ABOUT THE COMPANY- HISTORY

Judge & Dolph, Ltd., is the largest wine and spirits distributor in Illinois and the exclusive distributor of
Diageo and Allied Domecq brands in Illinois. The Wood Dale-based company is an operating unit of Wirtz Corporation.
Founded in 1890 as an independent pharmaceutical company in St. Louis, Judge & Dolph was acquired by Chicago real estate entrepreneur Arthur M. Wirtz in 1945 from the Walgreen Drug Company. Five years later, Arthur Wirtz’ son, William W. Wirtz, took the reigns of Judge & Dolph and, in 1956, established general offices in Chicago and operating branches in the suburbs of Waukegan and Aurora.

Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, Judge & Dolph expanded by acquiring other alcohol-beverage distributors in Illinois. In 1980, Judge & Dolph purchased Hiram Walker’s wholesale operations. In 1989, it bought the Fox River Distributing Company in Aurora and Jaenicke Distributing Company in Rockford.

Judge & Dolph acquired selected assets of Continental Distributing Company in 1996 and set up additional branch offices in Rockford and Peoria. Two years later, Judge & Dolph entered into partnership with Callison Wholesale Liquor Company in downstate Belleville to service the lower third of Illinois. In 2000, Judge & Dolph bought the wine and spirit business of E&F Distributors in Springfield.

Today, Judge & Dolph has operations in every major Illinois market and Arthur Wirtz’ grandchildren are involved with the company, including Judge & Dolph President Rocky Wirtz, as well as Arthur Wirtz III and James Wirtz.