Your standard run-of-the-mill beer festival includes a long list of breweries, many of which go to the same festivals all season, pouring roughly the same beers at each one. Half Acre turned heads in August when they announced a new festival called Far & Away that features some of the best-known breweries from around the country.

On October 13, at the Harris Theater Rooftop Terrace in Millennium Park, the festival carries a brewery lineup rivaling that of Chicago’s Festival of Barrel Aged Beers (FoBAB), among other great fests.

“FoBAB is a great fest that’s been happening for along time,” Half Acre co-founder and President Gabriel Magliaro said. “So, it’s great to be compared to anything of quality.”

The festival will feature two sessions, one from 12-4pm and the evening session from 5-9pm. Tickets are still available for both sessions and can be purchased here.

While Half Acre has held The Big North at its Balmoral location for the last few years (which features primarily Half Acre beer), Far & Away brings breweries you don’t typically see in Chicago.

Although Magliaro did say that their experience in planning The Big North helped with Far & Away, especially with this event not being at the brewery.

“It definitely gave us a larger level of confidence going in,” he said.

The list of breweries is exceptionally long, and each participant is noteworthy. A few that stood out include TRVE, Creature Comforts, Maine Beer Co., Crooked Stave, Cigar City and Tired Hands. But since naming just four out almost 60 breweries wouldn’t do the list justice, Other Half, Side Project, Modern Times and Holy Mountain will also be pouring.

But really, most every brewery could headline an event, so pick your favorite and go.

How did Half Acre compile such a robust list? It was pretty simple according to Magliaro.
“We asked and they agreed,” he said. “We were really pleased with the positive response. We already host something (The Big North) at our brewery that’s about us. This is more about our ability to be a conduit for these other brewers.

To read the whole and/or updated list, please see the official site .

With such a fantastic list of breweries, it is no surprise that the beer list is impressive. (See below for a comprehensive beer list.) Unlike FoBAB that focuses on barrel-aged beers, there is no restriction on what brewers could bring to Far & Away. There is a nice variety of IPAs, both hazy and non-hazy, sour beers, of course some stouts and some traditional German styles.

“We were hoping for one beer that exemplifies that brewery and one that represents the further reaches of their practice today,” Magliaro said. “Ultimately, brewers could pour anything they like.”

Tickets for Far & Away are more expensive than your average beer festival. A typical festival will be around $50-$60, however, Far & Away tickets go for just over $90 after fees per ticket. They are roughly the same price as a FoBAB ticket which goes for just under $90 this year after fees.

While both festivals are significantly more expensive, when you look at the breweries in attendance and the beer that’s being poured, you should expect to pay a premium for access to some of the most sought after breweries in the country.

As for if there will be a Far & Away in 2019, Half Acre is taking it one year at a time.

“It would be nice if it was recurring, but for now we’re just hoping for a great event in 2018,” Magliaro said.

THE BEER LIST

Beer list from Half Acre’s page on Oct 3, 2018. List will grow, and is subject to change. Please see https://www.halfacrefarandaway.com/beer-list/ for the full & updated list.

3 FLOYDS BREWING COMPANY
THICC BOIS / DDH LACTOSE IPA
CHEER TEAM / IPA

18TH STREET BREWERY
TBA

ALLAGASH BREWING COMPANY
ALLAGASH WHITE / BELGIAN-STYLE WHEAT BEER
SAISON GRATIS / SAISON-STYLE ALE

ALVARADO STREET BREWERY
MAI TAI P.A. / TROPICAL IPA
CONTAINS NO JUICE / JUICY DOUBLE IPA

AMERICAN SOLERA
SOMEBODY LOVES YOU IN COPENHAGEN / FRUIT BEER
BARREL AGED DILEMMA / BARREL AGED STOUT

ARIZONA WILDERNESS BREWING COMPANY
REFUGE IPA
ABUNDANSEA / IMPERIAL STOUT

ASLIN BEER CO
BALE / IMPERIAL STOUT
TOTALLY CANON / SOUR ALE

BAGBY BEER COMPANY
SWEET RIDE / PILSNER
GOOF TROOP / AMERICAN IPA

BEAVERTOWN BREWERY
METAMORPH / BRETT IPA
MANGO MILK / MANGO MILKSHAKE DIPA (OMNIPOLLO COLLAB)

