Half Acre Beer Company

RayYanks23

Connecticut

3.79/5  rDev -9.8%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4 | service: 4.5 | selection: 2.5 | $

We went for the Saturday brewery tour before the ballgame...Be warned, they only have one tour a week and only 60 are allowed in. We were 30 back in line an hour early, but then all of the people who had reservations back when they were taking them showed up and took preference. We were #'s 59 and 60 literally otherwise this review might be taking a different turn, haha. So if you are in the back of the line, you might want to ask in front before you wast an hour in line.

For 10 bucks you get a pint glass and 3 pints, but they only had 2 beers on tap. The Daisy Cutter was good and the Gossimer was solid. They were out of their seasonal, but the Bad Apple across the street had it on tap...if you miss the tour (or even after) you should definitley head in there.

The brewers were very cool and knowledgeable and they have a very impressive set up for such a small operation. Being one of the local breweries in town I recommend that you try to get in for the tour, but definitely get some of their beer!

07-13-2011 15:46:50 | More by RayYanks23

mulder1010

Australia

3.58/5  rDev -14.8%
vibe: 3 | quality: 3.5 | service: 4 | selection: 3.5 | $$

In a good location in Chicago and easy to get to. Always a plus.

Very small site and limited to about 3-4 taps plus their usual beers in cans. Was there the day they released their Saison, so got to watch a procession of people with growlers getting the Saison for the weekend.

No real area to sit and try beers. they use Dixie Cups for samples? Kidding me right?

Helpful staff but wanted the owl t-shirt but was out. Bummer.

Cheap growler prices and their canned beers are really good as well.

Good solid brewery and worth getting a growler fill, shirt, or a few beers from them. Otherwise it was disappointing to see a tasting room with no place to sit and have a beer. Most disappointing tap room I was at on my trip back.

07-10-2011 00:07:13 | More by mulder1010

robobor

Illinois

4.09/5  rDev -2.6%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 3.5 | $$

Half Acre is one of my favorite brewery's in the US, and I am so proud to live as close to them as I do. I have enjoyed every beer that I have tried from them, and Daisy Cutter is definitely in my top three go to beers.

I got tickets for a June 18 tour of Half Acre's brewing facility way back in November. I was super pumped about the tour. As a lot of people reading this may know, the high demand for brewery tours forced Half Acre to change their tour policy. I was running a hair late to my tour and was really worried that my ticket would not be honored if I arrived late. I called up to let then know that my friend and I were on our way, and the employee who answered the phone (whose name I really wish I could remember) was incredibly nice and helpful. We showed up a few minutes after the tour officially begun, but we did not miss much.

I was really impressed with the ambiance of the facilities and taproom; I found both to be warm and inviting. I was treated like a friend of the brewery and thought the service excellent.

My sole complaint would be the selection of beers available. They only had Daisy Cutter and Gossamer on tap for growler fills, having sold out of their seasonal in record time. They had a few guest six packs and bombers available. I left with a bomber of New Holland Farmhouse Hatter and a growler of Daisy Cutter.

To sum it up, this is an excellent small business that is very local to me, and I have been encouraging my friends to give them business as well. I love Half Acre!

Update: Biked to Half Acre a few weeks after the visit my initial review was based on. Not only was my experience in the storefront great, the employees let me borrow some tools to fix my bike!

07-07-2011 02:19:37 | More by robobor

lmdengis

Illinois

4.3/5  rDev +2.4%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4 | $$

I don't get down to the brewery as much as I would like, but the location is great. Not too far off the brown line, and parking is ample on that stretch of Lincoln. The store front is small - a cooler filled with beer to the left as you walk in the door, a wall of merchandise ahead and taps to the right. The service is great. Everyone is nice, and likes to talk about their beer.

I was lucky enough to go on a tour of the brewery months ago with the girlfriend, and it was very informative. They took the group around the rather small facility and had bottomless pitchers of Daisy Cutter, Over Ale and Gossamer to sample.

Anyways, the three beers mentioned above are always on tap, as well as another one or two limited releases.

07-03-2011 07:42:50 | More by lmdengis

sgoro

Illinois

4/5  rDev -4.8%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 3.5 | selection: 4.5 | $$$

I'm a huge fan of Half Acre and all of their offerings. Their brewery and store are located in Lincoln Square. There isn't a lot for visitors but street parking isn't too difficult to find around the area. When you walk in there is a wall of merchandise in front of you, a cooler to the left and the taps to the right. They usually have all their cans in the cooler and some bombers from their limited/seasonal releases. You can usually get their year round offerings in growlers and on Tuesday they do 2 for 1 growler fills so that's a good time to re-stock the DC.

