About / Staff

Welcome to Chicago Beer Geeks.  Chicago Beer Geeks was founded on December 13th 2010, and our goal is to inform Beer Geeks about the great events and locations around the city and surrounding suburbs. If you wish to contact us, please send us a message on our facebook page http://www.facebook.com/ChicagoBeerGeeks

 

Meet the Staff

Dan – CBG Founder

Biography: I founded CBG out of a passion for craft beer and wanting to share that with others.  I was always a beer drinker, but just got into craft beer a few years back and haven’t looked back since.  I brought Nkosio and Mezz on as co-founders from day 1 and things have been going great.  I started home brewing about 4 years ago also, 1 year of extract brewing an then switching to all grain for the past year. I am also a DJ. I have spun at clubs such as Neo, Medusas, Exit, Primary, and others.  I am into cars and also run a Mustang Club WindyCityStangs. I also do some promoting as CBG Promotions.

Favorite Beer:  I am all about Hops so Bells Hopslam tops my list.  I do enjoy stouts and most other styles also, and Surly Darkness would be up in the top as well

Favorite Music:  I love music, almost every kind, but Industrial tops my list, you can usually find me downtown at Neo on Saturday nights.

Hobbies: I have too many hobbies.  Many people would say I know a little about a lot.  I like to go to car shows and cruise nights, as well as enjoy DJ’ing even though I do that completely for fun I would like to do more with it.

Other Interests:  Cars, I run Windy City Stangs, a Chicagoland Mustang Club, Music, Movies, Electronics, Home Brewing, and the list goes on.

 

Nkosio – CBG Co-Founder

Biography: Beverage enthusiast, adventurer and lover of all things beer, IT and Chicago.

Favorite Beer: 2010 Bourbon County Coffee Stout.. the 2010 edition brewed w/ Intelligent Black Cat Espresso

Favorite Music: post punk revival, indie rock, funk and sports talk

Hobbies: dedicated to the mission of supporting brewers that care about producing beverages with style, integrity and quality

Other Interests: My favorite neighborhoods are Rogers Park, Jackson Park and Logan Square. I have a passion project DrexTLC , a partnership w Drexel Properties that focuses on community development in South Shore, Chicago. Drop me a line nkosio@chicagobeergeeks.com

 

 

Mezz – CBG Co-Founder

Biography:  “Once it hits your lips…” Ever since a good friend graciously provided an opportunity to sample a beer I’d never heard of a few years ago (Kentucky Breakfast what???), I’ve been enraptured with the pursuit of finding, learning about, and even occasionally drinking quality craft brews around Chicago. I feel the growth of local craft breweries has provided the visibility needed for the Chicago beer geek community to grow exponentially as something we’re all proud to share with close friends, and those we’ve yet to make acquaintances with alike. Preach on fellow geeks!

Favorite Music:  Mastodon, Phil Collins(!), Dethklok, TOOL, Foreigner, Jimi Hendrix, NIN, Alestorm, Skrillex, Buckethead

Favorite Beer:  …to sip ‘n chill – Sam Adams Utopias/CBS;
…to roam festivals/streets – Pliny (Elder)/Espresso Oak Aged Yeti

Hobbies:  Golfing, skiiing, monkey-wrangling(weekends only), and getting yelled at for taking up too much space cellaring beer

Other Interests:  Spreading the good word of craft beer… and it’s effects on various plants around my house. You’d be amazed at how well a ficus/adobo pepper responds to 3F’s brews versus a PBR 😉

 

 

Ali – CBG Correspondent

Biography:  While backpacking in New Zealand, some Australians invited me to Lion Brewery where I learned that beer was more than simply a means to an end. I began tasting it, wondering about it, and developing an appreciation for it. This was in 2005. Since then, I’ve gravitated towards other beer lovers and spent way too much time in the aisles of Binny’s. At home, we brew our own beer and turn the spent grains into tasty baked goods – savory and sweet breads, cookies, pancakes, muffins, and more.

Favorite Music:  Live music! As long as it’s a small concert setting. Some of my favorite venues are Space, Bottom Lounge, Empty Bottle, and Thalia Hall. I like all types of music, really, depending on the mood. But, I have recently been grooving to the tunes of 70’s French jazz a la Brigitte Fontaine.

Favorite Beer:  Anything Belgian style – single, dubbel, tripel– love them all. I really like big beers with high ABVs. My recent obsession is Forbidden Root’s Heavy Petal, an imperial stout brewed with pecans, magnolia flowers, and chocolate.

Hobbies:  Experiencing new breweries and brews, baking, taking too many photos of my dog, exploring new natural places, visiting art galleries, and venturing off the beaten path. I keep a lifestyle blog of some of my impressions and experiences called Everthrive (www.everthrive.co). I’m also a full time English teacher.

Other Interests:  Pinball has made a comeback in my life, and I love hanging in the new barcades that have been popping up around town. I also dabble in artistic photography, hula hooping, and reading.

 

To check out some of our staff who have moved on to other projects
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