BELLWOODS BREWERY
FRUIT JELLY KING / DRY-HOPPED SOUR WITH PINK GUAVA

BREAKSIDE BREWING
WANDERLUST / IPA
#MOREFRIENDS #MOREMEMORIES / BARREL AGED RASPBERRY SOUR

BUNKER BREWING COMPANY
TERRARIUM / IPA
MACHINE PILZ / CZECH-STYLE PILSNER

BURIAL BEER COMPANY
FRESH HOP SHADOWCLOCK / PILSNER
THE FALL OF THE REBEL ANGELS / SOUR RED WITH CHOKEBERRIES

CASEY BREWING & BLENDING
APRICOT FRUIT STAND / ALE AGED IN OAK BARRELS WITH APRICOTS
VELVET / ALE AGED IN OAK BARRELS WITH APRICOTS

CIGAR CITY BREWING
COCONUT MARSHAL ZHUKOV’S / IMPERIAL STOUT WITH COCONUT
GUAYABERA / CITRA PALE ALE

COLUMBUS BREWING COMPANY
BODHI / DOUBLE IPA
CROCODILE TONGUE / BARREL AGED SOUR ON PEACHES

CREATURE COMFORTS BREWING COMPANY
BIBO / PILSNER
ARCADIANA / SAISON

CROOKED STAVE ARTISAN BEER PROJECT
SURETTE RESERVA JUNIPER & GIN / PROVISION SOUR ALE
SOUR ROSE´ / WILD ALE
DE LA SENNE
TARAS BOULBA / BLONDE ALE

FIRESTONE WALKER BREWING COMPANY
SLOAMBIC / WILD ALE WITH BLACKBERRIES
DARK & STORMY / BLENDED ALE WITH GINGER & LIME

FONTA FLORA BREWERY
WHIPPOORWILL WIT / BELGIAN WITBIER
SCUPPADINE / APPALACHIAN WILD ALE

FOREST + MAIN BREWING COMPANY
DOCHTER SEIZOEN / SAISON
SOLAIRE / SAISON

FOUNDERS BREWING COMPANY
KBS / BOURBON BARREL AGED STOUT
MOSAIC PROMISE / SINGLE HOP PALE ALE

FREMONT BREWING COMPANY
THE RUSTY NAIL / BOURBON BARREL AGED IMPERIAL STOUT WITH LICORICE AND CINNAMON BARK
FIELD TO FERMENT – CITRA / FRESH HOP PALE ALE

GIGANTIC BREWING COMPANY
KOLSCHTASTIC / KOLSCH
BIG BRETT LOVE / BRETT SAISON AGED IN VERMOUTH AND FRENCH OAK BARRELS

GREAT NOTION BREWING
WIGGLE / HAZY IPA
KEY LIME PIE / GOSE WITH KEY LIMES, VANILLA BEANS AND MORE

GREEN CHEEK BEER CO
WEST COAST IPA IS DEAD / WEST COAST IPA
ATTACK WITH LOVE / HAZY IPA

HACIENDA BEER COMPANY
L’ETE / BARREL FERMENTED SAISON
DDH EVERYTHING EVENTUALLY WITH EL DORADO

HALF ACRE BEER COMPANY
TBA

HIGHLAND PARK BREWERY
WONDER CLOUD / HAZY IPA
HELP YOURSELF / BARREL FERMENTED SAISON

HOLY MOUNTAIN BREWING
KING’S HEAD / BOURBON BARREL AGED DOUBLE OATMEAL BROWN ALE
OFFERTORY / ALE AGED IN OAK BARRELS ON MALBEC & SYRAH POMACE

INDUSTRIAL ARTS BREWING COMPANY
WRENCH / NEIPA
SPLICE / DDH SOUR BEER

INTERBORO SPIRITS & ALES
OVERTIME / IMPERIAL IPA
BUSHBURG / PILSNER

J WAKEFIELD BREWING
BLUEBRAKER / SOUR IPA
BOSS TYCOON / IMPERIAL STOUT

JACKIE O’S PUB & BREWERY
APPLE BRANDY BARREL OIL OF APHRODITE / BARREL AGED IMPERIAL STOUT
BOURBON BARREL BRICK KILN / BARREL-AGED BARLEY WINE

JESTER KING BREWERY
ABSCISSION / SPONTANEOUSLY FERMENTED FORAGED ALE (COLLAB WITH SCRATCH)
COMMERICAL SUICIDE / MIXED CULTURE MILD ALE

