Black Acre Brewing to expand in Irvington

More beer, more room and, possibly, more food. That’s what Irvington’s Black Acre Brewing has in store over the next several months. Growth begins with this fall’s off-site brewery launch.

Black Acre staff are about six weeks away from testing beer-making equipment at the new 9,000-square-foot brewery, 5543 Bonna Ave., said co-founder Justin Miller.

When the facility is up and running, the Irvington company’s focus in early 2015 shifts to enlarging its 2,300-square-foot brewpub at 5632 E. Washington St. into an adjacent 1,100-square-foot space. The move boosts the number of seats from about 60 to around 150, Miller said.

“The problem we ran into is we couldn’t support more seats without the (extra) brewery capacity,” Miller said.

The off-site brewery, about two blocks south of the Black Acre brewpub, adds a dozen barrels to the pub’s existing three-barrel system. With 15 barrels total, Black Acre increases its per-batch brewing capacity tenfold, Miller said.

Later, the off-site brewery may open for tours, beer events and retail sales. Wholesale operations may develop in the area around Indianapolis, but for now, Black Acre owners want to use the brewery to highlight the pub.

“Our focus is still on our pub and growing that,” Miller said.

Besides increasing table seating, the renovation doubles chairs at the 12- to 15-person bar, Miller said. Expect around 60 taps, twice as many as Black Acre pulls now. Usually, 10 of Black Acre’s current 30 taps pour selections from the company’s approximately 100 beers recipes. The other 20 taps go to guest suds.

Smaller-batch beers such as fall’s upcoming Oktoberfest and pumpkin brews will continue to be produced at the pub. Flagship suds such as a rye IPA named Saucy Intruder and the Belgian witbier Vertical Sun will flow from the off-site brewery.

The pub’s rustic, unfinished wood decor won’t change, but the enlarged kitchen may broaden the menu of mainly paninis, small plates and Sunday brunch.

“We’ll become a real, big-boy brewpub,” Miller said.

Miller is part of a group of home-brewing pals who opened Black Acre in February 2012.