Half Acre

What Half Acre does

Half Acre Beer Co. is a Chicago-based craft brewery founded in 2007 by Gabriel Magliaro, operating a production brewery, taproom, beer garden, and retail shop at 2050 W Balmoral Ave in the Bowmanville neighborhood. The company brews a diverse portfolio spanning year-round flagships (Daisy Cutter Pale Ale, Bodem IPA, Pony Pilsner, WayBird Hazy IPA), seasonal lagers (Far Star, Reef Knot, LagerTown), an IPA series (Vallejo, Sunrise Vallejo, Sunset Vallejo), and an extensive barrel-aging program (Orin, Benthic, Generational, Catch Hell, Blue Morning) that has earned industry recognition including a Best in Show at the Festival of Wood & Barrel-Aged Beer. Core brewing technology centers on traditional craft methods with specialized barrel aging using bourbon, brandy, rum, and specialty barrels, with aging cycles extending to 27+ months.

Half Acre generates revenue through a dual-channel model: direct-to-consumer sales at the taproom and beer garden (draft pours, packaged beer, food service, branded merchandise, and ticketed events) and wholesale distribution through beverage distributors to retail and on-premise accounts across the Chicago metropolitan area. The company serves craft beer enthusiasts and experience-seeking consumers, supplemented by B2B accounts including local bars, restaurants, and bottle shops. The brewery operates an extensive event program — trivia nights, mahjong workshops, comedy shows, night markets, and brewery collaborations — that drives taproom foot traffic and community engagement.

In March 2026, Half Acre announced a merger with Maplewood Brewery & Distillery to form a unified beverage company, positioning the combined entity to navigate craft beer industry headwinds by adding spirits and THC seltzer capabilities while leveraging Half Acre's Balmoral production capacity for both brands. Kevin McGillen, Half Acre's President and COO, was named CEO of the combined entity, with both brands retaining independent taproom operations.

Name

Half Acre

Legal name

Half Acre Beer Co.

Website

https://halfacrebeer.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Half Acre Beer Co. is a Chicago craft brewery founded in 2007 operating a production brewery, taproom, beer garden, and retail shop, selling flagship, seasonal, IPA, and barrel-aged beers direct-to-consumer and through regional wholesale distribution, and currently merging with Maplewood Brewery & Distillery.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Craft Beer Brewing

NAICS

Breweries (312120), Beer and Ale Merchant Wholesalers (424810)

SIC

Malt Beverages (2082), Wholesale-Beer, Wine & Distilled Alcoholic Beverages (5180)

akta.pro primary industry

Microbreweries & Craft Breweries (THAFALAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Packaging & Production Breweries (Limited/No On-site Service) (THAFALAB), Brewpubs & Taprooms (On-site Beer Service) (THAFALAA)

Keywords

• Craft beer brewing
• Barrel aged beer
• Craft taproom operations
• Wholesale beer distribution
• Brewery events programming

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Beer Sales: Direct sales of craft beer through on-premise taproom draft service and packaged beer (cans, bottles) for takeout. Revenue from draft pours, 4-packs, 6-packs, 12-packs, and specialty releases.
2. Food Service: Kitchen and food menu at taproom generating revenue from food and beverage pairings during visits.
3. Merchandise and Retail: Sale of branded merchandise including glassware, apparel, enamel pins, and other brewery swag through the on-site shop.
4. Wholesale Distribution: Distribution of packaged beer to retail accounts (bottle shops, grocery stores) and on-premise accounts (bars, restaurants) through distributors.
5. Event Venue Rental: Revenue from hosting private events, large party reservations, and event programming including ticketed workshops.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Half Acre is a Chicago craft brewery that produces and sells a wide range of beer styles including pale ales, IPAs, lagers, pilsners, and an extensive barrel-aged imperial stout and ale program. It operates a production brewery alongside a taproom, beer garden, and on-site retail shop at its Balmoral Avenue facility, and distributes packaged beer through beverage distributors to retail and on-premise accounts across the Chicago metropolitan area.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Daisy Cutter: Flagship pale ale, one of the first beers brewed at the Lincoln Ave brewery in 2009. Became a call brand that carved out a place within the Chicago brewing landscape with lush and dank characteristics.
• Bodem
• Reef Knot
• Pony
• WayBird
• Far Star

