Follow Sean Inman to the best in craft beer
I have had the pleasure of sipping beer at the Half Acre tap room which features some of their “offbeat art” that they use on their labels. I love what they did with Daisy Cutter but their special releases go to a much weirder plane of existence.
And I usually don’t go for that sort of thing but maybe it is the kitten but this label works for me. Makes me laugh. Can’t pinpoint why. I know the beer inside will be good so maybe that plays into it.
On a beautiful Autumn day with a light crispness on the air. I walked from Wrigleyville to Lincoln Park and the Half Acre taproom.
The space is next door to their growler/merchandise store and had tables as you walk in with the bar and tap handles in the back right corner.
You first notice this cartoon looking bear head over the taps with no beer names on them. Only emblazoned with the Half Acre name.
The leather bound menu augments the board on the wall with the day’s available beers.
I started light with the Pony pilsner. It poured a pretty yellow color and hit all the marks of a craft pils. A little more fizz might have helped but it was a promising start to my tasting.
Since it was October, I went for the Okto/Marzen next and it was the surprise beer of the trip. Big nutty taste, a little touch if sweetness and a firm spicy hop note. If it weren’t for the next beer, it would have been my choice as best of the trip.
And that beer is the famed Daisy Cutter. A perfectly balanced pale. Great fruit punch hop notes on top a bed of light malt. One of those rare hoppy beers that mixes hops so that the sum is greater than the parts.
Oddly enough, the two wet hop beers that I was psyched to see on the menu were only so-so. I would rank them behind the pilsner.
The Half Acre tap room is my kind of place. Quirky vibe with a great selection of beers.
Tomorrow, I will talk more about my recent beer filled trip to Chicago. But to whet the whistle, as it were, here are some selected photos from the weekend….
First stop pizza at Wrigleyville joint with a list (minus the macros) that I wish I could have returned to…
Oh and the former Marshall Field’s (now Macy’s) sold beer and had a bar!
If that wasn’t enough, the local grocery chain had 5 Rabbits at great six-pack prices…
and there were stops at Two Brother’s, Half Acre and HopLeaf too!
