Half Acre acquiring Maplewood

Meanwhile, they are kind of moving in the other way and this closes that chapter, and does so rather forcefully.

 

Solid as typical discussion on Chris Quinn's Beer Temple podcast covering this. Michael Roper (Hopleaf) and Keith Lemke formerly of the Siebel Institute the guests this Tuesday. They covered both high level for out of town listeners and then got into the details with distribution (Reyes HA vs. Glunz Maplewood) a key portion of their discussion. Link below:

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-beer-temple-podcast/id1017117588

Most concerned at this point with Michael Roper stating Glunz' long time Schlitz brand will stop being produced. It's my favorite AAL option for a few places around here with poor craft options and or poor draft lines (but good food options worth the visit).

 

Care to share the food honey holes in your hood, Jay?

 

If you’re going to take an investor, may as well be the one that throws insane amounts of money at breweries.

 

I have never been more emotionally invested in two breweries that I presently drink almost no beer from.

Cheering for this merger to work because I love the Chicago beer scene, but I sit here having a $2 Warka Premium 500ml bottle I currently prefer to any beer from HA or Maplewood.

As the old curse goes, 'may you live in interesting times'.

 

Not many options my way, but appreciate what I can get. Wish I was near Hopleaf, usually get as far as Dovetail or Spiteful, but need to go the extra mile for their great beers, food and staff.

Good food below means good bar type food, not fine dining. Area can be a bit provisional for non regulars and/or people who don't look like them, so I avoid several places.

• Good All Around: The Garage Bar & Sandwiches, Dunning Pour House (Craft options, draft lines, solid food).
• Good Park Ridge next door neighbors: Beer on the Wall & The Harp and Fiddle
• Good food, beer options & draft lines weak: Edison Park Inn & Dino's on Higgins.
• Good beer, food TBD, avoid for their modern country music: Firewater Saloon
• Need to revisit after a long hiatus and post reviews here (though not expecting great things): Emerald Isle & Tommy's on Higgins.
• Not For Me: Coach's Bar & Grill, Moretti's, Mystic Rogue, Tavern on the Point, Teasers, Vaughn's Pub (Guinness is fine here, miss the 1980s/1990s Vaughn's with no sports ball TVs, live music, and solid Irish beer and draft lines).

 

So well said. As a small business owner, I want to see all these places survive but it is rough out there, especially with the costs in the City. You need to have massive foot traffic in taprooms to absorb the rising costs of ingredients and minimum wages. I finally caved after getting sick of seeing monthly amounts spent on to-go beer. $14-18 4-packs gets old after awhile so I have gone to strictly kegs. Depending on the brewery, comes out to $7-11 a 4-pack.

 

Maybe one that USED to, being obnoxiously literal here.

And that leads to this Maplewood merger I would assume:
Constellation must have been viewed as a great shot-in-the-arm for Half Acre but as I said earlier, Constellation's sales continue to slide.
I'm no longer plugged in to insider news but why merge with someone else unless the corporate piggy bank proved to be less full?

-Sold Lincoln brewery
-Constellation, partnership(?)
-Opened Suncatcher
-Merged with Maplewood

Again it all seems very "throw everything at the wall and pray something sticks", to me. (I also don't believe the marketing saying they're doing this for their love of Chicago beverage/s. I'm far too cynical whenever I see language like that.)

 

When I can't get Hamm's I go Schlitz and vice versa. Jussayin.

 

In a world seemingly gone mad, it is truly comforting that I can still log on here - in the wake of major Chicago beer news - to gather insights backed by "trust me, bro" all the way to "my best friend's sister's boyfriend's brother's girlfriend heard from this guy who knows this kid who's going with a girl who saw Maplewood brewing at Half Acre with Constellation Brands last night. I guess it's pretty serious."

Never change, BA, never change.

 

The amount of misinformation flowing through here is keeping me endlessly entertained.

 

FYI - ChicagoLive had an interview with Kevin McGillen, CEO OF Half Acre Beer Company AND Maplewood Brewery and Distillery yesterday afternoon. As expected, lots of high level talk, but they’re still completing their due diligence, so that’s expected.

https://www.fox32chicago.com/video/fmc-m9c83m6uzd9j8hos

For those of us out west, he did say that the GE Maplewood location is scheduled to open in days/weeks.

 

You'll come to learn what I'm saying is true but you can always choose to believe what you wish.

 

It's called disguising a source, due to non-competes and other stupid legal bullshit.

 

Boston Beer used contract brewing for all production for years. I believe that Blue Point successfully used contract brewing for 12 oz bottles for its entire independent existence (before sale to ABInbev).

 

Half Acre of Maple Wood

 

So you were misinformed about Great Central’s status, Maplewood’s contract situation, and your source on Half Acre is a friend of a friend of a drunk brewer that doesn’t work there anymore.

I’ll stay tuned homie. Can’t wait for the updates.

 

This is the spiritual successor to the old Dark Lord threads, but meaner.

Cue up eating popcorn gif

 

"It's called disguising a source"

But you do you, fam.

 

You cut out @CrispyBoy's first point in your quote. Which takes out the entire context of what he was saying. You're just flying off the hip here.