Soltis Family Spirits

The roots of Soltis Family Spirits Co. run far deeper than the enriched mineral waters that flow through the deep limestone rock and into the artesian well in our historic cellar on Chicago’s storied south-side.
In the early years of the twentieth century, Joe Soltis left war-torn Europe with family recipes for spirits in his pocket as he booked passage and headed west. He was a young man, larger-than-life with a heaving barrel chest, massive hands and physical strength that matched perfectly with the task of lifting beer-filled barrels into trucks.
After arriving in his new land of opportunity, Joe Soltis did whatever he needed to do to put food on his family’s table. He was a horse breaker, a saloon keeper and finally, a brewer of beer and distiller of fine spirits. Chicago’s population and economy continued to explode and beer and booze became a hot commodity. And it would remain quite a desirable commodity after it was deemed illegal.
When Prohibition dawned and his Thornton brewery officially shuttered, Joe’s career choices narrowed. He turned to bootlegging and rum-running and partnered with gangsters such as Al Capone who operated in contiguous territories. “Polack Joe Saltis” was soon the moniker for Joe Soltis on the rough streets of Chicagoland. At home, he was still just “Joe,” a family man who enjoyed the enrichment and culture of the jazz-infused speakeasies of the Roaring 20’s that Hollywood later glamorized.
Joe’s reputation for quality and generosity grew large and with it came other nicknames on the street: “The Beer Baron,” “Big Joe,” and “The Santa Claus of the Back of the Yards” were soon affixed. It was only a matter time before gangland violence tarnished the image for all. Chicago leaders tired of the glamorization and decided the image needed to change. Thus, Big Joe Soltis earned a final label with the publication of the first Public Enemies list on April 24, 1930, in the Chicago Tribune and The New York Times:
Public Enemy No. 9.*
Joe Soltis was a peacemaker and a businessman, not a villain. He disliked the new environment and prior to the end of the prohibition era he decided it was time to move on. He purchased and retired to a lavish lakeside resort in northern Wisconsin with his family recipe still secure in his heart. Joe never stopped distilling; he just changed locales and lowered his profile.
A century later, we, along with his great-grandson and craft distiller, Steve Soltis, have returned to the tiny Illinois village of Thornton to reopen Joe’s cherished brewery to produce fine family crafted Bourbon, Spiced Rum, Whisky & Gin.

Author: Dirk Jahn