In 1988, Tremaine Atkinson moved to San Francisco after graduating from the University of California, San Diego with a degree in economics. As a young, thirsty, beer-drinker living in a city at the center of the first craft beer revolution, he became passionate about learning everything about making beer. Atkinson immersed himself in fermentation science, yeast propagation, and all grain-brewing. Tremaine was soon making delicious beers with his friends in the tiny kitchen of his North Beach apartment before launching North Beach Brewing Company in 1989.

Atkinson moved to Chicago in 1998 to become an executive for an $80 billion Chicago- based money manager. Combining his business skills and passion for craft beverages, he opened CH Distillery in August of 2013. CH quickly established itself as a key player in the local spirits scene. Under Atkinson’s leadership, CH has become Chicago’s leading artisan spirits producer with an extensive portfolio including the only organic vodka made from Illinois grain and a variety of core and specialty spirits. Milled, mashed, and fermented from scratch using only the finest ingredients, CH products speak to their core values: sourcing locally whenever possible, drinkability, high quality, and value.

CH purchased Carl Jeppson Company and Jeppson’s Malört in September 2018, bringing production of the iconic Chicago spirit back to its hometown. Atkinson has overseen expansion of Malort to national distribution to more than 30 states. In April 2020, CH launched Jeppson's Bourbon, which was awarded Gold Medal certification by the Beverage Testing Institute. CH Distillery operates the largest distillery in the City of

Chicago with 50,000 square feet of production space in the historic Pilsen neighborhood. Away from the distillery, Tremaine enjoys performing as a guitarist and vocalist in a variety of settings, from 80s rock to Beethoven and Mozart. Tremaine has been a proud resident of the City of Chicago for 25 years and is a strong supporter of the arts. He and his lovely wife share a home in Chicago with a crazy dog and are the very proud parents of three grown daughters.