Products and services

• Daisy Cutter Pale Ale Flagship pale ale and Chicago craft icon brewed since 2009; year-round offering with dank, citrus, and dry hop-forward profile.
• Half Acre Light Lager Year-round light lager offering from Half Acre's beer catalog.
• Bodem India Pale Ale Year-round IPA brewed with Idaho 7, Mosaic Cryo, and Cashmere hops over a silk-rich grist, representing the brewery's go-to IPA perspective.
• Pony American Pilsner Year-round American pilsner with a clean bready malt backbone and subtle noble hop notes.
• WayBird Hazy IPA Year-round hazy IPA rooted in El Dorado and HBC 586 hops, featuring heavy citrus and stone fruit notes.
• Slow Melt Pale Ale Year-round pale ale in Half Acre's core lineup.
• Far Star Cold Weather Lager Seasonal cold weather lager (autumn/winter) at 5.2% ABV, luminous pale lager offering with full flavor in a lighter body.
• LagerTown Oktoberfest Seasonal Oktoberfest-style lager.
• Reef Knot Summer Lager Seasonal summer lager with floral lemon and hay aromas, earthy spice from Noble hops balanced by lightly toasted honey malt.
• Vallejo IPA Series Rotating IPA series including Vallejo IPA, Sunrise Vallejo West Coast IPA, and Sunset Vallejo IPA variants.
• Orin Bourbon and Brandy Barrel Aged Ale 13.2% ABV bourbon and brandy barrel aged ale; Best in Show winner at the Festival of Wood & Barrel-Aged Beer (FoBAB), representing the brewery's expertise in extended barrel blending.
• Benthic Barrel Aged Imperial Stout Barrel aged imperial stout in Half Acre's barrel-aged lineup.
• Generational Bourbon Barrel Aged Stout Bourbon barrel aged stout with vanilla, coffee, and coconut; produced as part of the multi-year Generational series collaboration with Side Project Brewing.
• Blue Morning Bourbon Barrel Aged Imperial Stout Bourbon barrel aged imperial stout brewed with blueberries, maple syrup, and vanilla in collaboration with The Bruery.
• Daisy Cutter Crown IPA IPA brewed with Maine-grown wheat, a collaboration with Allagash Brewing featured at the annual Daisy Cutter In Bloom celebration.
• Taproom & Beer Garden On-premise taproom, beer garden, and retail shop at Half Acre's 2050 W Balmoral Avenue Chicago facility offering draft pours, food service, packaged beer to-go, and merchandise.
• Brewery Shop / Merchandise On-site and online retail shop selling branded Half Acre merchandise including glassware, apparel, enamel pins, and other brewery swag.
• Brewery Events & Workshops Ticketed and free community programming at the brewery including trivia nights, mahjong workshops, bookbinding, houseplant workshops, bonsai classes, comedy shows, curated matchmaking/speed dating, and night markets.

Quantifiable outcome

• Orin Bourbon and Brandy Barrel Aged Ale won Best in Show at FoBAB (Festival of Wood & Barrel-Aged Beer)

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

17 partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core, minor and regular.

