Half Acre Brewery

Came here for the Saturday tour. Since it’s limited to the first 60 people, we made sure to get there well before 11am. When we arrived at 10am, we were already around #27. At around 10:30 — 10:40am, they started handing out entry tickets to the first 60 people. After we got our «golden ticket», we were free to go anywhere to warm up instead of waiting out in the sub-​freezing January weather. $ 10 cash only.
Our tour guide was a fun guy and we didn’t really learn anything new, but felt good to confirm things we were just learning about craft beer. We were started with a glass of beer before the actual tour started. We were given a specially designed pint glass and 3 beer caps. We could choose to have 3 beers out of the 4 that were available. 4 beers on tap is a bit on the low side when compared to other brewery tours that I’ve been on. Their menu listed Daisy Cutter APA, Gone Away IPA, Lead Feather Black Ale, and Barrel Aged Rambis Imperial Stout.
I enjoyed the Gone Away IPA the most while my bf enjoyed the Lead Feather Black Ale the most. Another couple in our group enjoyed the Barrel Aged Rambis the most since they really like the roasty and sweet dark fruit flavors. So there was a little bit of something for everyone. They keep the water stations full and have a bucket for you to pour your rinse out.
The brewery itself isn’t that large so the tour wasn’t long, but there were long periods of drinking breaks during the tour. We didn’t leave the place until almost 2pm mostly because we were trying to sober up a little more before driving again.

Fantastic beer. And I’m not a local repping my hometown brewery. Here in Chicago on business and decided to try out a new brewery. This place makes great beer. Both of the IPAs on tap were above par, and the Space was exceptional with is malt back round and more well rounded base.
The staff was surprisingly attentive and friendly for a Saturday night.
Definitely a young crowd with the average age being about 25.
The vibe is great and the wood and brick walls were well done. The fifth star is missing because the space is rather small for how busy they get and lack of any snacks for sale. Chips and Cheetos would have even been acceptable. But the beer gets five stars.

TOUR REVIEW ONLY
What makes this tour so awesome? It’s only $ 10 for 3 full pint pours. let that sink in for a moment.
The tour starts at 11am. Prior to that, a long line will form outside of the tap room door with individuals waiting for the golden ticket. Each saturday they only have about 60 tickets/​spots for the tour. So. my advice? Get there early, BUT not too early.
My friends and I got there at 9am… and there was NO ONE there. Thankfully someone that worked there saw us waiting, shivering in the cold, and commended our dedication for early beer enthusiasm by letting us go grab some brunch and having us save the first spot in line. When we came back from brunch, it was around 10:30 and nice line of about 40 deep has formed.
They pass out tickets very close to 11, so I would say as long as you’re there around 10:15 — 10:30ish, you should be fine.
Once inside, you get a nice cup and 3 bottle caps to pay for your drinks. Unlike some other brewery tours, this is not a walking tour. It’s mainly one guy, telling you about the story of how Half Acre came to be and the making of the beer.
Overall I would say it’s a nice thing to do if your visiting Chicago and if you’re a beer enthusiast. They believe in giving you legit samples that allows you to truly taste the beer. I like that concept and would recommend this.

Already fans of Half Acre beer, my husband and I had this on our list of places to visit during our vacation in Chicago. We were not disappointed!
Had a great time here — quality beer and friendly staff. Would definitely visit again.

This place has some great beer. Definitely one of my favorite breweries in the city. Half Acre is always packed and the staff is outrageously friendly and newbie friendly. Everyone here is very knowledgeable about all of their brews & are always eager to have you sample new additions to the menu. One downside of this place is that seating is limited, especially on the weekends, otherwise I give them all around five stars.

Had a great tour here. The guide was funny and knowledgable. Enjoyed three 16 ounce pours at 10 in the morning on an empty stomach along with about 30 other people. Safe to say it was a good time.

Loved this little spot! I didn’t partake in the tour, as I only had an hour or so to spare before leaving on a plane to get back home, but I did sit at the bar in the tasting room and have some beers!
They had a well-​rounded selection and everything sounded so good. They don’t offer flights, which was a bummer since I wanted to try so many of their beers, but they do offer smaller portions in 8oz glasses for $ 3-​$ 5 which is basically just a giant flight after you’ve had a few! The Daisy Cutter and Lead Feather were two of my favorites!
The staff there was extremely friendly and helpful and you could taste any beer you would like before settling on one. It’s a small taproom, so it gets pretty noisy inside. Not being from Chicago, I was glad I stopped here rather than some of the bigger breweries since you don’t find Half Acre’s beers in the Florida bars.

