Noble Savage Brewing Co.'s Craft Beer Set To Pour In June

GLEN COVE, NY--Long Island is about to get another craft beer brewery. Noble Savage Brewing Company, located at 27 Glen St. in Glen Cove, is slated to open its doors on June 1.

Frank Bilello, the owner and brewmaster, said the business will act as a bar for the first two or three weeks and serve guest taps, but he'll be able to brew and sell his own product soon after.

Bilello, 31, plans on brewing the traditional styles: IPAs, pilsners, brown ales and red ales. He confirmed two beers that are in the works: an oat IPA called Might As Well, and a blonde ale he's thinking of calling Roundabout. In the future, he plans to launch multiple beer series; one that represents time, life and death, as well as one that pays homage to his closest friends. There's another style of beer he's considering brewing when the time is right.

"I really would like to get into botanical brewing, but I think it’s a little soon for the consumer," Bilello said.

Botanical brewing meaning he would like to implement ingredients like spruce tips, dandelion flowers, roots and herbs into his beer.

"There’s a few out on the market right now," he said. "I think I’m gonna start off with some traditional styles and then start delving into these more botanical beers. [The style] is at the frontier of the craft beer industry.”

Bilello doesn't plan to serve food–at least for the foreseeable future. However, he intends to create a food truck program where he has multiple food trucks come down to the space behind the brewery each weekend.

He dreamed of opening his own brewery since 2013, and started the slow-burning process the following year. While he had a Master's and was an environmental consultant, he felt unfulfilled in that line of work.

"So I quit and spent all the money I had on a home brewery," he said. "Ever since then, I’ve been working towards this. I was struggling for a few years but finally got some traction, found a spot and here I am.”

Bilello has been home-brewing for years, but also gained valuable experience when he worked at Oyster Bay Brewing Company for a year between 2015-16. He started off as an intern and was promoted to full-time, where he was on the brew-deck every day. Eventually, he left to get back to his goal of opening his own brewery.

Bilello describes the interior of his brewery as "very rustic." He said the building used to house two businesses: a real estate office and a dental office. He said he performed a total gut of the interior, discarding two layers of ceiling and three layers of wall paneling that had been built over the original structure. He crafted his own stools, sign and cash register.

For Bilello, Noble Savage isn't just the namesake of his brewery, it's his way of life. He came upon this discovery while on a camping trip with a buddy of his.

"We were down by this beautiful river having this conversation about life, man, nature and society," he explained. "It was a very profound discussion we were having. It sort of dawned on me that it was an ideal to be a noble savage. To live nobly and have a noble vision, but be savage in your actions."

Bilello, a Sea Cliff resident, was impressed by the space that was available in Glen Cove, as well as the overall rejuvenation of the city in terms of new developments. In a short time, Noble Savage Brewing will be the next addition to Glen Cove's small business scene.

"I’m happy to be here and be a part of the comeback of Glen Cove," Bilello said. "It’s starting to feel like it’s going to turn into Patchogue. So I’m glad I’m here and I hope I’m a catalyst for some positive change."

Photos of the inside of Noble Savage Brewing Company: