Adams Street Brewery
17 W. Adams Street in Chicago
AdamsStreetBrewery.com

History in short: It’s hard to imagine a more historic restaurant in all of Illinois than The Berghoff in Chicago’s Loop. Herman Berghoff’s history with beer in Chicago dates back to the World’s Fair in 1893, when he set up a stand in the Midway Plaisance and sold his brews to people entering and exiting. The price of a beer back then? Just a nickel. And each glass of suds came with a free sandwich. His success outside the World’s Fair prompted him to consider a more permanent venue, and The Berghoff officially opened its doors in 1898.

Fast forward to 2018, when a fifth generation of ownership made good on a desire to return to the roots of their grandfather brewing his own beer, and Adams Street Brewery officially opened inside The Berghoff with the installation of a beer cellar in the basement. “My dungeon” as head brewer Mark Duchow lovingly calls it, is the lifeblood of the building, as beer tubes run through the century-old walls to the bar on the main floor.

The Berghoff, especially when it’s decked out for the holidays, is a gorgeous building dripping with history and full of original woodwork and charm.

The space: The Berghoff, especially when it’s decked out for the holidays, is a gorgeous building dripping with history and full of original woodwork and charm. The scratch-made kitchen is on the fourth floor, a bakery on the second floor, and a vault still lies in the middle of the bar area where the family used to keep money. Old portraits of the prominent members of the Berghoff family are everywhere, and it’s not uncommon to see three generations of families eating together. It has the feel of a family-friendly German dining hall on one side, and then a distinct brewery/bar vibe with more energy and regular live music on the other side.

Interesting notes: A recent canning line allows for in-house sales of 4-packs to go, which is perfect for guests of nearby hotels or for movies and concerts in Millennium Park. … Back in 1933, Herman Berghoff was able to procure Chicago’s first post-Prohibition liquor license, which is proudly still on display at the bar. … For more than two decades, Berghoff Café has operated out of terminal 1 at O’Hare Airport.

What we’re eating and drinking: Winners of dozens of awards on a yearly basis — including recent silver medals at the World Beer Cup for their Der Reisende export stout (2025) and Steam Engine Kentucky common (2026) — it’s fairly obvious the brewing team at Adams Street, headed by Mark Duchow and Jim Riggs, is operating in high gear.

If you enjoy variety, you’ve come to the right place, as Adams Street boasts at least 15 fresh beers on draft at all times. You can never go wrong with the crisp What-Duh Helles lager or Herman’s Dunkel, a popular richly dark, Bavarian-style lager. On a recent visit, we enjoyed the Open Czech pilsner, Spiced Sunshine witbier with sweet orange and coriander, Dats Da Joose hazy IPA and Two Goats Maibock.

A creative recent addition to the draft (and can) lineup is a Japanese rice lager called Southside Sama, named after Munetaka Murakami, the White Sox rookie sensation. The brew has been mentioned in Japanese newspapers and the Chicago Sun-Times, as well as on a Chicago Sports Network broadcast with Ozzie Guillen.

Favorite sandwiches include the pork schnitzel and hand-carved reuben for sure, but the entrees — with options like smoked salmon with potato pancakes, molasses-crusted pork sausage or German gnocchi — are equally as tempting.

If you’re not feeling beer, Adams Street also offers an impressive selection of whiskey and other spirits.

For food, The Berghoff serves traditional German and American fare, and the menu is so extensive, it can actually be a bit overwhelming. In a good way, of course.

Favorite sandwiches include the pork schnitzel and hand-carved reuben for sure, but the entrees — with options like smoked salmon with potato pancakes, molasses-crusted pork sausage or German gnocchi — are equally as tempting. But if you’re a first-time visitor, we recommend the game sausage plate consisting of a combination of wild boar, venison and duck with a rich Madeira sauce, caramelized root vegetables, leeks and house-made spätzle. There are also several vegetarian options on the menu too.

On the horizon: Adams Street is churning out a rauchbier, brewed with a beachwood-smoked malt, in July, and has plans for a new gluten-free beer with buckwheat, millet and puffed rice.

And a little further down the line — but not to be missed — is their big Oktoberfest celebration that lasts the entire month of October. Included this year are eight batches of a traditional festbier to last through at least September and October.

“I really think a big part of what makes what we’re doing so special is getting to work with Jim,” Duchow says. “Working with him before, I realized he was a hell of talent with his recipe development.”

Riggs, meanwhile, credits Duchow for teaching him some older techniques and a wider appreciation for historical beers.

The fact that we’re brewing here, in a Chicago institution that’s been around for 128 years, is pretty special to me because I used to come here as a child and a young adult.” — Mark Duchow

From the brewery:

“The fact that we’re brewing here, in a Chicago institution that’s been around for 128 years, is pretty special to me because I used to come here as a child and a young adult. And at this point in my career, to kind of come full circle and be part of The Berghoff, a place that’s served as an inspiration, is very cool.”

— Mark Duchow

“What I am happy about is people are starting to really want more styles, but also delve back into the past and the more traditional styles that they started off their beer journey with. We’re having fun experimenting with traditional styles, while also staying true to the traditions. And that’s what it’s all about.”

— Jim Riggs