In the timeless words of Shakespeare, "What's in a name?" Naming a business is both an art and a science, blending creativity with strategic thinking. One must carefully think of something that's catchy and will stick for years to come. Oftentimes, it comes from a family name, a memory, or something unique to the establishment. When the name is well-chosen, it creates an instant connection.

Joe Gregor was never an easy person to buy presents for. One Christmas, his wife and four children pooled their gift buying efforts and bought him the supplies necessary to brew a five-gallon batch of IPA on his stove. Within a few months, he was making lagers on a burner in the backyard. Within a few years, he was leveraging his experience as a chemical engineer designing oil refineries around the world to create a decoction brewhouse designed to brew the light, refreshing lagers that he had fallen in love with while working in Southern Germany.

So, what's the connection with Church Street if there is no actual Church Street in Itasca, Illinois? Originally, the plan was to open on Church Street in Addison. However, due to unforeseen circumstances, the building was no longer available. Rather than starting from scratch, the Gregor family embraced the identity they had already built—after all, their licenses and branding were already tied to the company. The search led them to a charming spot in the industrial area of Itasca, where they established their brewery on Industrial Drive. In a fun twist of fate, the driveway leading to the brewery was named Church Street! 

After more than ten years, a great deal has changed, but the 30-barrel decoction brewhouse is still the brewery’s beating heart. At Church Street Brewing Company, the taproom, kitchen, indoor and outdoor event spaces, fermentation equipment, and packaging capabilities have all slowly grown up around the brewhouse to create one of Illinois’ best and most comprehensive craft beer experiences. This Illinois Made Maker brews dozens of different beer traditional and cutting-edge styles a year, often in collaboration with one of the many other craft breweries that help make the Great Lakes one of the world’s premier regions for superlative craft beer.