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.Cruz Blanca Brewery Launches Sour Program in Chicago’s West Loop
October 31, 2018 | Mike Zoller
Chicago’s West Loop neighborhood is home to some of the city’s most iconic restaurants. From Girl and the Goat to Au Cheval, followed by an endlessly growing list, it’s a Chicago hot spot for eating but also drinking. While there are a lot of places to get great cocktails in the West Loop, the craft beer scene is also becoming more prominent in the area and starting to make a name for itself. Read More
Revolution Releases First Batch of Deep Wood Series Beers
October 26, 2018 | Mike Zoller
After last year’s strong Deep Wood series, Revolution Brewing in Chicago announced 10 beers in the series for 2018-19. The first two, VSOJ (Very Special Old [Straight] Jacket) and Code Switch, were released Friday and the brewery has picked up right where they left off last year.
Lord Hobo Getting Ready to Open Renovated Tap Room
October 25, 2018 | Mike Zoller
Since closing for remodeling in May of this year, Lord Hobo Brewing has been serving its beer out of their 92 Hampshire St. bar location. That’s all about to change as the newly renovated taproom is set to open the first week of November.
Noon Whistle Collaborates with Planters on Mr. IPA-Nut
October 24, 2018 | Mike Zoller
Imagine being a small suburban brewery when the PR firm for an iconic global brand emails your general info email asking if you’d be interested in doing a collaboration beer with a brand they represent.
Chicago Quick Sips | October 22 Chicago Beer News & Events
October 22, 2018 | Mike Zoller
Quick Sips is our way of highlighting beer events, tap takeovers and other notable beer news around the city of Chicago. If you’d like to submit something to be included in the next Quick Sips, please email us at [email protected].
New Holland Brewing | 2018 Dragon’s Milk Reserve
October 22, 2018 | Mike Zoller 1
When you hear New Holland Brewing you probably think of Mad Hatter IPA or perhaps more commonly, Dragon’s Milk. The barrel-aged Stout from the Michigan brewery has become an industry staple amongst the craft beer world and with a consistent recipe and proper barrel-aging, this beer is a go-to during Stout season.
Half Acre Brings All-Star Lineup of Breweries to Inaugural Far & Away
October 5, 2018 | Mike Zoller
Your standard run-of-the-mill beer festival includes a long list of breweries, many of which go to the same festivals all season, pouring roughly the same beers at each one. Half Acre turned heads in August when they announced a new festival called Far & Away that features some of the best-known breweries from around the country.
Chicago Quick Sips | October 1 – 7 – Chicago Beer Events & News
October 1, 2018 | Mike Zoller
Quick Sips is our way of highlighting beer events, tap takeovers and other notable beer news around the city of Chicago. If you’d like to submit something to be included in the next Quick Sips, please email us at [email protected].
New Belgium & Knob Creek Release Oakspire Bourbon-Inspired Ale
September 26, 2018 | Mike Zoller
It’s bourbon barrel-aged season and when you hear those words you’d tend to think stout. New Belgium’s new Oakspire, brewed in collaboration with Knob Creek, brings you the bourbon characteristics in an ale.
Hailstorm Brewing & Arrowhead Ales | Hopsecco Brut IPA
September 25, 2018 | Mike Zoller
As fast as the IPA flooded the craft beer world, the variations have followed at a torrid pace. From the New England IPA to the Milkshake IPA, the Brut IPA is now gaining traction as the style continues to evolve.
FIRST TASTE | 2018 Bourbon County Stout
September 18, 2018 | Mike Zoller
If Greg Hall hadn’t been at a Beer, Bourbon and Cigar dinner with Jim Beam’s Booker Noe when Goose Island was nearing its 1,000th batch of beer, who knows if we would have Bourbon County Stout today?
How Two Brothers Brewing Co. Succeeded Before the Craft Beer Hype
September 6, 2018 | Mike Zoller
Back in 1996 when Two Brothers Brewing opened there were just a handful of breweries operating in the Chicagoland area and three closed within two months of Jason and Jim Ebel starting the brewery.
The OGs of Craft Beer | 3 Floyds Zombie Dust
September 3, 2018 | Mike Zoller 2
Long before people chased down the haziest IPAs that stay fresh for two weeks or the sweetest pastry stouts with ingredients that you’d never expect would make it into a beer, craft beer enthusiasts chased 3 Floyds Zombie Dust.
Lou Dog Events Expanding the Reach of Craft Beer Festivals throughout Chicago
August 30, 2018 | Mike Zoller
If you’ve been to a beer festival in Chicago in the past few years, odds are it was put on by Lou Dog Events.
A craft beer lover himself, founder and president Josh Seago, along with his team, is producing 10 craft beer festivals this year throughout the city and the surrounding suburbs. From the Chicago Ale Fest to the popular suburban Naperville Ale Fests, there’s no shortage of opportunities to sample beer from a wide variety of breweries.
Chicago Quick Sips | A Roundup of Chicago Events & Beer News – August 20th
August 20, 2018 | Mike Zoller
Quick Sips is our way of highlighting beer events, tap takeovers and other notable beer news around the city of Chicago. If you’d like to submit something to be included in the next Quick Sips, please email us at [email protected].
Event Recap | Great Taste of the Midwest 2018
August 14, 2018 | Mike Zoller
Temperatures stayed in the mid-to-high 80s all afternoon but that didn’t deter over 6,000 craft beer fans from sampling some of the regions finest beers at the Great Taste of the Midwest this past Saturday in Madison, Wisconsin.
Goose Island Announces 2018 Bourbon County Stout Lineup
August 9, 2018 | Mike Zoller
Eight different Bourbon County Stout variants will be available come Black Friday this November, however, the official announcement from Goose Island had several surprises.
Event Preview | Chicago Breweries Preparing for Great Taste of the Midwest
August 6, 2018 | Mike Zoller
Every second Saturday in August, a large contingent of Midwestern breweries gather on the shores of Lake Monona in Madison, WI for the Great Taste of the Midwest. Believed to be the second longest running craft beer festival in North America, the event features over 190 breweries and around 1,400 different beers for people to try.
Revolution Brewing Announces 2018-19 Deep Wood Series
August 1, 2018 | Mike Zoller
While the calendar might say August, the 2018-19 Revolution Brewing Deep Wood Series announcement shows us that barrel-aged season is just around the corner.
After an incredibly successful 2017-18 release which produced some of the best barrel-aged beers released from any Chicagoland brewery, Revolution is going big this year with a release of ten different beers.
Inside the Tank | Noon Whistle Brewing
July 19, 2018 | Mike Zoller
Noon Whistle Brewing beers have become staples on the shelves of craft beer shops all over Chicago and the surrounding suburbs. From pale ales to stouts to sours to their well-known Gummy New England IPA series, the brewery has an extensive portfolio of beers.
We sat down with owner Mike Condon and their other owner and brewer Paul Kreiner to learn more about this small, but growing (1,900 barrels in 2017 and pacing for 4,100 barrels in 2018), brewery and do a deeper dive on some of their thoughts on topics related to the craft beer industry.
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