CHICAGO — Bottles of Benthic Imperial Stout come but once a year, prompting long lines outside Half Acre Beer Co.’s Lincoln taproom the day of its release.
This year, Half Acre Beer Co. will break with tradition to ease the lines and provide a more convenient format for its much-anticipated barrel-aged beer, by releasing Benthic in 16-ounce cans via an online sale. The sale goes live at 10a.m. Friday, Nov. 15.
The changes are designed as a more equitable and positive experience for all.Typically, every November, Benthic fans line up early in the cold outside HalfAcre’s Lincoln taproom to be among the first to enjoy the beer.
A hefty fortress of specialty malts and long boil times, Benthic (13.9%) is laid down in bourbon barrels and conditioned on toasted coconut and whole coffee beans.
Even with the online sale, Half Acre fans can still look forward to festivities on the first day of pickup, Friday, Nov. 22 at Lincoln, 4257 N. Lincoln Ave., with tunes, treats, merchandise and draft-only stout variants offered all day.
Pickup for the Benthic online sale will run through Sunday, Nov. 30. Those who pre-order must pick it up in person with a valid ID.
For more information about this year’s Benthic release, go to https://www.halfacrebeer.com/news/2019-benthic.
This year’s variants include:
- Vanilla Benthic, our bourbon barrel-aged base conditioned on Madagascar Vanilla beans and toasted coconut
- Double Double Benthic, a blend of bourbon and coconut rum barrel-aged imperial stout, conditioned on a double dose of toasted coconut and whole coffee beans
- Apple Brandy Benthic, an apple brandy barrel-aged imperial stout conditioned on cinnamon and toasted coconut
Key Dates
Online release: 10 a.m. Friday, Nov. 15
Pickup at Lincoln: Friday, Nov. 22 throughMonday, Dec. 1
About Half Acre Beer Co.
Half Acre Beer Co. is invested in each end of the brewing spectrum: time-honored classics and experimental, sensory-expanding releases. Founded in 2007 by Gabriel Magliaro, the company has evolved from a15-barrel brewhouse on Lincoln Avenue in Chicago’s North Center neighborhood into two breweries producing over 45,000 barrels annually; two taprooms serving comfortably elevated, delicious food; a workshop for custom tap handles; and a direct-to-consumer store that brings the communal Half Acre experience full circle. Its diverse portfolio ranges from the decade-old flagship Daisy CutterPale Ale, one of the original tallboy canned craft beers, to taproom-only wyld beers. In 2018, the company ranked 13th in Craft Beer & Brewing’s survey of best medium-sized breweries in the U.S. Half Acre as a company is made up of humans that respect one another, consider integrity a benchmark for success and appreciate your interest in what they make. Half Acre is at 4257 N. LincolnAve. and 2050 W. Balmoral Ave. For more, go to halfacrebeer.com.