Dovetail Brewery from Chicago to DC

Welcome, everyone, to DC Beer Show. We are at DC

Beer across social media. Mike Stein, what are you drinking tonight? I am having Live Oaks Grzewski Pivo, a Polish style 100% smoked wheat beer. It's a wonderful beer, 3%. I got it at the brew shop. Shout out to Beth and Julie. The brew shop in Arlington also recently just got cans of dovetail, and we're gonna talk more about that later. But, Jake, what are you drinking? I am drinking the end of

an era. It is a Soul Mega Worldwide Pale Ale contract brewed in Upper Marlboro, Maryland at the now-closed Calvert Brewing Company. Elliot Johnson, sole mega proprietor, is going to move over and contract brews worldwide as well as rhythm and beauty, dark lager, at DC's very own DC Brau. And so curious to see how that goes, but, you know, a nice 60-degree day calls for just, you know, a classic easy drink in American pale ale. It's got, like, a little bit of that juice, you know,

juicy hops to it, but it's not hazy. You got a nice little bit of malt, gives you that biscuity toasty bread stuff. So good times. Yeah. Mike, so you've already mentioned Dovetail and Live Oak. Have you seen Notch cans around at all? Or do we think that Notch was a one off over at Shelter? I have not seen Notch cans around town. I was in touch with Notch, and I do believe that they had only sent kegs. So when I last talked to, Julady Pena, the brewer up a notch, it was Alt Bier

day in Brighton. Bless them and their all beer day. And so they had just sent draft out. So the question is, will we get cans? Unclear at the moment. It may just be kegs for now. And, you know, like, we are

blessed with abundance of beer here. I'd be a little sad if we didn't get cans because then that meant that I can't drink it at home, but we've got Dovetail. We've got Live Oak. We've got Port Cities, excellent lagers. The Italian Pills, if it's still available, you all should definitely go get it. Could be cans only at the brewery. Yep. Il Palio, the Italian style Pilsner from Port

City. I had the pleasure of sitting down with Adam Reza and Bill Butcher of Port City and there'll be an article forthcoming on that because we have not one Italian pilsner but we have 2 with Right Proper recently releasing theirs. Jake, you have a can for me. Supercarina, what was your take on the Right Proper Italian style pilsner? So the Right Proper one, soft and a little like, the, the Port City one has this sort

of a soft roundness to it. And so we've been seeing more West Coast pills around and New Zealand pills, and a lot of that really just depends on the hops that you use with a Pilsner based beer and lager yeast. And I think this Supercarina probably fits more in line with those.

I know that Tipo pills and the Italian pills hasn't been around all that long, but I would describe port cities as a little more rustic and old school and traditional, and Right Proper's as a little more modern and new school, sort of keeping with people's hoppier palates. Drinking them both side by side is absolutely fascinating. It's just kinda cool to see this style take off here too. Yes. I can't wait to do the Pepsi challenge. Should I blindfold

myself before I do it? It will be very obvious to you which is which. One is very much more in the tradition of raised by wolves. And I think to me, that's the giveaway, But it's super cool to have these beers come in, you know, under 5, 5 a half percent that are identifiably lagers and then sort of play with that a little bit within the parameters. Oh, woah. This is a Pilsner. What can we do in terms of the hopping and treat it as such? Absolutely. Well, what

other news has come your way? I do wanna shout

out a couple events this weekend. Main one is it is the 5th anniversary over at Red Bear, and they're gonna throw a Friday, Saturday, Sunday party. It's gonna include a 5-Hop IPA, drag shows, all the cool things that we'd come to expect from Red Bear, and, of course, peak bloom, their cherry blossom beer will be there. We'll have more about that over at dcbeer.com soon.

And the the Women's Brew Culture Club is going to invade Baltimore. I believe they're hitting check Checkerspot on Saturday, and so that's pretty cool. If you're a dude or dude identifying, then I would say give the ladies and the nonbinary folks their space, but you can still come. And then, we could all kind of join up and have ourselves a little Baltimore party. It's fun to get up there. And then, of course, Sunday, the bottle share at Red

Bear. Hellbender. Oh, I said Red Bear, didn't I? It's Hellbender. I had Red Bear on the mind. So 2 to 5, it's open to everybody. Please RSVP over at dcbeer.com/events. One reason you should be there is that our friend Jerry over at Sharer Pints is gracious enough to pick up the last four bottles of Sam Smith Stingo in the mid Atlantic as far as I can

tell. And we will certainly pop one of them. And so if you're curious as to what a stingo is, kind of like a porter, but also kind of not, You should come through. I think Beef Space Barbecue will be there. That's Isaac's spot. You might know him from City Brew Tours. It'll be a good time. Yeah. So Hellbender DC Beer Share. While you're on the dcbeer.com website, click that link to become a supporter on Patreon.

