BBGB Brewery and Hardware Gastropub patio

BBGB Brewery’s Bob Salzman on the gorgeous patio to enjoy his beers at Hardware Gastropub, the helles lager from Weihenstephaner and Art History’s stylistically perfect cask ales

BBGB Brewery and Hop Farm
Hardware Gastropub
2000 W. Orchard Road
North Aurora, IL 60542

The last really good beer I drank was…

I recently found Weihenstephaner’s helles lager in 4-packs of cans at my local liquor store. I had never seen any of their beer in cans before, but I’ve never had a Weihenstephaner that I didn’t like, so I figured it was worth a try. I am very happy that I tried it, as it has since become a new favorite. A beautiful German malt base with perfectly balanced German hops complimenting the heck out of it. Super drinkable and (at 4.8% ABV) equally crushable.

With warm summer weather quickly approaching, it’s a safe bet that my garage fridge will be well-stocked with this well-crafted classic style from a brewery that has more than a little experience at putting out perfect examples of many styles of German lagers and ales.

What fellow Illinois breweries and specific beers have impressed you lately?

I can’t say that it is any one beer, but rather a series of beers. The cask ales that are kept on the beer engine over at Art History Brewing never disappoint. Since I live pretty close to their taproom, it’s never that hard to find an excuse to conveniently drop in and sample whatever it is they are currently hand-pulling. From mild English ales to very dark beers, they are always spot-on stylistically and deliciously creamy and smooth. I appreciate beers that are crafted with an eye to historical accuracy and served appropriately, and they seem to always do it right.

From mild English ales to very dark beers, the cask ales at Art History are always spot-on stylistically and deliciously creamy and smooth. I appreciate beers that are crafted with an eye to historical accuracy and served appropriately, and they seem to always do it right.

Art History Brewing

What are you most proud of at your brewery?

I cut my teeth as a professional brewer at Crystal Lake Brewing, where there was an emphasis on the intense attention to cleanliness of brewmaster Ryan Clooney. Fortunately, I have been able to carry that with me to my current position at BBGB Brewery/Hardware Gastropub. Whenever someone comes into my brewery and comments that it is very clean, I get a little smile of pride to myself and remember that it’s Ryan I have to thank for that.

I think how clean a beer tastes is a direct product of the cleanliness of the brewery in which it was made. I take great pride in having clean tasting beers because I think it shows the effort that was put into making that happen, and it also shows how much I care about my product.

When the warm evenings hit, our patio is quite popular for people looking to enjoy the amazing food from our kitchen. It also pairs pretty well with the BBGB beers on tap, and of course I have to mention the 900+ bourbons available at the bar.

What do you have coming up that people should know about?

What’s coming up at BBGB is summertime! BBGB is the name of the brewery that is located within Hardware Gastropub in North Aurora, and Hardware has the best outdoor dining area in town. It’s a large area, nestled amongst our herb gardens and under our hop bines. When the warm evenings hit, our patio is quite popular for people looking to enjoy the amazing food from our kitchen. It also pairs pretty well with the BBGB beers on tap, and of course I have to mention the 900+ bourbons available at the bar.

I am fortunate to make my beers in a restaurant with such high-level cuisine and such a beautiful beer garden. I love enjoying beers outdoors, and this is an amazing place to do it.