Adams Street Brewery inside the historic Berghoff restaurant
17 W. Adams in Chicago
AdamsStreetBrewery.com

The last really good beer I drank was…

Jim: Typically, I would say a High Life or Miller Lite, but in this case, it would definitely have to be Beer for Tacos by Off Color Brewing. It’s such a complex wheat beer, a lot like a gose, that has an excellent brine note. It was like a margarita in a glass.

Mark: Ha ha! Jim’s a Southsider. I’m a Pabst man myself, born and raised in Pabst County. Lately I have been seeking out pilsners. To date, Dovetail Brewery’s Czech-style pilsner is by far my favorite. A wonderfully balanced beer, triple decoction, the kiss of Saaz hops, and true to the style.

The last really good beer I drank was Beer for Tacos by Off Color Brewing. It’s such a complex wheat beer, a lot like a gose, that has an excellent brine note. It was like a margarita in a glass.

What fellow Illinois breweries and specific beers have impressed you lately?

Jim: Off Color Brewing’s Beer for Tacos of course, along with Double Clutch Brewing’s altbier really impressed me.

Mark: That is kind of a hard choice, since there are so many good breweries in Illinois. I have always been impressed with Dovetail for their technique and holding true to traditional beers. In addition, Alarmist Brewing has good people and great beer. I wasn’t a fan of New England IPAs until I tried their Le Jus. I also agree with Jim about Off Color and Double Clutch, for sure.

Dovetail Brewery Czech-style pilsner

What are you most proud of at Adams Street and The Berghoff?
Jim: Most definitely proud of our award haul this past year. We were able to win 17 awards in 2024. We’re really hoping to be able to exceed that this go-round, and maybe, knock on wood, add a few more under our belts.

Mark: I am very proud of the awards — who doesn’t like a bling on the wall? It’s a nice “Attaboy” for all the hard work. But what I’m most proud of over the past year is working with Jim and our efforts to improve our techniques, bringing on unique and creative beers along with keeping traditional beer in our lineup. One of the pleasures of brewing is hearing the good feedback from our guests, both here and at the airport.

What I’m most proud of over the past year is working with Jim and our efforts to improve our techniques, bringing on unique and creative beers along with keeping traditional beer in our lineup.

What do you have coming up that people should know about?

We’ve got a few new beers coming up in our pipeline here at Adams Street Brewery. We’ll be tapping a Kentucky common, which is a great historical beer to fit in with the history of The Berghoff. There is also be a rye lager called Be Rye Back, which we just tapped in early March. From there, our wee heavy called Goin’ Plaid will be following suit right after St. Patrick’s Day. We’ll also be looking forward to tapping 13.5°, a polotmavý pivo, and don’t forget about the gold medal-winning stouts — McCee’s dry Irish stout and Der Reisende export stout — that will be on draft both downtown and the airport.