Caitlin Bellak of Cary likes hot sauce and when offered the opportunity to try some tongue-burning concoctions in Aurora on Saturday she was all in.
“I like hot sauces and feel there is a growing culture of fans here in the Midwest that enjoy them,” Bellak said as she parked her car near Wilder Park, site of the first-ever Midwest Hops and Hot Sauce Festival in Aurora. “For me, you can put hot sauce on nearly anything. There are so many varieties out there. Some are really sweet or you can go ahead and burn your mouth off. There are probably 20 to 25 bottles at my house.”
About 30 hot sauce and craft beer vendors took part in the event, which was organized by hot sauce maker Gindo’s of St. Charles, which has been active in the area since 2011. The fest also featured live music, food trucks, a cigar bar, various games and contests and more.
Gindo’s co-owner Mary Ginder of Batavia said the event “was an idea my husband Chris and I have had for years.”
“The idea is to bring people together – local craft beer lovers and hot sauce lovers and create a fun, community event and try all the different artisanal products in the area and wash it down with a nice, cold beer,” she said.
“We have people sample things right on a spoon because we want them to taste the different flavors,” she said of the hot sauces. “We feel like Illinois is really becoming known and the Midwest as well for these unique, artisanal hot sauces often featuring farm-fresh ingredients.”
A variety of hot sauce and food vendors were on hand including Chicago, Ohio and Iowa producers, including area favorites like Willy Sauce from Elburn, Soothsayer and Hot Otter from Chicago and Salty Provisions of Rolling Meadows.
Other treats included a pepper-infused ice cream which Ginder said “keeps the spice theme going.”
She said that inviting other hot sauce producers to the event that Gindo’s organized was not viewed as bringing in competition but rather an acknowledgement of the “community of producers that are all trying to make it.”
“We’re all trying to do something and there is a brotherhood about all of this whether it’s with hot sauce or making beer,” she said. “Things aren’t as established community-wise here in this area and we’re trying to open up to more of the idea of less competition and rather let’s lift each other up.”
Kyle Janis, owner of Soothsayer Hot Sauce, said he has been in business for nine years and agrees there is a culture and a brotherhood among hot sauce producers.
“Absolutely, there is a culture and this event is a perfect combination. Craft hot sauce and craft beers share many characteristics and its two things enjoyed together so it’s a wonderful event,” Janis said.
Janis said he invents all of the sauces for his business.
“After nine years and 30-some odd flavors I kind of have an idea for an ingredient ratio and I just look at the food item I want to put it on and ask, ‘How do I match this? What do I pair with it to accent the food and add more flavor and a kick of heat?’” he said.
Robert-George Merrill said he recently moved away from Batavia to Galesburg but was back in the area for a visit which included stopping by Saturday’s fest.
He said he likes hot sauce “definitely on chicken, but I’ve been experimenting with some salads, like with feta cheese.”
“I’m a hot sauce connoisseur. There is a hot sauce place in Galena and I was always there when I was an Eagle Scout,” he said. “It’s amazing because this doesn’t figure in my gene pool. My parents think mayonnaise is spicy.”
David Sharos is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News.
