I judge books by their covers (Michael Chabon’s Yiddish Policeman’s Union was a fantastic read, and still my favorite cover two years later) and beers by their labels. It may be brewed to perfection with a fervor that can only be mustered by the silent, monastic Trappists, but cluttered, flowery labels will send me back to my High Life every time. But a new Chicago brewery has won a fan in me, and my appreciation for the Half Acre Beer Company is in no small part due to its branding effort. Sure, the beer drains smoothly, but the labels and packaging, evoking my favorite silk-screened rock posters, are even more tasty. I caught up with designer Sasha Barr to see what’s more fun: designing album covers or beer labels.

EL*STOP: What message did the client want to convey?

Sasha Barr: The Lager is Half Acre’s flagship beer, so when we were designing the labels and 6 pack we also developed the logo and overall look for the company. [Owner] Gabriel  was drawn to my screen-print poster work and really wanted everything to convey that similar aesthetic. We developed something rough and handmade, but also bold and strong. From their original offices he had a view of an old water tower and wanted to include that in the Lager label. Through the design process the water tower became the primary icon for Half Acre, we included it in the Over Ale packaging and most subsequent goods and logos.

LS: Is it more fun to design rock posters or brand a beer company?

SB: Oh, man. What a question. Posters are great and all, but sometimes it’s good to branch out into new territory. I’ve been slowly moving away from the posters over the last couple years and have been concentrating my freelance work on illustration and design that’s not related to the music industry and posters (except, of course, for my job in the art department at Sub Pop Records). Working with Half Acre has been amazing since the beginning, and I love having the opportunity to work with the label. They’re a great company and really open to my work. I think we work well together, and that’s really important. I’ve learned a great deal from working with Half Acre, my only complaint is I don’t live in the city where it’s sold! I’d love to walk into a store or bar and see the beer on the shelf.

LS: Got anything for sale on your site that I just can’t live without?

SB: Well, I have plenty of posters which you’re welcome to, but the real gold mine lies in Wonder Thunder, a small business which I share with my girlfriend Meagan. We make goods for the home constructed entirely by hand! Screen-printed fabric sewn into pillows, napkins, bags, and more. I have a good bit of it on my site, but we have a store online where you can really see everything. We also have a bunch of our stuff at Renegade Handmade.