Meet Zach Miller, a Quality Lab Technician here at Victory Brewing Company.
Q: How long have you worked for Victory?
A: 7 months
Q: Describe for us what you really do here at Victory.
A: I propagate the yeast and do microbiological assessment of beer from the very beginning stages of production to when it is packaged, which means I make sure the beer that is shipped to the consumer is of the highest quality. Also taste testing.
Q: What is the coolest thing about your job?
A: Taking yeast from a very small culture and propagating it to a size large enough to ferment a beer, that’s the most interesting part of my job.
Q: How big is the yeast when you start?
A: It’s about a big as the tip of the pen. I take it from the size of a tip of a pen to a volume big enough to fill up 17 and a half kegs.
Q: How do you do that?
A: It’s increments of adding hopped wort to the yeast, and letting it multiply. Basically, I feed it, and it grows.
Q: What is the worst job you’ve ever had?
A: I don’t think I’ve ever had a bad job, just a lot of experiences that told me what I didn’t want to do with the rest of my life. Frying chicken, for example. Also motorcycle assembly.
Q: Tell us something about yourself that no one would know just by looking at you.
A: I own exactly 70 different pairs of Nikes and Air Jordans.
Q: Do you wear them?
A: Not all of them. When I worked in college, when I would get paid I would spend my money on two things — shoes and beer. So I make one a profession and one a hobby. Shoe collecting is my hobby.
Q: Do you display them?
A: No. Most of them I just have shoved away in my closed, but a couple of the really good custom ones I bring out every once and a while just to look at.
Q: When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?
A: I always wanted to be an orthodontist. I had a really good orthodontist as a kid, and from that point on I always wanted to be one. But then got to college . . . and beer. Things changed and I decided just to join the workforce right after college.
Q: Now that you’re an adult, what do you want to be when you grow up?
A: That’s a tough question because I’ve never really been one to make plans, but I always thought a senior PGA tour player would be a good gig. Even though I’m not really good at golf, I just want to have the time to play golf.
Q: Finish this sentence. Beer is . . .
A: Something that should be in my hand right now. Something that is mysteriously absent from my hand.
Q: What’s your favorite candy?
A: Nobody lays a finger on my Butterfinger!
Q: When you were a kid, after finishing trick-or-treating on Halloween, what candy would you trade away to your friends?
A: If anyone gave out fruit, that was number one to go. Also anything with caramel.
Q: What is your favorite TV show?
A: Currently I would have to say “The League on FX.”
Q: Are there any movies that you will always watch when they come on television?
A: “Death Race” with Jason Statham. I have an unhealthy obsession with that movie. It’s so bad but it’s so good.
Q: What is your favorite Victory beer and food pairing?
A: I think a jerk grinder and HopDevil. The hops really accentuate the spiciness of the jerk seasoning.
Q: They’re making a movie about your life, and it starts filming tomorrow. Who is cast as you, and who is cast as your love interest?
A: Daniel Craig and Daniel Craig. No, Daniel Craig and Scarlett Johansson. I love Scarlett. I also have such a man-crush on Daniel Craig.
Matt poses with the Boy and Girl of the Year.
A slew of Victory employees join Matt at the finale gala to celebrate his hard work.
Photo taken at Victory Base Complex, Camp Liberty, Baghdad, Iraq.
This past week I had these same feelings on a larger scale when I attended Oktoberfest in Munich, Germany. Upon entry into the festival tents I felt at home although miles away from Downingtown. Just like at my second home, Victory Brewing Company, thousands of people came together to break bread (pretzels), share experiences and drink beer (good beer). Music played throughout and white and blue Bavarian flags fluttered above.
