Adolph Schalk was born in Meßkirch, Germany. In 1840 he emigrated to America with his brothers Oscar and Herman and their father, German brewer Johann Nepomuk Schalk. They settled in Essex County, New Jersey with the intention of continuing the family's brewing tradition in the new world.

The company they created in the early 1840s was quite long lived. Just before the Civil War the father returned to his brewery in Konstanz, Germany and management of the company passed down to his sons. They soon sold the brewery to Christopher Weidenmayer in favor of a new brewery which they were building on the outskirts of town.

The next decade saw the brewery grow to be the largest in Newark and one of the largest in all of America. They had 80 employees. This was the peak of their stature in the brewery industry. A disastrous fire in 1871 and the panic of 1873 forced the brewery to contract sales. The Schalk Brothers, now nearing retirement age, had lost the Eye of the Tiger. In 1879 the Schalks retired from brewing and sold their assets to fellow Newark brewer Peter Ballantine. Adolph moved to New York City, and Hermann to Jersey City. Adolph Schalk died on January 11th, 1902 at age 75 years. Herman died on May 2nd, 1908 at age 74.

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