Stubborn German Brewing Company - Waterloo, IL

Stubborn German Brewing Company - Waterloo, IL Real German bier, in a real German town, made by real Stubborn Germans. Bring your own food! Louis Brews and The Ferm homebrew clubs. On to the beer!

Stubborn German Brewing Company is located in historic downtown Waterloo, Illinois. We are a craft brewery that is independently owned and operated by Chris and Tammy Rahn of Waterloo. Chris Rahn, owner and head brewer, has 10 years of homebrewing experience and has been brewing professionally since 2015. He is very passionate about bringing delicious beer to Waterloo and the surrounding areas. Ch

ris is a BJCP (Beer Judge Certification Program) National Beer Judge (one of the highest ranked in Illinois), and a longtime member of the St. We definitely lean towards brewing German style beers, with some American varieties as well. Some of the styles we brew year-round include: Stubbornfest (our Oktoberfest), Fountain Creek Kolsch, Blitzkrieg IPA, Altbier, Peterstown Pilsner (German Pilsner) Waterloo Wheat (Hefeweizen), and Schitzengiggles (Munich Dunkel). We have 4 seasonal beers, then brew "one-off" batches of other styles of beers. We also have 2 tap handles dedicated to "On Til It's Gone" which is a small 5 gallon batch of beer that usually features different/odd ingredients or different methods to brew it. We also have a tap handle dedicated to "From the Barrel Cellar". This is a rotating tap handle of one our bourbon barrel aged beers that have spent some time in a Stumpy's Spirits bourbon barrel. We typically have 16 beers on tap at all times. We also offer one of the biggest bourbon and whiskey selections in Illinois, as well as Excel sodas and a fun mixed drink menu to choose from. We don't serve food, but you're welcome to order from the local restaurants or bring food from home. We do have outdoor seating on our patio in front of our building. The name “Stubborn German” comes from a phrase heard pretty often around the Waterloo area. It describes the old Germans that came to this area long ago and seemed to be set in their old ways. We like this description for our brewery for a few reasons:
1. We think those old Stubborn Germans made, and still make, some of the best beer in the world, and we want to mirror that.
2. We are stubborn ourselves, in that when we brew a great beer, we repeat it the same way. Over and over and over again.
3. We are also so stubborn that we will not let one style of beer define us! There is plenty of German beer at our brewery, but also plenty of other styles, especially American beers, along with some British, Belgian, and Irish beers as well.
4. We are, ourselves, Stubborn Germans!

Josh, our bartender and one of our brewers, hit a huge milestone this week...he's been working here for TEN years!!!! Wh...
09/01/2026

Josh, our bartender and one of our brewers, hit a huge milestone this week...he's been working here for TEN years!!!!

When we first met Josh, we figured he would be a great fit because he loved craft beer and also homebrewed, so the passion was definitely there. Not only does he bartend with us, he also helps as a brewer by kegging beer, cleaning kegs, transferring beer, etc. He's been an amazing asset to the team in that he is always willing to bartend and pick up shifts, our regulars love chatting with him, and he makes everyone, including our first time visitors, feel welcome.

Josh definitely makes Stubborn German a priority and we can always count on him. He's one of the unsung heroes on the brewing side for sure; no one sees what he does, but if he didn't do it, you wouldn't have anything to drink...he's that important! Please help me in congratulating Josh on 10 years!

Try our new beer: Men At Work! We brewed this IPA with all hops that come from the Land Down Under! We used only Austral...
08/31/2026

Try our new beer: Men At Work! We brewed this IPA with all hops that come from the Land Down Under! We used only Australian and New Zealand hops like Moutere, Galaxy, Motueka, Alpha Aroma, Wai-iti, and Nelson Sauvin. If you are a fan of IPA's or Australian/New Zealand hops, or bands that sing songs about Australia, be sure to try this one!

Today is the perfect day to enjoy a flight of beers!! We're open 12-6pm.
08/30/2026

Today is the perfect day to enjoy a flight of beers!! We're open 12-6pm.

I know it's short notice, but if you have any interest in homebrewing, or just want something to do, we're hosting The F...
08/29/2026

I know it's short notice, but if you have any interest in homebrewing, or just want something to do, we're hosting The Ferm Homebrew Club's Brewday in our back parking lot from 7:30am-noon ish tomorrow. All are welcome to stop by and say hi and check out the process! Several homebrewers will be there making beer; it's always a good time.

TONIGHT is BINGO!!! I'm calling at 7pm and would love to see you! -Tammy
08/27/2026

TONIGHT is BINGO!!! I'm calling at 7pm and would love to see you! -Tammy

Tonight is the very last Muny Band concert of 2026. We can't thank you enough for supporting the Muny Band, and all the ...
08/25/2026

Tonight is the very last Muny Band concert of 2026. We can't thank you enough for supporting the Muny Band, and all the local businesses (including us!) this summer. Also, thanks to the Waterloo Band Parents and all the sponsors who have given out free ice cream this year. We have really enjoyed seeing familiar and new faces on Tuesdays. We'll still be open on Tuesdays after the concert season is over with fresh beers, delicious bourbons, and fun times.