• Allagash BrewingflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 31 May 2026Collaboration on Daisy Cutter Crown IPA brewed with Maine-grown wheat. Featured at annual Daisy Cutter In Bloom celebration event. Both breweries highly respected in craft beer community.
• Maplewood Brewery & DistillerycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 11 March 2026Strategic merger announced March 2026 to form a unified beverage company. Half Acre's Balmoral facility will produce Maplewood's contracted beer while Maplewood brings spirits and THC seltzer expertise. Both brands maintain independent taprooms. Kevin McGillen (Half Acre President/COO) becomes CEO of combined entity.
• Side Project BrewingflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 December 2024Multi-year collaboration producing Generational barrel-aged stout series. Cory and team at Side Project send beer to Half Acre and vice versa. Six+ years of collaborative barrel beers.
• The BrueryminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on Blue Morning Bourbon Barrel Aged Imperial Stout with blueberries, maple syrup, and vanilla. Joint recipe development.
• Troon BrewingminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on Onyx Of High Bourbon Barrel Aged Imperial Stout featuring candy cap mushrooms and Brazilian vanilla.
• Vienna BeefflagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerAnnual 'Only Gold' partnership event celebrating Chicago Style Hot Dogs and ice cold beer. Free hot dogs for guests, live music, and special beer release. Multiple years running.
• The Mahjong SocietyregularGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership for mahjong classes and tournaments at the brewery. Mahjong 101, 102, and NMJL Card Review events held regularly.
• Puzzled PathwaysregularGTM or Marketing PartnerWeekly trivia night partner hosting themed trivia events every Thursday. Includes various themed nights (Disney, Star Wars, TV through decades).
• Barrovian BooksregularGTM or Marketing PartnerBook binding workshops 'Brews & Binding' held regularly at the brewery. Ryan from Barrovian Books teaches traditional book binding.
• Meet IRLregularGTM or Marketing PartnerCurated matchmaking and speed dating events at the brewery targeting various age groups.
• Uncommon Plant GuyregularGTM or Marketing PartnerHouseplant workshops teaching kokedama (Japanese moss ball plant art). Multiple events per year.
• The DigsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCreative workshops including sculpt your own pipe classes held at the brewery.
• Bonsai and Brew StudiominorGTM or Marketing PartnerBonsai tree care introductory classes held at the brewery.
• SAUCED Night MarketregularGTM or Marketing PartnerBi-annual night market featuring local artists, makers, food vendors, and live music. Multiple vendors participate in large-scale events.
• Friendship Center ChicagominorGTM or Marketing PartnerCharitable partnership for food drives and community giving. Proceeds from beer sales support the organization's food pantry and vital resources for Chicagoans in need.
• Transformative Justice Law Project of IllinoisminorGTM or Marketing PartnerTips from 'Home for the Holidays' events donated to support TJLP's legal services.
• Center on HalstedminorGTM or Marketing PartnerClothing drive partner for gender-affirming closet supporting LGBTQ+ community members.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Revolution Brewing: Largest independent craft brewer in Chicago with multiple taprooms and broad distribution across the Midwest. Most direct competitor given overlapping geography (Chicago), channel mix (taproom + wholesale), and size (both ranked among Chicago's largest craft breweries).
• Pipeworks Brewing Co. Independent Chicago craft brewery known for hop-forward IPAs and barrel-aged stouts with strong taproom presence. Competes for similar craft enthusiast customers and on-premise accounts within the Chicago market.
• Begyle Brewing: Chicago craft brewery operating a taproom in the city and distributing locally. Comparable in size, channel mix, and craft positioning though with a smaller production footprint.
• Maplewood Brewery & Distillery: Chicago craft brewery and distillery operator that announced a merger with Half Acre in March 2026. Operating in the same city with overlapping wholesale and taproom channels, plus adjacent spirits and THC seltzer categories that complement Half Acre's beer focus.
• Goose Island Beer Co. Chicago's most iconic craft brewery (now AB InBev-owned) with broad portfolio across year-round, seasonal, and bourbon county brands. Direct peer in the same metro with deeper distribution reach and comparable flagship brand equity.

Broad incumbents

• Bell's Brewery: Established Midwest craft brewer with broad year-round portfolio (Two Hearted, Oberon) and substantial distribution. Comparable as a larger, more diversified craft player but with regional/national reach beyond Chicago.
• Lagunitas Brewing Company: Large-scale craft brewer (now part of Heineken) with broad portfolio and national distribution. Sits above Half Acre in scale and reach, competing for similar craft consumer occasions and on-premise handles outside the Chicago core.

Regional players

• Three Floyds Brewing: Indiana-based craft brewery with cult-favorite IPAs and barrel-aged offerings. Comparable on portfolio breadth and brand equity but distributed in adjacent Midwest geography rather than directly competing in Chicago on-premise.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/HalfAcreBeer
• Facebookfacebook.com/HalfAcreBeer
• Instagraminstagram.com/halfacrebeer

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A1 record

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Half Acre