06-08-2011 16:52:15 | More by sgoro

davidbowers13

Illinois

4.86/5  rDev +15.7%
vibe: 5 | quality: 5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 5 | $$

Half Acre is the place I frequent most to pickup fresh beer.

A - The tasting room has a great decor and the staff are friendly and up-beat.

Q - The beers offered are all high quality in my opinion, both draft and bottled/canned.

S - Depending on the amount of people that stop in, it can get a little backed up. However, the atmosphere and community feel more than make up for a small tasting room.

S - 3 year-round beers on tap for growler fills or cans. The seasonal/special release beers are what makes Half Acre exceptional. They never cease to amaze. They even have a nice selection of guest brews for you to indulge in as well.

F - No food available.

V - Standard pricing for a 22oz bottle or growler.

Definately worth checking out if you're in the neighborhood. Be sure to check out the brew house in the back as well. A great place and a great group of people.

05-25-2011 01:11:13 | More by davidbowers13

cadaugherty

Illinois

4.44/5  rDev +5.7%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 5 | selection: 4 | $$

Atmosphere- Pretty damn good for what it is. This is a small space that they basically carved out of the front of the brewery/offices to serve as their retail area. It is pretty small but bright and clean.

Quality- The beers are always good. About once a month they put one of their limited brews on tap and it always packs the place out with people waiting for growler fills, the long line is no accident.

Service- Nicest people around. If you come regularly they will remember you and may just throw an extra in your bag.

Selection- They run about 4-5 tap lines and three are always Daisy Cutter, Over Ale, and Gossamer so never a ton of choices but always good.

Come on Tuesday for 2 growler fills for $20

05-04-2011 00:59:27 | More by cadaugherty

uberez8

Illinois

4.2/5  rDev 0%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4 | $$

A wonderful small brewery of Chicago. Granted they don't have food and just a simple shop it still goes to say they have, literally, the nicest people working there and generally an amazing staff that can answer any question and get you the beer you need quick. Their merch selection is also somewhat small but really nice and well designed. Plus free samples of anything on tap whenever you walk in and a small rotating batch of unique bottled beers from unique breweries you can pick up at a good price. I try to make almost every new release now.

04-03-2011 04:30:53 | More by uberez8

Vdubb86

Illinois

4.36/5  rDev +3.8%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 5 | selection: 3.5 | $$

I've been here on several occasions usually on days of release, or when I want to be damn sure that I get one of their products. I really truly enjoyed my first visit to this location when I went on a tour back in Sept. of 2010 and it's caused me to come back ever since. The beer the brew doesn't get much fresher then when you get it there. The atmosphere is a funky style urban chic. They've got swag on the back wall with some cool trinkets. The storefront also has it's own 4 taps for growler fills right in the wall with someone always operating it. The quality of the products here are second to none in regards to their Half Acre stuff. If it's hop heavy get in on growler, you'll never regret that decision. The guys who work there are always really cool, and are more than helpful when you're looking for something. They are amicable and will answer questions as best they can about the goings on of their brewery. The selection for growlers is usually the 3 main beers (Daisy Cutter, Over Ale, and Gossamer) but usually a rotating yearly release beer as well (which is mostly what I go for). Also they have some Belgian bombers in their fridge as well for sale. There aren't too many things to pick from, but usually you're only there to get Half Acre stuff anyway, in which case, it won't get any better than straight from the source. Overall, I love coming to this place, simple as that.

03-16-2011 18:54:07 | More by Vdubb86

TMoney2591

Illinois

4.16/5  rDev -1%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 3.5 | $$

A small brewery and storefront on the general North Side. Easy to get to, and there's some pretty nice street parking nearby. The brewery is pretty minimalistic, with few bells and whistles, but the tour is entertaining (and they provide pitchers of the house beers for your free enjoyment). The storefront is kinda hip-ish, but they don't overdo it. Everyone we've encountered there has been laid-back and helpful. They've got their three staples on-tap for growler fills at all times (that's Daisy Cutter, Over Ale, and Gossamer), along with a rotating tap that allows for fills of seasonals and one-offs. There's also a cooler that not only allows for their cans to be purchased, but also certain bottles from other breweries (this is how I got my hands on the initial run of Bitches Brew). All-in-all, good times whenever we jet on down for a growler.

03-15-2011 05:48:13 | More by TMoney2591