TAVERN MAGIC: Chicago Tavern Culture and the Magic it Made

What the heck is Chicago-style magic? While you might think it's pulling a hotdog out of a hat, it's actually the close-up magic that was born in Chicago's mid-century German taverns.

For this special evening to support the we'll showcase the rich history of Chicago's magic bars that influenced tricksters around the world. The hub for Chicago magic was Schulien's, which operated not too far from our brewery from the late 1940s until 1999 (you can still see memories of Schulien's in O'Donovan’s, which operates there today).

There, owner-bartender-magician Matt Schulien would delight barstool patrons with tricks that went on to become the stuff of legend—like becoming the first magician to eat a live goldfish (he was depicted on Schulien's matchbooks doing as such) and a invent a card trick now only known to magicians as the "Chicago Opener."

We’ll try to recreate the magic of Schulien’s for an evening with a Schulien’s-inspired three-course menu by our friends at . But you can’t have dinner without a show, so joining us will be , who will perform table-side magic. Brielle is a Chicago-based magician who’s been featured on "Penn & Teller: Fool Us” and is reviving tavern magic at spots like Beard & Belly and Long Room. Your first .5L of beer will be on us.

Finally, a portion of your ticket will go to support the Beer Culture Center, a nonprofit dedicated to sharing stories of how beer has shaped humanity, past and present. Dovetail is committed to being a venue for these stories.

And don't worry, no goldfish will be harmed during this event.

What your ticket include:

• 3-course Beard & Belly dinner
• Tableside magic from Magic by Brielle
• Half-liter of Dovetail beer, or N/A or cider

BEARD & BELLY MENU

Soup: Minestrone with oyster crackers
Salad: Simple salad with blue cheese dressing or citrus vinaigrette
Entree: Smoked Thuringer with braised red cabbage and buttered boiled parsley potatoes

Due to the sit-down nature of this event, space is limited!

Host or Publisher Dovetail Brewery