Great prices. Employees know their beer very well. Great atmosphere. Price for a growler is not too bad. $ 15 for 64 oz of beer!

Half Acre Brewery has a great tour! I’ve been on a few brewery tours and this is my favorite so far.
The tour starts at 11AM on Saturdays and costs $ 10. It’s better to get there before then because a line starts to form before outside of the brewery. There isn’t a parking lot but there is street parking nearby.
At about 10:45 someone passes out tickets to everyone in line to show that you are one of the 60 people that they are going to accept that week.
Once you get into the building you will wait to pay your tour fee and then receive a pint glass with the half acre logo and 3 bottle caps inside of the glass. You use these bottle caps to redeem your 3 full servings of beer throughout the tour! This tour had 4 different beers on tap which were all great!
Our tour guide was co-​founder Maurizio, who was a.
very enthusiastic tour guide. He was funny and made the tour enjoyable by explaining his history, the history of Half Acre, and also a quick run down of the brewing process.
Although this brewery location is smaller, the tour was around 2 hours! With Maurizio as our tour guide it didn’t feel long at all! There were also breaks in the tour to refill your beer.
I would definitely recommend this brewery tour!

Great beer and super friendly staff! We loved the tasting room at Half Acre. I went with my husband on a Sunday afternoon on a beautiful day, We got a few small beers. I was particularly enamored with Hot Tropic — best beer with coconut I’ve ever had. I’m not really into hoppy beers, but Half Acre has a huge spectrum and even their hop-​forward stuff is perfectly balanced and they use a bunch of newer hops that appeal to even non-​hopheads. The décor was really cool — I love their artwork. I really want a bear head with spikes for above a hypothetical fireplace in my hypothetical house.
I was a little bit sad that they didn’t have bomber sized bottles available in the store, but they did have a huge selection of beer for growler fills… Growlers just don’t last as long. They were also out of stickers :(I think their stuff is so popular that you can’t really bank on anything being there and just have to go with the flow, which I am perfectly willing to do because the quality is awesome.

Awesome brewery tour and a perfect Saturday drunk brunch with friends! Nothing like day drinking with others who also enjoy a nice cold brew.
We went during the winter season, but still found a line of people waiting to taste the delicious beer bright and early in the morning. Yet, once you get the golden ticket (out of 60), you are good to go!
Bring cash because for $ 10 you get a Half Acre pint glass, a tour (about 3 hours) from one of the knowledgeable staff members, and 3 full pints of beer! Needless to say this is a great place to come and enjoy a local beer or seven!

Went to the brewery tour back on ⁴⁄₄ and it was well worth it. Got in line around 9 and was within the first 15 people on line. As others have stated, the line is in the shade so definitely dress appropriately. Thankfully the other side of the sidewalk was sunny so my group took turns warming up.
Once inside, you pay your $ 10 fee for a pint glass and three beers. Beers range from the ever popular Daisy Cutter to Space their IPA that is only served at the brewery to Lahaska, a Saison. Nice variety of brews to try with your tickets.
The brewery is quite small (they are moving soon to a larger location) so the tour guide spoke at the same spot three times telling different stories from the history of the company to how their beer is made. Between each of his stories (how the tour guide remembers so much detail is beyond me), there was break time for drinks. The entire tour lasts about 3 hours which is quite impressive and well worth a measly ten dollar admission. Highly recommended.

Awesome Saturday Activity! Highly recommend the tour.
Five fast facts:
1) Two of us got on line at 10am and we were #54 and 55 out of the 60 they allow for the day. (Keep in mind we WERE #35 when we got there but a LOT of people cut the line to join their friends…)
2) The line was in the shade, which for us was significantly colder than in the sun. Dress appropriately. Also bring water or snacks because you can’t leave the line once you’re there!
3) The tour lasted 3.5 hours, from getting in line to walking out the door.
4) After 3 pints of high alcohol content beer, we walked out with quite an afternoon buzz. Plan the rest of your afternoon accordingly.
5) It’s $ 10 cash only. What a fantastic way to spend $ 10. The tour is hilarious, informative, and inexpensive. Enjoy!

