Visit to Half Acre Beer Company (Chicago, IL)

I'd heard about it for months, one of the highest rated pale ales in the nation according to beer advocate; Daisy Cutter. A friend was visiting Chicago, so of course I asked for him to mule some back, which he kindly obliged. Ever since pouring that hoppy, delicious brew out of its tall, silver can, I was hooked. Daisy Cutter, which is named for the bomb used in Vietnam to flatten everything it encountered, is not over the top in any way, on the lower side of the alcohol scale (5.2%, I believe), and so easy to drink. From then on, Half Acre Beer Company had captured my curiosity. 

You may have noticed through reading this, that when I have to go out of town for work, I typically leverage the time away to visit breweries and try new beers. One such occasion occurred just a couple of weeks ago when I visited Wisconsin for a few days. On top of hitting 3 Floyds on the way there (Dark Lord and BA Blacksun on tap... Mmmm), I decided to check out Half Acre on the way back home.

I hadn't heard of anyone visiting Half Acre, so I wasn't really sure what to expect. For some reason, I envisioned a tap room/bar similar in size to Greenbush/Four Horsemen/Bare Hands. Much to my surprise, this was not a place to come in and stay a while. Roughly 20' x 30' and no chairs, this tap room was designed for picking up beer to go and merch, then getting the hell out. For me, after days away from home, and on my last leg of a 9 hour drive, it was a relief to not be tempted to stay a while. After briefly looking over everything they had to offer, I picked up a bottle of "Ginger Twin," a very tasty Imperial Red, from the cooler, along with a growler of "Chocolate Camaro." Chocolate Camaro was also a new one for me, but after tasting a sample, I knew this was something I wanted to bring home. At only 5%, this milk stout packs a lot of chocolate and hop flavor into a relatively light brew.

I'll be in Chicago again soon, and cannot wait to see what they have to offer at that time. If you're ever on the North side when they are open, do yourself a favor and stop by. I've already contacted the fine folks at Half Acre, and they agreed to show me around the next time I'm in town. Stay tuned for many scenic photos of stainless fermentors, among other breathtaking brewing equipment.