Because for a measly $5 you will get access to our private DC beer chairs where we will have not just worldwide renowned stingo from Sam Smiths brewery in England, but we'll have, dusty bottles, fresh bottles, things I promise you you have never seen before. So come support us on Patreon for, you know, for $5 you gain access to all these private shares, happy hours, special drink deals. There's a lot going on, so check us out on Patreon. Well said. That is dcbeer.com

/patreon. We do depend on the support of listeners like you, viewers like you, readers like you, social media, peoples like you. Little bit goes a long way, so that's much appreciated. And, again, $5, you come to a beer share. You bring some beer. You get some beer. You buy some beer. It practically pays for itself. Your support, much appreciated. And we also wanna call attention to Women in Craft Beverage Excellence in Industry Panel. This is happening

March 21st. It's goes from 6:30 to 8:30 PM, and it's taking place at other half DC. There is a number of very talented contributors on the panel, Jamie Winden, Judy Neff, Crystal Fraley, doctor j Jackson Beckham, Maureen O' Prey, Amy Burke, Julie Drews, Jasmine Dill, and Latrice Harris. Now Latrice was just on the podcast last month, but our very own Brandy Holder has done a wonderful job of putting this panel together. It's a wonderful event. You can purchase tickets.

You'll get some food and drink at Other Half Brewing Company. So that's Thursday, March 21st from 6:30 to 8:30 PM. I've already bought my tickets, so you will see mister and missus Stein there. Come see us on March 21st at other half DC. And a gentle reminder, if you're a DC beer member, you get a discount on those tickets. Dcbeer.com/patreon. Again, we have goodies for you. One other event to mention is the 12th at Lyon

Hall. They did a sold out blackberry dinner, and they're gonna do 1 women owned on 12th. So nice sort of middle of the week, pregame pie day. Should be a good time. I hear nothing but good things about about the last one. It's very cool that Alyssa, GM over there is putting this stuff on. It's nice to have these beer dinner events back in the area. At one point, that was a cool thing to do that kind of, like, dwindled during the pandemic and such, but nice to have them

back. Yeah. You know, it seems that beer dinners are back and they're back in a big way. Talking to Alyssa at Lyon Hall, it sounds like, the beer dinner featuring all of the local black owned breweries, DC proper, Maryland, and Virginia, they sold out and they had to add seats. That's how well it was doing. So people are eager to hear directly from the producers and get more in intel behind the scenes at the beer dinner. So check out Lyon Hall. Check out, what

Alyssa's doing there. It's definitely solid work with reason to be proud of. Yeah. And this comes on the heels of Franklin's under new brewmaster Jeff Hancock doing a series of beer dinners. We record the show on Tuesday. Those beer dinners are happening Wednesday, Thursday, which means you're listening to this on Friday. They already happened, but they'll be bringing them back a little a bit more again. And Francis is also gonna do a firkin' Friday

more often. So nice to see some real natural ale. And, occasionally, a lager and a and a firkin, that'll be a good time as well.

Alright, Mike. We big up Dovetail already. We have. We have. But who's our guest for this evening? We have a very special guest coming to us from Chicago. It's JP. JP is a brewer at Dovetail. She also her proper title is marketing and creative manager slash brewer. So we're putting marketing and creative managing first, then we're putting, the brewing second. But, JP is an advanced Cicerone. Outside of being in the beer world, she's also in the beer and food

world very much so. She's always bringing new insights to our favorite ancient beverage. She's responsible for all these interesting events that happen at the brewery in Chicago. And then she was the reason, we were so excited and all around town last week when Dovetail dropped, and she's gonna oversee Dovetail's excellent care in the DMV. And she's a fan of brewing in DC. She's been here a number of times, so she's knowledgeable about the area. JP,

thank you so much for joining us. Can you introduce yourself to the DC Beer listenership? I am one of the brewers at Dovetail Brewery, as well as their marketing and creative manager. I've been with the brewery for 8 years now. I was employee number 1, outside of the family. And if people aren't familiar with Dovetail, we are a brewery that specializes in continental European styles while using traditional

methods. That's a great introduction. I'm wondering since you've got 8 years under your belt, with Dovetail, if you can tell us some of your memorable beer or cider or macchioli moments in the DC metro area? Obviously, you know, you've had a a wonderful journey, but you've journeyed to DC proper. And I'm wondering if you tried some of our local products or had some stuff, you know, maybe imported stuff, from around the world in DC

proper. Oh, sure. I think one of my most vivid beer memories of DC proper was I was there and it was a rainy day. And I was just solo walking around Georgetown and I walked up that alley into the Sovereign and, had a bowl of water zoy. I'm probably butchering that water zoy, which is just like a Belgian stew, a really hearty Belgian stew, and, had myself a Belgian beer. And it was it was just one of those, like, perfect, just beer drinking moments.