Yep, wife and I got a free after hours tour of the brewery. Told em were were from California, Japan and Texas and like the beer (I home brew as well) and BAM!

Best way I can describe this experience is in photos and I just uploaded a whole bunch that should tell the story. A very behind the scenes tour, allowed to be published with extreme quality photography. How can that be topped? LOL! SERIOUSLY! :)
Damn good. Really fun and unique extreme bricks and mortar brewery with exceptional quality fresh and signature beers, and such a sweet brewery. True America.
And the best brewery tour I can recall in quite a while. Hard core tour that showed everything.
Enjoy the photos.
Cheers!
Taco Monster of the Brazos

Had a very fun Tuesday night here recently testing out Half Acre’s many beers (well, I didn’t try them ALL — but all that we tried were great!). The environment is super casual, clean and communal. And the super great surprise was that there was a bluegrass band setting up when I arrived — they were amazing and made the mood so fun. I would definitely return with friends. Very fun!

I feel I must give a hearty shout out to Gabriel Magliaro of Half Acre Brewery. My organization was hosting a not-​for-​profit event, and we reached out to Half Acre to see if they could help us out by supplying some of their product. Gabriel generously donated a good quantity of their delicious Daisy Cutter pale ale and their Pony Pilsner. All of the attendees loved the craft brews and were constantly surrounding the pouring table to get additional samples.
Many thanks to the good people at Half Acre for their generosity and quality product.

Half Acre is a must do for tourists and locals alike. The place is awesome, and the beer tour is a great deal and a lot of fun.
I’ve been on the beer tour twice now with two different groups of people, and both times — it’s been informative and amazing. The tap room is great, service is fast and the beer is of course great.
Half Acre is known for it’s Daisy Cutter — but there is a lot more great beer than just their #1! Go to Half Acre, you will not be disappointed!

What an awesome place! Although we showed up late for the tour, we had a great time (if you are interested in the Saturday 11am tour, it’s first come first serve, so be sure to be here by 10:15 to guarantee a spot).
I always enjoy a local microbrewery. The beer was clearly the best part, but the bartenders and patrons were fun, too. As an IPA guy, I recommend the Space — second favorite is the Chicago-​renown Daisy Cutter. $ 3-​$ 5 8oz beers. I enjoyed the music and the rustic feel of the tap room. Great way to spend a Saturday with good company.

Go to the brewery tour!
Luckily I was with someone who had been on the tour before, so he knew the drill. Tour starts at 11 every Saturday, and first 60 people in line get in. People start lining up early so I suggest you get there by like 10:15 to ensure your spot. Around 10:30 they’ll start passing out the «golden tickets» which is your entry in. For $ 10 you get a tour with a pint glass and 3 fills of beer. The tour was very informative and fun, and there were frequent breaks to refill your cup.
All the beer here was really good, and I even bought some so take home with me. There’s a gift shop and taproom connected to the brewery, so if you didn’t get your fill on the tour, you can get more beer at either of these places.

Who knew that a brew tour would be so exclusive? My fiancé and I had really been wanting to check this one out and after looking at their website, we saw that going to this tour was going to take some planning. They only have one tour, which is on a Saturday at 11am. Sounds simple enough. Except that they only take 60 people and if you’re 61, it’s a no-​go for you. I read a bunch of Unilocal reviews and an article on the tour and saw that getting there around 9:30 — 9:45 was the best bet. So we hopped on an early Metra from the burbs, found parking pretty easily in the neighborhood (free if you can get it), and walked up to the somewhat non-​existent line. We were fourth and fifth in line. Woot!
We got there at 9:40 and the line built up pretty quickly after that. I’d say by 10:15, we were at or near 60 people. About half hour later, one of the brew dudes came around handing out golden tickets (literally) as your pass to get in. The late birds sadly left the line. At 11, we were let in and paid the $ 10 fee and handed a pint glass. This is your tasting glass, my friends. We were also given three tokens to trade in for a full beer during the tour. I had my first glass right before the tour started and the next two during and after. We also got a free sampling of a firkin that they had.
The tour was great. The dude explained everything I’ve heard a million times by now on other tours as far as the brewing process goes, but it’s always fun to hear other people tell it, and how they got started.
I was buzzin a bit by the time the tour let out, but we had a lot of fun and I’d definitely come back to Half Acre, as I did not have a chance to hang out in the tap room. Oh and the beers were awesome. Nothing better than a fresh beer made on the premises.