MEET OUR BREW CREW

Adams Street Brewery is a continuing example of the Berghoff family’s dedication to employee excellence and loyalty. We’re all like family here.

Brewer

Mark Duchow

With over three decades of experience and a remarkable track record of winning over 100 medals in national and global brewing competitions, Mark brings an unparalleled level of expertise and passion to our team.

 

Mark’s love for the craft extends beyond just brewing; he’s also an avid enthusiast of beer and food pairings. His favorite combination, the Game Sausage paired with an Open Czech Pilsner, showcases his discerning palate and creativity in flavor pairing. Beyond his professional achievements, Mark’s unwavering passion for his work shines through.

Owner & Operator

Pete Berghoff

In 2017, The Berghoff Restaurant transitioned ownership to Pete Berghoff, 4th generation owner, alongside his parents, Jan and Herman (pictured with Pete), 3rd generation Berghoff owners. Later that year, they began a delicate restoration of The Berghoff’s century-old bar, lower level annex, main dining room, and third floor in preparation for the soon-to-be Adams Street Brewery.

Carrying on the 130-year-old family tradition, started by Herman Joseph Berghoff, (Herman’s grandfather and Pete’s great-grandfather), the Berghoff family began brewing beer in December of 2018. This marked The Berghoff Restaurant’s 120th anniversary in Chicago. Pete’s institutional knowledge and commitment to producing quality products have made him a great “Hoperator.”

Cellar Person

Jim Riggs

Jim began his craft beer career as an avid home-brewer here in the Chicagoland. He then worked at Short Fuse Brewing Co. and Vice District Brewing before joining the Adams Street team in late 2021. His debut beer on tap was his Pre-Prohibition Lager—Lewis’s Can-O-Corn, which became an instant fan favorite.

You can find Jim on the third-floor pumping grain to the brewhouse or diligently checking temperatures and rotating products in our lower level fermentation room. His “lager”-than-life enthusiasm for craft beer makes him a fantastic addition to our team.

The Berghoff Bar, 1920 Adams Street Brewery, 2019
The Berghoff Bar, 1920
Adams Street Brewery, 2019
“We like to think we’re coming full circle,” says Pete Berghoff, Herman Berghoff’s great grandson. “We feel The Berghoff is a special place filled with family and Chicago history. Why not really incorporate our roots?”

HISTORY

How it all started…

  • 1870
  • 1873
  • 1882
  • 1887
  • 1893
  • 1898
  • 2018
1870

Herman Berghoff arrives from Germany. He takes on agricultural work and even does a stint for a Wild West Show.

history
1873

Henry Berghoff joins his older brother, Herman, in America. Together, they work and travel around the East coast, settling a year later in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Over the next several years, their younger brothers Hubert and Gustav made similar moves to Indiana.

1882

Herman and Henry become proprietors of East End Bottling Works.

1887

The enterprising Berghoff brothers all work at a new brewery called The Herman Berghoff Brewing Company.

1893

Herman Berghoff sells his beer outside the Chicago World’s Fair.

1898

Due to tremendous popularity from his World’s Fair stint, Herman Berghoff opens a cafe selling beers and sandwiches, which goes on to become a 40,000 sq. ft. culinary legend in the heart of downtown Chicago—The Berghoff Restaurant.

2018

Adams Street Brewery launches.

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