Just like the, you know, the you were cozy, you were warm, you were in a place that, you know, like people really cared about the the beer that they were serving and and the food that went along with it. And, yeah, just it's just when I think of beer in DC, that's one of the first things I think of. I've also spent a lot of time, you know, just bopping around. The Church

Key, obviously, very influential. If anyone's familiar with Chicago, there's a there's a bar here called the Hop Leaf, which was also very influential to me as I, you know, came through my professional beer journey. So just going to Church Key and being able to drink there, and of course, like, the the beers that you get in BC are sometimes beers that we don't, you know, necessarily get in

Chicago all the time. Of course, there's Right Proper, which I would like because they sometimes it would do these really esoteric historical styles, which is right up my alley. And then Port City Brewing, in Alexandria, they're, you know, they're also smoked beer enthusiasts as well. Again, just very like minded in in the way that we approach beer at dovetail. Well, we missed you over the weekends and I, you know, not only enjoyed the beer, but really enjoyed

meeting Dan and Bill. And it just seems like such a wonderful familial feel to dovetail. And it seems like that was brought to DC even just for the short amount time that you guys were here this weekend. And you guys aren't really anywhere else other than Chicago and then now DC and Virginia. And so now that Dovetail has been introduced to the beer drinking community of DC and Virginia, who may have not been to Dovetail, I'm curious how much of the Dovetail beer we're going to

get in DC. Like, what kind of, like, special one off? So our entry into DC and Virginia was very intentional, and it took 2 years. Right? It took 2 years of meeting the right people who got us on the right track with the right people in DC and Virginia. Yeah. And what I mean by that is they shared our point of view when it comes to beer, and most people being, Justin and Allied and his team,

Allied being our distributor. And then, you know, people like, Greg Engert, who, you know, as you know, like Bluejacket, Sovereign, Churchkey. I'm sure I'm missing one. And what is important to me is that that we stay intentional in the places that we put our beer. So it is my hope that, you know, this isn't the last you're gonna see a Dovetail. And I think that happens a lot with certain brands that come into new markets. Like, they'll do a big drop, it's a big splash, and then then there's no

connection to beer drinkers in that market. And it's it's important for me. I know it's important for Dan, and I know it's important for Bill and Hagen that we keep that connection because that connection is a lot has a lot to do with, I think the way that we're able to talk about our beer and really just share our beer, with with with beer drinkers. But to answer your question, to start, you'll see a lot of our core 4, Vienna Lager. Like the Hellas Locker? Yes. The Hellas Locker.

So a pale a pale ale, our pale lager. Yep. Kolsch, which is, you know, technically a pale ale, and then, a Hefeweizen. So for dovetail beers, like, we make beers that are to be enjoyed round after round. So nothing, you know, too high in alcohol that, you know, it has, like, a nice, malt character to it. It's got a a balanced bitterness, and it usually finishes dry. Like, for us, we want you to sit down and just enjoy a couple of rounds of cocktail. So what you'll see is mostly core 4

to start. I'm think a majority of it's gonna be on draft. We also are very fond of our bartenders. There is a check saying that goes, it's the brewer that makes the beer, but it's the bartender that completes it. So it's it that entire process isn't finished until that that beer is in front of you. And we have a ton of of admiration and respect, for the people that are behind the bar as well. So we make a beer that's just simply called

lager, and it's only draft. It's only in bars and restaurants, and that's our way of kind of saluting, those people who are completing our beer. And and for the and for the folks listening, when when I said Hella's Lager, I held up the can, and the podcast screen. You you don't see anything, but you hear. So hopefully you heard the clank of the the beer can. I'm curious since, you know, it is Women's History Month, and you have some

incredible credentials, behind your name. And I'm just curious, you know, what have been some of the hats that you've worn in the industry? Well, I guess, you know, I I I've always been interested in beer, but, my I guess my professional path into beer started with the Cicerone certification program. So that feels like another lifetime ago, at this point. But if people aren't familiar with the Cicerone certification program, it's a it's a certification for people that sell

and serve, beer. The the easy way to describe it is like, it's a it's a sommelier for beer. And again, like going back to what I said, where where the beer really isn't completed until it's in front of you. I think, you know, beer service is such an important part of beer culture. And I can nerd out about beer service traditions all day long. So I started out the Cicerone

certification program. I was an exam manager there. And during that time, I had the opportunity to to travel all throughout North America and some some places in Europe and really get to visit, other beer culture and really, you know, see how other breweries were serving their beer, what they were doing, how they were brewing their beer and and what they were brewing. And that was very important to me. That was like my observational

education. As it so happens, there is there's this there were these train tracks, next to my office window. And one day I was looking outside the window and over the train tracks. And I saw these. What I found out later were open for banners going into a building. I'm like, that's interesting. What's going on there? So I ended up basically inviting myself over, and that was the first time I met Hog and Abel. And it it was things that I had never seen in a North American brewery before

