors the savory fat without competing with it. Fried foods — schnitzel, fish and chips, fried chicken — benefit from the beer's dry, bitter finish cutting through the oil. A charcuterie spread of cured meats and semi-firm cheeses like Gruyère pairs naturally because the Saaz herbal note bridges salty and savory. Lighter pasta dishes with cream or butter sauce also hold up well, the bitterness keeping richness in check without overwhelming delicate flavors.
Style Guide
Czech Pilsener, sometimes called Bohemian Pilsner, originated in Plzeň in what is now the Czech Republic in the 1840s, and it's the original pilsner from which nearly all lager styles descend. It's defined by soft local water, pale Moravian malt, and Saaz hops — a variety that delivers spicy, herbal bitterness without sharp resinous punch. Compared to German Pilsner, the Czech version tends toward a rounder, slightly fuller body and a more pronounced malt presence rather than the crisper, more attenuated German take. ABV typically runs between 4.5 and 5.5 percent.