Ravenswood Auction House Makes History with $71,000 Blackhawk Bourbon Sale
By Socialhood News · Il/Chicago/Ravenswood ·
A rare bottle of bourbon with deep ties to the Chicago Blackhawks and the Wirtz family recently sold for an impressive $71,375 through Ravenswood-based auction house Unicorn Auctions. The historic sale marks another milestone for this thriving local business that has become a cornerstone of the neighborhood's entrepreneurial landscape.
"We've grown to well over 100,000 customers now, almost entirely organically," explains Phil Mikhaylov, co-founder of Unicorn Auctions. Since launching in 2020 with co-founder Cody Modeer, the company has eclipsed $200 million in sales and sold more than 500,000 bottles. The company sells between 4,000 and 6,000 bottles weekly, primarily through its online app, generating over
Unicorn employs about 80 people at its 25,000-square-foot headquarters in Ravenswood, from software engineers and app developers to data analysts and logistics specialists. The company's innovative approach includes a heat map display showing real-time bids for ongoing auctions. "This is freaking epic," Mikhaylov says of their technology. "We're able to see live where bids are coming from, what they're bidding on. This is something that the industry doesn't have." Neighbors interested in rare spirits or unique investment opportunities can visit Unicorn's Ravenswood facility to learn more about this fascinating local success story.
Sources:
1. https://chicago.suntimes.com/small-business/2026/01/02/chicago-blackhawk-bourbon-sold-70-000-ravenswood-unicorn-auction-house