when I stepped into to dovetail. One of them being the open fermenters. That was just something I've never seen in a North American brewery. The other thing was the cool ship. The other thing was this 4 vessel brewing system where they were telling me about how they were going to their beers. Like, it just kind of blew my mind, and it was something as somebody who's really interested in beer traditions, like, just really spoke to me as far as, like, a shared philosophy

about brewing. So yeah. So I invited myself over. They needed somebody to help serve in the, in the tap room there the 1st couple of months. And, yeah, I never left. So Scoped it out. You're like open fermentation and decoction? Yeah. Sign me up. Yeah. I love that. I love that. So we were at Lost Dog Cafe in Alexandria, and I was fortunate enough to buy the last Hellas, a 4 pack there. We talked to our friend, Steve Quartel, and he had mentioned that on opening night, the

Helles keg kicked by 8 PM. So it definitely, like, seems that the, old Chicago standby of, 1, 2, 3, 7, 8 beers, held up well. And I love your description of the core for, representing ethos of the brewery and the beers you make, which is we want you to have a few. We don't want them to be high gravity, high alcohol, too sweet, too bitter, just in that sweet spot. And they all do

play that very well. I bought a 4 pack of all of the core 4, but I'm wondering the microcosm of just because Helles kicked first both the keg and and the can sales at Lost Dog. If that translates to what you see in Chicago with the Chicago market, obviously, it's too early to really tell what's gonna do great and go gangbusters in DC.

But I'm I'm just wondering about the brands, how well they sell, what's sort of the number one seller, and do you think that'll replicate itself in DC, or do you think DC will be a bit of a curve ball? Well, you could tell me more about DC drinkers. I could tell you about Chicago drinkers. And I know Chicago drinkers. Like, honestly, all of our those core 4, they there's a little bit

of seasonality to it. Like, you might see a little tick of, Hefeweizen in the summer, and then, a little bit of Vienna in the fall and winter because it's got, like, the more toasty, caramelly, warm, comforting, malt flavors to it. But there is

no like clear cut, like number 1 seller. Yeah. You know, you know, it's not like it was 15 years ago where people are we're chasing these, these huge personalities of beers, like the barrel aged out, like the super bitter, happy, you know, the IBU wars and whatnot. I think as maybe the the quote unquote craft beer market matures, I think people's palates are maturing as well. That's not to say that there isn't a spot for, you know, I like a good, big, boozy, barrel aged salad every once in a

while too. Yeah. But it is great to have, you know, we love smoked beer so much. I have live oaks Grodzinski, a 3% beer, you know, a smoked a 100% oak smoked wheat, and then you your brewery makes a Grodzinski as well, and they kinda stand out not as opposite, but as a different type of smoke than the Schlenker Law, the Heller Troop beer from Franconia, Bam Bamburger Rauch beer, which is world famous in its own right. So, we're just we're so excited that that dovetail is

here. So thank you. And, you know, 2 years of planning. Right? It really the thoughtfulness shines through. I think the thought was like, oh, Dovetail just got here, so they must have just, like, sent some kegs and cases down. But you really took the time to roll it out right. Oh, I'm glad I'm glad you I'm glad you, you saw that and and and recognize that. Because again, like, everything we do is very, very intentional, very intentional. It might seem a little off the wall sometimes,

but it's it is intentional. And, you know, I don't wanna be seen as a brewery that just drops off beer and then leaves. I wanna make sure that we're there as a resource for the people that are serving our beer, that we're there to connect with the people that are drinking our beer. And, you know, I have some ideas about how I can do that, and I hope I get to be in DC, and I hope we get to do things that, you know, bring a little part of our taproom to to DC as well.

Awesome. Well, JP, thank you so much for joining us on the DC Beer Show. Yeah. Thanks for having me. Thank you so much,

JP. We love that you're repping the right proper shirt. Again, as as Mike said in the intro, always nice to see, a fan of the DC beer scene. And, also, for those of us out there in podcast radio land, the running joke is that, those of us who talk on the DC beer show are the main consumers of Rauch beer in the DC metro area. And so it's really nice to have the person behind National Rauch Beer Month, which for us is every month on the pod. Alright. We're at

DC beer across the socials. Saint Patrick's Day is coming up. Cherry Blossom Beers are here. Saint Baldrick's is gonna is coming up at Boundary Stone too. Everybody be well. Be safe. Mike, parting thoughts. You wanna take us out? Sure. It's that time of year where we switch from, Port City Porter weather to Port City WIT weather, but I have to I have to be true to my my buddy, Julie, at Arlington Brew Shop. Every weather is porter weather.

Kinda like how every day is wrapped beer day. You just have to try hard not. Thanks for listening, everybody. We'll see you out there. Be well.