Hometown Hops

Chestnut Sports Club is pouring on the good times across Scottsdale and beyond

By Alison Bailin Batz

The Valley has produced its share of entrepreneurs, but few have taken a career path quite like Adam Zloto.

The Scottsdale native originally planned to become a surgeon before realizing his passion of building brands and businesses. After earning a degree in finance and economics from the University of Arizona, he spent several months traveling South America, eventually accepting an unexpected opportunity to manage a beach bar in Uruguay. He then joined a San Francisco advertising agency before moving to Levi’s, the American jeans company, where he built and led the global partnership platform for several years, launching collaborations with companies like the NFL, MLB, NBA, Netflix, and Disney. He went on to lead partnerships for Calm, a mental wellness company, before deciding it was time to build a business of his own.

Each stop offered a different lesson, whether in hospitality, branding, product development, or simply spotting and maximizing opportunities others overlooked, all of which became the foundation for Chestnut Sports Club. The Scottsdale-based lifestyle brand, which debuted in late 2025, centers on a locally brewed Light Citrus Lager designed for everything from a round of golf or tennis match to a day at the pool or a backyard barbecue.

Brewed locally in partnership with Zonafide Brewing in Tempe, Chestnut Sports Club’s flagship Light Citrus Lager is brewed with real lemon zest and comes in at 90 calories, 5 carbohydrates and has a 3.7% ABV. The product, Zloto believes, is a “better for you beer” that fills a gap in the market without sacrificing flavor or drinkability.

Zloto even trademarked the phrase “The Playable Beer” to describe the brew, a fitting nickname given how he’s chosen to build the brand. Rather than traditional advertising, Chestnut Sports Club has grown through grassroots community partnerships with the Arizona Tennis Classic and the Phoenix United Grass League professional golf team, along with word of mouth. The brand’s retro-inspired merchandise has become increasingly recognizable around Scottsdale as well, with a growing presence at golf tournaments, run clubs, recreational sports leagues, and neighborhood events throughout the Valley.

Now distributed statewide by Crescent Crown, Chestnut Sports Club can be found at AJ’s, Total Wine, Trevor’s, Sprouts, and Air Guitar as well as The Four Seasons Scottsdale Resort Troon North, Restaurant Progress, Tia Carmen at JW Marriott Desert Ridge Resort & Spa, Federal Pizza, and more.

Looking ahead, the company has a lot on tap, with plans to continue expanding its footprint across Arizona while developing seasonal and limited-edition brews to complement the flagship lager. Additional retail, restaurant, and hospitality partnerships are also in the works.

Learn more at www.chestnutsportsclub.com.