A BRIEF HISTORY...

In 1979 the concept of a "beer bar" was a new category. There were no brewpubs and most regional breweries were struggling. Fritz Maytag, with the Anchor Brewery in San Francisco, was the first to reawaken the dormant beer culture. Locally, there were a few "bock" beers that offered something other than baseball to stir a young man's appetite during the spring. Berghoff Beer and Old Chicago Dark were about the only beers that were more than "wet, cold and fuzzy." So when Quenchers opened up with eight tap beers and 40 bottled beers, with no restaurant and no liquor store, they were out on the edge. Tom Forsberg had been working at the Berghoff for a few years and had seen the growing interest in imported beer. Jack Stevens had worked in several Rush street type locations and knew how to create a party atmosphere. A couple of guys from the Logan Square neighborhood also saw the need for an oasis for young urban professionals outside of the Loop and Lincoln Park. These people were the opening cadre for Quenchers Saloon. An early article in the Chicago Reader held the idea of a "fern bar" in such a nondescript environment up for some diversion.

After being open for four months, a management change began, as Earle Johnson, another Berghoff refugee, became involved. Impressed by the beer selection at Ranalli's and at the Weinkeller in Berwyn, Johnson increased the beer selection to eight taps and 40 bottles. His sense of eclecticism extended to a broadening of the liquor and spirit selection and the variety of music on the jukebox.

The business was marginal for some time. Johnson remembers nights when he would have no customers from eight to ten at night, then one older guy would stop in for one beer and Johnson would close at eleven. After a few months Johnson loaned Forsberg some money to keep the place open. That loan turned into a stock purchase and an assumption of all management duties by Johnson. Within a year Johnson went against all advice and used all his savings to purchase the remainder of the stock (and assume the debts.)

Quenchers began to make some significant progress as a beer bar and began getting more frequent media attention. Whether it was a beer driver's strike or a newspaper article on imported beers, Quenchers got the call. In the early 80's Quenchers was on every TV station in Chicago, including an appearance on the early "Wild Chicago" with Ben Hollis.

Quenchers also established itself as a neighborhood bar. They sponsored several local league sports teams and many twenty-something-aged customers met their mates under Quenchers' influence. During this time Earle Johnson (who has a Master of Divinity degree) performed several marriages, most of which continue to be viable!

David and Cindy (Wendt) Weisbecker were instrumental in most of the sense of community that developed during this time. They also initiated some of the activities that have become Quenchers Institutions: specifically the annual Walk to Wrigley and the European Beer Tour.

In 1987 Johnson was able to acquire the building housing Quenchers, thus insuring its continued existence. In 1989 the storefront next door was connected to the original bar, thus doubling the floor space and tripling the size of the bathrooms.

Chicago had seen a renewed interest in professional sports teams with the famous Bears of Mike Ditka and the occasional flashes of hope shown by the White Sox, Cubs and Blackhawks. But now came Michael Jordan and the championship Bulls. Quenchers acquired several TVs including two large screens and became known as a sports bar. Miller products outsold any imports almost 10 to one. Business was up, but the crowd no longer had a beer-seeking profile.

At the same time there was a lot more competition in beer retailing. Quenchers now had 15 taps, but there were places that offered more. Brewpubs and places that featured the high-end Belgian beers began to get most of the media attention. In many ways Quenchers had lost the niche that it had created.

In an effort to forge a new identity, Shawn Thompson began a two-year facelift of the bar that included murals on the walls and a new exterior color scheme. Couches and other conversation-friendly seating were added as the atmosphere evolved from the TV-sports climate. Stage area and sound systems have been added and Quenchers is making a mark as an eclectic live entertainment venue.

In the meantime, the regional beers on tap have become top sellers and nearly all of the imports sell more regularly.

Looking to the future, Quenchers intends to continue many of the old favorites as far as events are concerned, and of course, the emphasis on regional and seasonal beers will continue. There is space available for a beer garden and sidewalk café area. Once the licensing process is complete, there will be even more reasons for people to stop and sit a spell.

Twenty years is a significant amount of time for a bar to be under a single ownership. It is hoped that the experiences of the past and present will combine to make Quenchers live up to its potential as the best beer bar in Chicago.