The most fun weekend of the year is coming up...Stubbornfest is October 2 and 3 in beautiful Downtown Waterloo! Family f...
08/23/2026

The most fun weekend of the year is coming up...Stubbornfest is October 2 and 3 in beautiful Downtown Waterloo! Family friendly, free to attend. German beer, music, food, and fun! Bring your lawn chair and spend the weekend with us!

Drumroll please...here's what we're tasting tonight at Chris' Dusty Barrel Picks from 5:30-7:30! Tickets for the tasting...
08/20/2026

Drumroll please...here's what we're tasting tonight at Chris' Dusty Barrel Picks from 5:30-7:30! Tickets for the tasting are available at the bar.

*Elijah Craig Deatsville Barrel #3, 2019
*Yellowstone Fruitcake Barrel #16, 2021
*Wilderness Trail Wheated Bourbon #5, 2020
*Buzzard's Roost #44, 2025
*Old Forester Barrel Strength #13, 2021

Chris also dug deep in his secret stash and found some bottles to sell of our previous picks. They'll be available tonight at 4:30 when we open, first come, first served.

We work extremely hard to have great beer, amazing staff, and a great environment for you to visit. We're very proud to ...
08/20/2026

We work extremely hard to have great beer, amazing staff, and a great environment for you to visit. We're very proud to have a 4.9/5 star rating on Google reviews, after being open for 10 years! Check out Terry's review below from his visit a few weeks ago, we enjoyed having him and his coworker Dave visit us. You should make plans to visit us this weekend, too, and write your own review for us! We have some awesome beers on tap right now, as well as a really fun Whiskey of the Week theme, and our next door neighbors Shorty's Smokehouse has plenty of great BBQ on the smoker for you!

Google review from Terry:
As my friends know, I love exploring new breweries whenever I travel, and I don't mind driving 30 minutes to an hour out of the way to find a great one.

Yesterday, I was researching a brewery adventure for my coworker Dave and me after work when I came across The Stubborn German Brewery. It immediately caught my attention, but I wasn't sure how Dave would feel about a 47-minute drive to Waterloo. Without hesitation, he said, "Let's roll!" (I really like his attitude.)

The brewery's website mentioned they don't serve food but have a BYOF (Bring Your Own Food) policy. A little more research revealed Shorty's Smokehouse was literally right across the alley, so our plan was set.

When we arrived in Waterloo, we parked in front of Shorty's. The place had a rustic, farm-style atmosphere that was incredibly inviting. I ordered the smoked turkey sandwich with Gouda mac and cheese, while Dave went with the brisket platter.

With food in hand, we headed across the alley to The Stubborn German. The moment I walked in, I knew this was my kind of place. It had that welcoming, small-town community feel—almost like the TV show Cheers—where everyone seemed to know each other. There was a great crowd, music playing in the background, and the volume was perfect for enjoying a conversation without having to shout.

Naturally, I ordered a flight of six 4-ounce beers, and every single one was excellent. My favorites were the Schitzengiggles (Munich Dunkel) and the Fountain Creek Kölsch.

As we relaxed, enjoyed our meal, and sampled the brews, owners Chris and Tammy Rahn stopped by to chat with us. Tammy mentioned we were the "furthest traveled" guests they'd had at The Stubborn German Brewery. That personal touch made an already great experience even better.

We had an incredible evening, and I can confidently say this won't be our last visit. Next time, I'll be bringing more of my coworkers along.

5 stars and two thumbs way up! Highly recommended! 🍻

Chris is getting his dusty barrel picks collection ready for Thursday! We're having a tasting from 5:30-7:30. All of the...
08/18/2026

Chris is getting his dusty barrel picks collection ready for Thursday! We're having a tasting from 5:30-7:30. All of the dusty bottles are our previous barrel pics that we've done. To get you excited, there's K**b Creek White Barn Pick, Dark Arts, Chicken C**k, Remus and many more that will be for sale. Along with tasting 5 barrel picks (includes Wilderness Trail Wheated, one of our most requested picks). Tickets can be purchased Thursday night at the bar.

Chris wasn't sure he wanted to let these bottles go, but I told him they'd go to good homes and he should share!

Address

119 South Main Street
Waterloo, IL
62298

Opening Hours

Tuesday 4:30pm - 10pm
Wednesday 4:30pm - 10pm
Thursday 4:30pm - 10pm
Friday 3pm - 11pm
Saturday 12pm - 10pm
Sunday 12pm - 6pm

Telephone

(618) 504-2444

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