Interview with Half Acre Beer Company’s Gabriel Magliaro

On October 2nd the doors to the retail store for the Half Acre Beer Company will officially become open to the public when they host the 3rd annual Festiv-Ale at their brand new north Lincoln Ave. location. And, with the opening of the Half Acre storefront, another new milestone will be set for beer drinking in our fair city of Chicago.

Sitting in the heart of the beer-loving midwest and long believed to be a town of beer drinkers, Chicago plays host to, depending on who you ask, anywhere from about 350 – 1800 bars. But, despite it’s reputation and the staggering number of places you might find yourself indulging in this heavenly concoction, Chicago has, until very recently, been a bit anemic on the craft beer tip. It’s a bit embarrassing really, what with Wisconsin to the north of us and Michigan to the east, Two Brothers out in Warrenville. Hell, even Indiana has 3 Floyd’s.

However, in the past couple years we’ve seen the rise of two new breweries within the confines of Chicago proper, Metropolitan Brewery and Half Acre Beer Company. Both standing as a testament to the spirit of Chicago and quickly becoming ambassadors for the City in their own right, these two craft beer establishments have helped put new life into Chicago’s beer scene that, for too many years, had become a bit boring being home to only one brewery, Goose Island. But, as craft beer continues to explode around the country and an undeniably exciting beer renaissance is under way, could it be we’re seeing Chicago transform from it’s pilsner induced slumber into becoming a notable contender with other great beer cities around the country? Ok, fair enough, that may be putting the cart before the clydesdale a bit, but, however you slice it, it’s an exciting time to be a beer glutton here in the city of broad shoulders.

Half Acre Beer Company bills itself as a “community based brewing company” and boasts a steady line up of 4 delicious beers from their very solid Over Ale to it’s amazing Daisy Cutter Pale Ale which, in my estimation, stands just atop the Surly Furious as the tastiest Pale Ale I’ve been blessed to wrap my big fat fish lips around. In addition to brewing a roster of beers that challenge you not to drink them Half Acre also supports a competitive bike team and a number of socially conscious organizations helping to make good on their claim as a “community based” organization.

In anticipation of the opening the Half Acre storefront at 4257 N. Lincoln Ave, which will be opening the first week in October, we shot some questions over to the brains and brawn behind Half Acre, Gabriel Magliaro, which he was kind enough to answer:

As far as I’m aware Chicago now has 3 local breweries to the city proper – Goose Island, Metropolitan, and you guys, Half Acre. How do you fit into this collection? Do you see your roles as competitive, or adding to a growing Craft Beer community both in Chicago and nationally, or both?
GM:I don’t see us as competitors. Chicago is a big town and there’s room for all of us to exist. If a bar has 10 beers on tap I’d rather see locals have one and let the out-of-town breweries fall into the remaining slots.

How do you differentiate yourself from Goose Island and Metropolitan… or any other Craft Beer for that matter?
GM:DIfferentiation comes in a bunch of forms, I suppose. We like to think our vibe has a different feel. We’re a young company, both in existence and how old we are as people. I think we have a level of sophistication, but also have younger edge to our identity. Beer wise, Metro is brewing Lagers, and they’re committed to that, which is great. Goose has dabbled in everything and has a huge portfolio that’s easily accessed. We brew beers we want to drink and try to make them as interesting for us as possible – we hope that carries out to the consumer.

There seems to be a very strong sense of local Chicago pride to Half Acre which shows, most obviously, in the Beer Hunt’s that you host. What is it that makes you so proud to be in Chicago and why did you choose to show that through something like the Beer Hunt?
GM:Chicago is a great town, and I think most Chicagoans are very proud of their city. The Half Acre has various levels of meaning for us, and part of that is the natural inside this urban juggernaut that we live in. The hunt is a great way for us to explore the city, get outside on the motorcycle and have fun, then pass that on. Getting people out and about and enjoying themselves, we feel, is very positive.

Clearly Half Acre’s passions extend beyond the brewing of delicious beer. You also sponsor a competitive bicycle team and involve yourself in socially conscious activities like the upcoming Brews Not Bombs. Do you see a common thread between these interests, something that drives you to each of them however disparate or seemingly unrelated they are?
GM:We try to pair up with people that are motivated and having fun. We try to support as much as we can while not putting ourselves out of business. Half Acre Cycling is a great group of people who race to have fun and get better at it. It’s an easy fit.

Right now Daisy Cutter has a deep and rooted hold on my liver. It’s presently the finest Pale Ale I’ve been able to taste. Which is your preferred Half Acre Brew? What kind of brews should people be looking forward to in the future from Half Acre?
GM:I drink a lot of the Daisy, as well. We have a number of specialty brews coming out and have been trying to step out with new beers as much as possible. We have specialty release coming out in October called Magnus, a big Schwartz that we’re hoping will be delicious. Our goal is to release a specialty beer once a month and sell it in our store and other spots around town.

What’s the most memorable (flavor, location, event, and company all considered) beer you’ve ever drank?
GM:There’s been a lot of those, but one that sticks out in my mind right now was drinking some Ellie’s Brown at Avery in Boulder. I had had numerous beers before and the weather was clutch. I was drinking this beer, which is a great brown beer, when Ellie herself came running out of nowhere and basically landed on my lap. I love dogs, I love Colorado and beer.

You’re opening your brew pup here in less than a month. What should people expect from the Half Acre brew pub? And, of all the restaurants and bars in Chicago, why should they come to yours?
GM:We’re not opening a brewpub. We’re opening a retail store where people can buy beer directly from us. It should be unique. There will be offerings here that you can only get here. We will also carry beers and spirits from other companies that we admire.

Is there a Half Acre philosophy that is applied to your beer creations?
GM:Brew beer you want to drink.

When you’re not drinking your own beer what do like to drink?
GM:I drink the beer of others all the time. I try to support the locals and seek out the latest and greatest from those who I respect.

If there was one piece of advice you could give people to help them enjoy beer even more thoroughly than they do now, what would it be?
GM:Stop thinking so hard.