JOLLY PUMPKIN ARTISAN ALES
TURBO BAM / RYE FARMHOUSE ALE
FRIENDS WITH BENEFITS / FRUIT SAISON

KANE BREWING COMPANY
GALAXY PUNCH / INDIA PALE ALE
VANILLA SUNDAY BRUNCH / IMPERIAL MILK PORTER

LAWRENCE BEER COMPANY
LECTRIC / IPA
BIG PEACH / SAISON

MAINE BEER COMPANY
SON OF SAPPING MAMMOTH / IPA
POST RIDE SNACK / SESSION IPA

MIKKELLER
SPONTANDOUBLERASPBERRY / SOUR ALE WITH RASPBERRIES
TBA

MODERN TIMES BEER
YELLOW / SAISON AGED IN WINE BARRELS WITH APRICOTS
FELLOWSHIP OF XUL / DESSERT STOUT

MONKISH BREWING COMPANY
SPACE FOOD / COTTON CANDY SPACE COOKIE DOUBLE MILKSHAKE IPA (COLLAB WITH OMNIPOLLO + TIRED HANDS)
GALACTIC RHYME FEDERATION / TRIPLE IPA

NEW BELGIUM BREWING COMPANY
VOODOO RANGER JUICY HAZE IPA / UNFILTERED IPA
TRANSATLANTIQUE / KRIEK

OTHER HALF BREWING COMPANY
DDH BROCCOLI / IMPERIAL INDIA PALE ALE
RICE PROXY TREATS / IMPERIAL STOUT (COLLAB WITH ANGRY CHAIR)

OXBOW BREWING COMPANY
SASUGA / STAINLESS-AGED SAISON WITH RICE
BOBASA / BARREL-AGED SMOKED FARMHOUSE ALE

PERENNIAL ARTISAN ALES
PILS / DRY-HOPPED GERMAN-STYLE PILSNER
MAMAM / IMPERIAL STOUT

PRAIRIE ARTISAN ALES
PRAIRIE NOIR / BOURBON BARREL AGED IMPERIAL STOUT
PINK GUAVA FUNK / SOUR ALE WITH PINK GUAVA FRUIT

THE REFEREND BIER BLENDERY
BERLINER MESSE: GLORIA GRAND CRU / SPONTANEOUSLY FERMENTED PALE WHEAT ALE
TENDER BUTTONS / FRAMBOISE

SANTE ADAIRIUS RUSTIC ALES
WOVEN / BARREL AGED BLONDE ALE (HALF ACRE COLLAB)
RECENCY EFFECT / GIN BARREL AGED SAISON

SHARED BREWING
FANNY PACK FASHION SHOW / IPA
TOMMY FRESH BATCH #2 / TDH DIPA

SIDE PROJECT BREWING
DERIVATION BLEND #10 / BA IMPERIAL STOUT
LA RUCHE BLEND #2 / BELGIAN SAISON

SIERRA NEVADA BREWING COMPANY
TRIP IN THE WOODS CHOCOLATE CHIPOTLE STOUT / BARREL AGED IMPERIAL STOUT
SINGLE HOP EL DORADO / SESSION IPA

SUN KING BREWING
PACHANGA / MEXICAN STYLE LAGER
AFTERNOON DELIGHT / BOURBON BARREL AGED DOPPELBOCK

SUPERSTITION MEADERY
CHERION / MELOMEL
BBA AMANTE / SPECIALTY MEAD

THREES BREWING
LOGICAL CONCLUSION / IPA
FAR BETWEEN / FOUDRE-FERMENTED FEST BEER

TIRED HANDS BREWING COMPANY
HELLES OTHER PEOPLE
GUAVA LAVENDER MILKSHAKE IPA

TRANSIENT ARTISAN ALES
WHEN YOU’RE HERE YOU’RE HERE / COCKTAIL INSPIRED OAK AGED SOUR
THE JUICE IS LOOSE / DOUBLE IPA

TROON BREWING
HI, CHICAGO / HOPPY ALE
BYE, CHICAGO / KETTLE SOUR BREWED WITH LACTOSE, RE-FERMENTED WITH MANGO + PASSION FRUIT, CONDITIONED ON MADAGASCAR VANILLA BEANS

TRVE BREWING COMPANY
CURSED / MIXED CULTURE PALE ALE
SOLID HEX / WATERMELON SAISON

UPSLOPE BREWING COMPANY
SPRUCE TIP IPA / AMERICAN INDIA PALE ALE
TROPICAL FRUIT SOUR / FRUITED BARREL AGED SOUR BEER

THE VEIL BREWING COMPANY
YOUNG & PURE / IPA
WE DED MON / TRIPLE IPA

WELDWERKS BREWING COMPANY
DDH JUICY BITS / HAZY IPA
MEXICAN ACHROMATIC / MEXICAN STOUT

WISEACRE BREWING COMPANY
TINY BOMB / PILSNER
ASTRONAUT STATUS / BOURBON BARREL AGED IMPERIAL STOUT WITH CINNAMON AND VANILLA BEANS

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