Every November, Michal Ziolkowski, \u201804, brews two beers for the Lehigh\u2013Lafayette game that are identical in style but divided by allegiance.<\/p>\n
One can is wrapped in Lehigh\u2019s brown and white, while the other carries Lafayette\u2019s fight song.<\/p>\n
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<\/a>, founded in 2018.\u00a0<\/p>\n That vision expanded again in 2023 with the opening of Tall Oaks Farm and Brewery<\/a> in Farmingdale, New Jersey.<\/p>\n For the past five years, Ziolkowski has honored his alma mater by crafting rivalry-inspired beers for Le-Laf telecast parties \u2014 a tradition that\u2019s become a staple of the Jersey Shore alumni community.<\/p>\n But the annual beers are just one chapter in his story.\u00a0<\/p>\n DeMarino was managing a craft beer bar when the couple met. Ziolkowski \u2014 a computer science graduate \u2014 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.\u00a0<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n In 2016, their entrepreneurship and interest in craft beer collided. Ziolkowski said the idea wasn\u2019t to chase trends or fill a market gap \u2014 it was to introduce customers to beer in the same way they learned it themselves.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cOur goal was always to bring a space for people to gather (and) be a part of the community \u2014\u00a0 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,\u201d Ziolkowski said.\u00a0<\/p>\n With a clear purpose taking shape, the couple turned their attention to building a brand that reflected it.\u00a0<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n Instead of calling it a brewing company, they leaned into the idea of a \u201cproject,\u201d 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\u2019s craft beer scene with time.<\/p>\n 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.\u00a0<\/p>\n Ziolkowski said the name draws from Tall Oaks Court, the street DeMarino grew up on in Farmingdale.\u00a0<\/p>\n Now that Tall Oaks has become the couple\u2019s primary focus, Ziolkowski said the brewery\u2019s vision is guided by three core pillars that help them navigate a challenging craft beer landscape.<\/p>\n The first pillar is the experience. The five-acre property offers indoor space, fire pits, heaters and dog-friendly areas \u2014 a setup that attracts both families and longtime beer drinkers.<\/p>\n 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.\u00a0<\/p>\n 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.\u00a0<\/p>\n 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.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cThe industry, to put it bluntly, sucks right now,\u201d he said. \u201cBreweries are closing left and right. You can\u2019t just do one thing well anymore. You have to offer a full package.\u201d<\/p>\n That package, he said, is what Tall Oaks is working to build \u2014 a brewery people can discover online, enjoy in person and bring home four-packs<\/p>\n Ziolkowski\u2019s broader vision of building community through beer defined more than his business,\u00a0 it shaped how he reconnected with Lehigh as well.<\/p>\n His involvement with the rivalry tradition began when Troy Romanowski, \u201807, the president of the Jersey Shore Lehigh Alumni Club<\/a>, reached out about hosting a Le-Laf telecast at what was the Bradley Brew Project at the time.<\/p>\n