About MBC
McHenry Brewing Company established Sunday, December 31, 2017
A friendly neighborhood brewery where anyone can become a local!
In 2017 Bob Master re-establishes McHenry Brewing Company and purchases the brewing equipment from COL Brewing. Out of respect for this history location and the lives effected by the attack of Pearl Harbor, McHenry Brewing Company opened at this corner in McHenry, IL of the original McHenry Brewing Company and the Brewery Service Station from a 150 years ago, 3425 Pearl Street, McHenry, IL 60050.
On Wednesday March 14, 2018, after remodeling and rehabbing the looks of the Tap Room to celebrate the history, McHenry Brewing Company reopened their doors sell ONLY Guest Craft Beers. During the next few months was focused on obtaining production licenses and honing the craft.
Then on Saturday June 30, 2018, McHenry Brewing had their HARD opening, selling their beers again.
We are taking a historical approach with decorating the tap room, looking to commemorate the State bicentennial and city history, while continuing to brew great craft beers for our customers.
We remain involved in community events. We are brewing beers on-site to sell with select guest craft beers, and wines in our Tap Room, our beer garden, and local events. In addition, while we do not serve food, only bar snacks, you are welcome to order from local restaurants (for delivery or pick-up) or simply bring in your own food. In the future. We hope to expand production, operation hours, and distribute our beer to bars in the area or along the river.
We often have music and host food trucks in our beer garden, so check the Events page for up-coming bookings. We hope to increase these events to become a regular schedule.
Come on in and try a flight of MBC beers!
Brew by the Fox, Drink by the Fox!
History of First McHenry Brewing Company and Brewery Corner:
In 1860 George Gribbler starts brewing McHenry Beer in McHenry County Illinois. In 1864 McHenry, IL was incorporated as a city. In 1868 George Gribbler builds his new brewery building for "Lager Brewery" at the corner Pearl and Green Streets in the new city of McHenry. This is the where we are currently housed in the historic building built by George Gribbler. This site quickly became known as the Brewery Corner. Over the next few years the brewery undergoes a few changes including owners (Schreiner & Benfield and then in 1875 by King & Herber). In 1874 Gottlieb F. Boley (born 10/23/1844) was hired by Lager Brewery as brewer and subsequently buys it for $1,400.00 from King & Herber. Gottlieb changes the name of the Lager Brewery to McHenry Brewing Company in 1880.
In 1885 McHenry Brewing Company was state of the art for breweries with a capacity of 1,200 barrels, business was never better. In addition to the brewery, Boley also owned a large malt house which he used in his beer brewing process. In 1899, shortly before his death in 1900 Gottlieb F. Boley remodeled the brewery and constructed a $5,000 addition (a wooden two story building next to the Brewery Corner). He installed steam broilers, replacing a huge kettle, wood heated. This again made McHenry Brewing one of the most modern of its times.
When Gottlieb F. Boley dies the brewery is taken over for about five years by Grott and Damgard. However, in 1906, Michael Worts, who married Gottlieb's daughter Katherine and Gottlieb's son Gottlieb C. (Patsy) Boley resume operation of the brewery and brand "Buffalo Beer". Patsy studied how to brew under his father and in 1902, Patsy receives his Master of the Art of Brewing (see Certificate in the HISTORY library).
In 1919, prohibition is established and drastically reduces beer production. The Brewery Corner is turned into the Brewery Service Station while the adjacent wooden part of MBC produces Root Beer. However, during prohibition, Michael Worts serves two sentences for selling beer. In a hidden location in the basement of MBC’s Brewery Corner, beer was being produced in small vats and piped under Pearl Street to a Speak-easy for consumption. Production was never stopped.
With the appeal of prohibition in 1933, MBC was sold to William Kline and Re-activated again in both buildings. H. J. Schnaitman becomes the new brewer of MBC. Again MBC undergoes massive remodeling and upgrades with five huge steel tanks, each weighing two-tons. In addition, mill pond ice production was replace by a large ice machine. Under this management McHenry Brewing Company remains opened until six months after the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1942.
The Brewery Corner undergoes little change while housing several restaurants/pubs from 1942 until 2009; including Harry’s Place, Park Pub, Green Pearl, Whales Tale, and Green Pearl Bistro. The wooden part of MBC suffers several fires with only the basement and back third of the original building surviving. The front portion has been rebuilt on the old foundation. In 2012 the Brewery Corner is purchased by Curt Ames owner of Chain O’Lakes (COL) Brewing Company and in 2013 a brewery is again opened on this historic site 3425 Pearl Street, McHenry, IL 60050.
Come on in and ask about the history!
McHenry Brewing Company
mchenrybrewing@gmaIL.COM