Judson & Moore

Judson & Moore is a 120-capacity listening room and whiskey distillery in Chicago’s Avondale, built inside a former leather tannery on the North Branch of the Chicago River. Concerts unfold amid a working distillery and tasting-room setting, with house-made whiskey central to the evening. A custom Bag End sound system gives the small room a deliberately concert-ready backbone, while the bar, timber warehouse interior, and riverfront industrial setting make the space feel distinct from a standard club. Entry is for guests 21 and older.

A project delayed, then opened

Judson & Moore began in 2018 as a family venture by entrepreneur Judson Bergman, his daughter Elise Bergman, and her husband, distiller Collin Moore. Their intended home was a brick-and-timber building that had housed J.M. & V. Weil Tanners in the early 1900s. The route to opening carried serious interruptions: a fire hit after the lease was signed, Judson Bergman and his wife died in a 2019 car crash, and the pandemic extended the wait. Elise Bergman and Moore opened the distillery to the public in May 2022, creating a bar, production space, tours, and a live-music program in the rebuilt factory shell. Early programming established the musical lane: in February 2023, Milwaukee-raised roots-and-blues artist Buffalo Nichols played alongside Chicago guitarist Nathan Graham, a fitting bill for a room that has continued to favor close-up, song-centered performances.

The room today

Judson & Moore accepts artist booking inquiries by email and presents concerts alongside community programs and private events. Its calendar leans folk, country, and indie, with an acoustic-music focus that suits the 120-person scale. The main room uses an open plan, with bar seating and a porch just off the performance space; the custom sound system is a meaningful asset for attentive listening. Expect whiskey cocktails and a compact crowd gathered close to the performers, with fewer barriers between stage, bar, and audience than at a conventional club.