OK…here we come.

We’ve got a lot of our construction done, we’ve got a lot of new people working with us, we’ve figured out a couple tricks to running the new space and we’re ready to present ourselves to the world at large. Of course there will still be a lot more to come in the next few months (more cask handles, more art on the walls, more people joining us, more menu items, more sound panels…I could go on).Either way, we dub it the Grand (re-)Opening and we’re putting on a celebration this weekend (Thursday thru Monday) specifically highlighting some of the beer and wine producers who have been such amazing partners to us over the last few years.

Thursday: Green Flash and San Pasqual Winery. At 5:30 we will tap a cask of keg of SuperFreak, which is Le Freak that has been aged in wine barrels from San Pasqual Winery and spiked with brettanomyces yeast. This is my favorite beer ever from when I had it on draft during the World Beer Cup, we are very grateful to be serving it again. In a while the cask will be done maturing and we will serve that, too.

Thursday we will also have Green Flash 2008 Summer Saison on draft dry-hopped Trippel on cask and, in bottles, all 3 big GF award winners: West Coast IPA, Hop Head Red, and Trippel, we even got Chuck to dig up some Nut Brown! At the same time we will be also be serving several San Pasqual wines by the glass. GF Brewmaster Chuck Silva and San Pasqual winemaker Erik Humphrey will both be here in person hanging out. We are stoked to count these folks among our personal friends, come meet them and see why.

Friday we’ll be highlighting unusual and specialty beer, including drafts of 1) Harviestoun 30 year Ola Dubh (or ‘Black Oil’), a collaboration between Harviestoun Brewery and Highland Park distillery — the first ale to be aged in malt whisky casks from a named distillery, with traceable casks and numbered bottles and 2) Rodenbach Grand Cru.

Saturday: Ray at Night. Now that we’re up here at North Park Way, we are right in the midst of Ray at Night. If you come visit us on Saturday, be sure to spend some time visiting the galleries, checking out the various performances, and so on. It is really fun.

Smokehouse Sunday with Stone Brewing . We used to do Smokehouse Sunday every week for a while at the old place, and once we get staffed to where we can be open during daytime on the weekends, we’ll do it again. In the meantime, here’s a taste. We’ll feature grass-fed brisket slow smoked over Santa Maria red oak, and pair it with Chipotle Smoked Porter from Stone on cask and Stone Levitation on draft. Greg Koch (if his international travel plans go as scheduled) and others in the Stone family will be here to celebrate.

Monday: AleSmith Day at the Linkery. We have a cask of Speedway Stout. ‘Nuff said.We will also have barrel-aged Speedway available in bottles and Horny Devil (a Belgian strong pale ale) and AleSmith X (extra pale ale) on draft. Our friends from AleSmith will be here in person along with their friends and families. Our kitchen will prepare a special dessert to pair with the Speedway and a special starter to pair with the Horny Devil.