BOWMANVILLE, Ill. — Block Club Chicago partnered with Half Acre Beer Co. for the third annual Block Club Block Party, unveiling a new batch of the Extra! Extra! Xtra Pale Ale. The brew, praised for its drinkability and balanced hop profile, returns after a successful debut last year.
Recipe tweaks add body without bitterness
Half Acre’s R&D brewer Duncan Kral highlighted the ale’s smooth, approachable flavor, noting it remains light and crisp while delivering hop character. Senior R&D manager Ryan O’Doherty explained the main change this year: the addition of maltodextrin, a complex sugar that yeast cannot ferment, which adds a bit more body to the low‑ABV beer without making it heavy.
Both Kral and O’Doherty said the maltodextrin allows the brew to stay dry and crisp while providing “a little bit more body behind it.” The hop lineup stays the same—strata and simcoe—with a higher percentage of simcoe this season.
Local fans taste the new brew
Block Club Eats reader Steve Keenan, a Gold Coast neighbor, described the ale as “really light and smooth, no harsh notes whatsoever.” Lawrence Benedetto, another reader, called it “very nice, crisp, and sessionable in a nice, afternoon‑in‑a‑beer‑garden way.”
Block Party details and community benefit
The free Block Party runs noon to 9 p.m. Saturday at Half Acre Beer Co., 2050 W. Balmoral Ave. Attendees can enjoy live entertainment, a silent auction, local vendors, a kids zone, and performances by the Wiggleworms and the Jesse White Tumblers.
In a charitable twist, $1 from every pint sold will be donated back to Block Club to help fund the nonprofit neighborhood news outlet. VIP ticket packages include a special Half Acre × Block Club pint glass.
Extra! Extra! Xtra Pale Ale will stay on tap at Half Acre until it sells out.
Original reporting: Block Club Chicago — read the source article.
