About- Mike Zoller
Mike Zoller
After trying to retire after a lucrative two-year career in sports journalism, Mike got back into sports but in the administration side. He currently works for the Northwestern University Athletic Department as an account executive working directly with football and men's basketball. At Miami University Mike was the sports editor for the The Miami Student and also did radio play-by-play for RedHawk ice hockey, football and baseball. Mike is still waiting to see Northwestern basketball play in the NCAA Tournament and the Cubs win the World Series.Pipeworks Brewing Co. | The Hyper Dog
December 15, 2015 | Mike Zoller
ABV: 13%
Pipeworks Brewing Co. in Chicago is good at creating hype for its beers. During the summer there’s seemingly an endless battle to get the latest imperial … Read More
The Eight Beers of Chanukah
December 6, 2015 | Mike Zoller
Put on your yarmulke, it’s time for Chanukah. If you need some ideas for what beers to drink during the holiday we’ve gone ahead and compiled a list of the Eight Beers of Chanukah. Now, whether you drink all eight on the first night or have one each night of Chanukah, make sure you try them all.
Event Recap | 2015 Festival of Barrel Aged Beers (FoBAB)
November 23, 2015 | Mike Zoller
While the weather outside the UIC Forum was frightful, the beer being poured inside for the 2015 Festival of Barrel Aged Beers was quite delightful.
Event Recap | Goose Island Rare Day
November 17, 2015 | Mike Zoller
Beer fans from all over the country converged in Chicago on Friday, November 13th as Goose Island released 2015 Bourbon County Brand Stout Rare at a special ticket-only event. While the Rare will be released to the general public on Black Friday, the Rare Day event allowed a select number of people to get the beer a couple of weeks early.
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Showcasing the Entire 2015 Bourbon County Brand Stout Lineup
November 11, 2015 | Mike Zoller
On a busy Friday afternoon at the Goose Island Taproom, Goose Island’s Sr. Communications Specialist Megan Lagesse meets me in a corner table and pulls out six bottles of the most coveted beers among the craft community.
The Story Behind 2015 Goose Island BCBS Rare
November 10, 2015 | Mike Zoller 5
Goose Island’s first Bourbon County Brand Stout Rare beer was released in 2010 and was aged in 23-year old Pappy Van Winkle bourbon barrels. It was a beer that would never be replicated again. Making such a refined beer was hard enough, but trying to find barrels from such a sought after vintage of bourbon would be nearly impossible. Even the brewers at Goose Island didn’t think they would ever undertake a project of that magnitude again – that all changed when Heaven Hill Distillery called two years ago.
Brewery Showcase | Scorched Earth Brewing Company (Chicago)
November 10, 2015 | Mike Zoller
It’s easy to get caught up with all of the great craft breweries located in the city of Chicago. However, the number of small breweries popping up in the surrounding suburbs is growing at an incredible rate. I decided to head west and try Scorched Earth in Chicago’s western suburbs. Read More
Attendees Guide to Goose Island BCBS Rare Day
November 9, 2015 | Mike Zoller 9
Location:
Bottle Pickup at the Goose Island Tap Room 1800 W. Fulton St; Barrel House Event at the Goose Island Barrel House 603 N. Sacramento Blvd.
Times:
Session A: Bottle pickup 11am-2pm Barrel House event 1pm-4pm
Session B: Bottle pickup 4pm-7pm Barrel House event 6pm-9pm
Goose Island knew they couldn’t do just any normal release for Bourbon County Stout Rare. To celebrate the launch of such a unique beer, Friday Nov. 13th Goose Island is having an all-day event to officially kick-off Rare. I sat down with Mike Smith, Associate Brand Manager for Bourbon County Stout, to get all the details on Rare Day. Read More
Brewpub Showcase | The Lucky Monk (Barrington, IL)
November 6, 2015 | Mike Zoller
The Lucky Monk
Address: 105 Hollywood Blvd, Barrington, IL 60010
Hours: Sun-Thurs: 11am-11pm Fri-Sat: 11am-1am
Food: Full kitchen
Tours: Not available
System: 10 … Read More
Chicago’s Best Beer Bars
November 2, 2015 | Mike Zoller 1
Chicago is no longer an up-and-coming craft beer scene. It is one of the top craft beer scenes in the country. With some of the best breweries pumping out must-have beers the Windy City’s beer game is on fire right now.
Event Preview | Dogfish Head Beer Dinner at Eataly Chicago
October 29, 2015 | Mike Zoller
What: Beer-centric Dinner Party with Eataly & Dogfish Head Brewery
Where: Eataly 43 East Ohio Street Chicago, IL 60611
When: Friday Nov. 13th at 6:30pm
Tickets: $95/person Purchase
Event Preview | Chicago Beer Festival
October 19, 2015 | Mike Zoller
What: The Chicago Beer Festival
When: Saturday October 24th
Session 1: 1-4pm
Session 2: 6-9pm
Where: The Great Hall at Union Station
How … Read More
Back to the Future Inspires Latest Beer from Arcade Brewery
October 15, 2015 | Mike Zoller
With an ABV of 10% and 95 IBUs, the name of Arcade Brewery’s newest beer, “Heavy” fits it perfectly. The beer, a double-IPA, from the Chicago-based brewery will be released at a fundraiser on Oct. 21st and distribution will begin on Oct. 23rd.
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Draft Top Looks To Transform The Standard Beer Can
September 29, 2015 | Mike Zoller
From beer can to pint glass, two co-workers with the entrepreneurial spirit came together to create a device that has the potential to change how we use the standard beer can forever.
Pipeworks Brewing Company | Scarlet Betta
September 21, 2015 | Mike Zoller
ABV: 9.5%
The latest release in the well-known Pipeworks’ Fish Series, Scarlet Betta is an imperial IPA brewed with honey and raspberry puree. Those that have enjoyed other Fish Series beers like Square Grouper and Spotted Puffer will enjoy the newest fish to the pond.
Event Preview | Samuel Adams’ For the Love of Beer Fest
September 3, 2015 | Mike Zoller
When: Saturday, September 12, 2015
1st Session: 1-4pm | 2nd Session: 5-8pm
Where: Millenium Park, Chicago, IL
As summer winds down and beer festivals begin to head indoors, Chicagoans can take advantage of one of the last outdoor festivals of the season. Chicago will play host to Samuel Adams’ first ever “For the Love of Beer Fest” which will take place Sept. 12th in Millennium Park.
NEWS | Almanac Beer Co. Begins Chicago Distribution
August 17, 2015 | Mike Zoller
As of today, California-based Almanac Beer Co. will begin distribution in Chicago. The brewery prides itself on its farm to barrel theme, and is known for their addition of fresh local fruit to their beers.
Home Brewing Kits As Mail-Order Subscriptions
August 13, 2015 | Mike Zoller
It seems nowadays you can sign up for just about anything with a mail-order subscription. From razor blades to cosmetics, the convenience of having a product consistently come to your door is one that is catching on fast. Home brewers will soon have the opportunity to join the trend and have their brewing supplies delivered right to their door.
Event Recap | Inaugural Chicago Ale Fest
June 25, 2015 | Mike Zoller
In a summer that has been plagued by cold temperatures and constant rain, Saturday’s 80 degree and sunny day was perfect timing for the inaugural Chicago Ale Fest.
Berghoff Set to Compete with Not Your Father’s Root Beer
June 15, 2015 | Mike Zoller
The market for alcoholic root beer is about to get a little bit more competitive. The Berghoff Brewery will begin selling an alcoholic root beer called Rowdy in early July.
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