Every November, Michal Ziolkowski, ‘04, brews two beers for the Lehigh–Lafayette game that are identical in style but divided by allegiance.
One can is wrapped in Lehigh’s brown and white, while the other carries Lafayette’s fight song.
Ziolkowski and his wife, Chelsey DeMarino, turned what began as a shared hobby and entrepreneurial curiosity into something bigger. Their kitchen homebrews eventually evolved into the Bradley Brew Project, founded in 2018.
That vision expanded again in 2023 with the opening of Tall Oaks Farm and Brewery in Farmingdale, New Jersey.
For the past five years, Ziolkowski has honored his alma mater by crafting rivalry-inspired beers for Le-Laf telecast parties — a tradition that’s become a staple of the Jersey Shore alumni community.
But the annual beers are just one chapter in his story.
DeMarino was managing a craft beer bar when the couple met. Ziolkowski — a computer science graduate — was working at Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey and then moved to PwC as a management consultant in 2010, all while raising their twin daughters.
Early in their relationship, beer became an anchor. Together, brewing was something the couple learned about, explored and built memories around, from tasting new styles to visiting breweries across the region.
In 2016, their entrepreneurship and interest in craft beer collided. Ziolkowski said the idea wasn’t to chase trends or fill a market gap — it was to introduce customers to beer in the same way they learned it themselves.
“Our goal was always to bring a space for people to gather (and) be a part of the community — a space where people can make it their own, but at the same time, use it as a way of allowing us to expose people to different types of varieties of beers,” Ziolkowski said.
With a clear purpose taking shape, the couple turned their attention to building a brand that reflected it.
Bradley Brew Project took its name from its home in Bradley Beach, New Jersey. Ziolkowski and DeMarino wanted to connect the brewery to the local community.
Instead of calling it a brewing company, they leaned into the idea of a “project,” which is a nod to their mission of introducing people to unique beer styles they may not have tried before. Ziolkowski said the name stuck, and it became widely recognized across New Jersey’s craft beer scene with time.
Since then, the business has grown and shifted. The two opened Tall Oaks Farm and Brewery and have consolidated both brands under the Tall Oaks name. The original Bradley Brew Project location and its equipment was sold off to another brewing team.
Ziolkowski said the name draws from Tall Oaks Court, the street DeMarino grew up on in Farmingdale.
Now that Tall Oaks has become the couple’s primary focus, Ziolkowski said the brewery’s vision is guided by three core pillars that help them navigate a challenging craft beer landscape.
The first pillar is the experience. The five-acre property offers indoor space, fire pits, heaters and dog-friendly areas — a setup that attracts both families and longtime beer drinkers.
The second pillar centers on the beer itself. Ziolkowski said over the past year, the team has pushed to expand its variety and raise its standards.
The third focuses on distribution and visibility beyond the taproom. Ziolkowski said Tall Oaks now sends beer to local restaurants and liquor stores and has expanded its to-go offerings.
He said the approach is essential at a moment when the craft beer industry is facing unprecedented strain. In the past year alone, Ziolkowski said there have been more than 20 closures in New Jersey.
“The industry, to put it bluntly, sucks right now,” he said. “Breweries are closing left and right. You can’t just do one thing well anymore. You have to offer a full package.”
That package, he said, is what Tall Oaks is working to build — a brewery people can discover online, enjoy in person and bring home four-packs
Ziolkowski’s broader vision of building community through beer defined more than his business, it shaped how he reconnected with Lehigh as well.
His involvement with the rivalry tradition began when Troy Romanowski, ‘07, the president of the Jersey Shore Lehigh Alumni Club, reached out about hosting a Le-Laf telecast at what was the Bradley Brew Project at the time.
Romanowski, who’s organized telecast parties across New Jersey for more than a decade, said the events are designed to bring together alumni who can’t get back to Lehigh, especially in years when the game is not on campus.
“Hosting them at a Lehigh-owned business like (Ziolkowski’s) is something people really love,” Romanowski said. “They show up and say, ‘I live five minutes from here and never realized this was owned by a Lehigh alum.’”
He said the events often draw alumni across generations, from recent graduates to retirees, as well as parents of current students.
The first year Ziolkowski hosted the telecast, he said the event didn’t include a specialty beer, but the turnout was still strong. By the next year, the Bradley Brew Project had begun producing white-label beers for restaurants, making a Lehigh-branded beer feel like a natural next step.
He said many alumni even ordered full cases to bring to the tailgate while they watched.
Greg Stolowski, ‘10, said what makes the events stand out is how well they’re run and how they intentionally mix generations of alumni.
What he appreciates most, though, is the way Ziolkowski and DeMarino run their breweries with families in mind.
“Across all their events — not just Lehigh ones — it’s always a super family-friendly atmosphere,” Stolowski said. “They host a lot of kid-friendly stuff, and the inclusiveness is unmatched.”
This year, the tradition moves from Bradley Brew Project to Tall Oaks, where the telecast will now be held with expanded space, a larger taproom and more room for outdoor setups.
Lynn Castle, a University of Delaware graduate whose daughter attended Lafayette, is hosting the Lafayette side of the telecast event at Tall Oaks.
The event, she said, has grown significantly into one of the largest Lafayette viewing parties in New Jersey.
This year will be Castle’s first time at Tall Oaks, and she’s looking forward to seeing the new space.
“We’ve turned it into this little competition — who can buy more cans?” Castle said. “It just adds to the fun. It’s a great rivalry, but it’s all in good spirit.”
The beer itself stays true to the spirit of the tradition. Ziolkowski said both versions are identical 4.5% American light lagers, distinguished only by their labels.
“They’re simple, easygoing beers — perfect tailgating beers,” he said. “People are really there for the experience. The beer is almost secondary.”
Looking ahead, Ziolkowski sees the rivalry release as something that can continue to grow along with Tall Oaks.
He said crafting the beers and hosting the events is what keeps him tied to his alma mater.
“I love telling my story, and the more I do it, the more connected I feel to Lehigh,” Ziolkowski said. “I want to keep doing more of this.”