About Us
The Story Behind this Downtown Chicago Brewery
Prost! Welcome to Adams Street Brewery—our family owned and operated brewery, located within the heart of the iconic Berghoff Restaurant!
Our history of brewing beer is traced back almost 135 years. In 1887 Herman Joseph Berghoff (great-grandfather of Pete Berghoff) founded The Herman Berghoff Brewing Co.
We thought it’d be only fitting to honor this family craft by bringing it in-house when we celebrated The Berghoff Restaurant’s 120th anniversary in 2018 and aptly named our brew-house Adams Street, where we have called home for 120 years. (Did we mention we are the only brewery in the lively Chicago Loop?!)
The best part of brewing in-house is that we can always serve the freshest product possible—Tank to Tap!
We have a wide variety of styles available. Ranging from our classic German Lagers to rotating styles like Sours, Ales, and Stouts—and anything else our team creates! Stay updated on what’s brewing and what is currently on tap!
Whether you want to try a few styles with a flight, have a favorite pint, get in the German spirit with one of our liter steins, or take us home with you in our Royal Pints To-Go, we hope you enjoy it all!
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.
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.”
Brewer
Jim Wolfer
Jim started his brewing career in 1996. He moved from San Diego to Chicago to attend the Siebel Institute and learned the ins and outs of the brewing industry. This move fast-tracked him to become head brewer for five years at both River West Brewing and Prairie Rock Brewing. He then transitioned to Rock Bottom Brewing, where he called home for over a decade.
He came to Adams Street Brewery in early 2021 as head brewer and was a key player in keeping the brewery operating during The Berghoff Restaurant’s closure and re-opening. With his passion for making a great-tasting product, you can find him busy in the brewhouse, but most “hoppy” with a freshly brewed beer in his hand.
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 Restaurant Beginnings
We like to say “it began with an immigrant and a dream…”
In 1870, Herman Berghoff arrived in the United States from Germany at the age of 17. Over the years, he proved himself to be an excellent entrepreneur, growing the popularity of the brewery, fighting Prohibition by brewing “near-beer” and Bergo soda pops (root beer), and turning his rejection for participation in Chicago’s World Fair into an opportunity by setting up a beer station just outside the Fair.
Today, his name is most well-known for the 120-year-old historic establishment in Chicago, The Berghoff Restaurant.
In celebration of The Berghoff’s 120th anniversary and as a nod to its adventurous roots, The Berghoff decided to bring the family art of brewing beer in house.
“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
Herman Berghoff arrives from Germany. He takes on agricultural work and even does a stint for a Wild West Show.
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.
Herman and Henry become proprietors of East End Bottling Works.
The enterprising Berghoff brothers all work at a new brewery called The Herman Berghoff Brewing Company.
Herman Berghoff sells his beer outside the Chicago World’s Fair.
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.
Adams Street Brewery launches.
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