Brewer Living His Dream After Opening Taproom During Pandemic

NORTH AURORA, IL — Steve Newman realized his dream March 16 when he poured a beer over the bar at Brother Chimp Brewing in North Aurora. He had no idea that was the only day people would be drinking and enjoying each other’s company in his new taproom.

Newman said he invited a few friends inside to mark the achievement and to be able to say Brother Chimp was open, with the first coronavirus cases in Illinois being reported earlier that week.

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Since then, Brother Chimp has been selling its brews to go in 64-ounce growlers, 32-ounce howlers and 16-ounce twist-top bottles, Newman said. In recent weeks, customers have made good use of a makeshift patio in front of the taproom on West Orchard Road.

“It’s a little bit disappointing” not to have customers inside the taproom, “but at the same time, it’s been really nice seeing how well-received we’ve been by the community,” Newman said, adding he’s already seen many familiar faces returning for refills.

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Over the past five months, Newman has worked to grow Brother Chimp’s reputation in the area and find ways to reach new customers, despite the lack of indoor seating.

The small taproom is not big enough to maintain social distancing between customers, so Brother Chimps is keeping it off limits “out of an abundance of caution,” Newman said. However, the patio in front of the taproom has been a popular draw for customers.

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The large sign over the door proclaiming the business to be a “BREWERY” has also brought a lot of people in to check out the taproom, Newman said.

Since Brother Chimps’ soft opening in March, sales have grown each month, further fuelling Newman’s positivity amid the pandemic. Newman said he expects to see a drop in sales again over the winter if coronavirus restrictions are still in place, but he’s optimistic Brother Chimps Brewing will be a success in the long term.

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Newman said he tries to view challenges through a “glass half-full” lens, noting how the restrictions on indoor drinking gave him time to work out some kinks and figure out best practices.

“I had a dream to open up a brewery and I did it,” Newman said. “How many people get to say they did that?”

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Newman’s brewing journey started about five years ago when he retired from his corporate career. He was looking for a way to fill his time and stumbled into home-brewing when a neighbor brought over a draft he had made. Soon after, Newman was brewing his own.

Newman realized he had “a knack for brewing good beer” when his home-brewed brown ale won a local competition. He entered his brew into another competition and won that too, earning an interview for the incubator program at Skeleton Key Brewery in Woodridge.

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Through that program, Newman learned how to scale his process to a point where he could open and run his own brewery. After finishing the program, Newman said he started looking for locations near his home in Batavia and “found a great spot” at 1059 W. Orchard Road in North Aurora.

Brother Chimp Brewing’s slogan is “Craft beers that taste like beer,” and the brewery keeps about half a dozen beers on tap at any given time, as well as hard cider. Newman said he brews small batches because “fresh beer is the best beer.”

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Newman said he prefers to brew traditional beers like English-style ales. Most Brother Chimp beers have 4-6 percent alcohol by volume, allowing customers to have a few “and be OK,” Newman said, but there is usually a stronger brew on tap as well.

Brother Chimp currently has a blonde ale, a West Coast Indian pale ale, an Irish red ale, an amber ale, an Irish stout and an English brown ale. Newman said he is also working on a brew for Oktoberfest, as well as some lagers.

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There will one day be a grand opening at the North Aurora taproom, but only when it can be filled without coronavirus-related restrictions or safety concerns, Newman said.

“We will not do a grand opening until I can fill the brewery,” Newman said. “It may be the longest soft opening on record.”

Brother Chimp Brewing is open from 3-7 p.m. Monday-Thursday; 12-8 p.m. Friday and Saturday; and 12-7 p.m. Sunday at 1059 W. Orchard Road in North Aurora. Several Brother Chimp brews are also on tap at restaurants in Aurora, Batavia, Naperville and Chicago.

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