To the amazement of many far and wide, our little cookshack turns five freaking years old this month. I can’t believe it either.

But it’s true. We first served food for money on 4 February 2005, and our Grand Opening was 25 February 2005. (We always officially celebrate our anniversary as the 25th, because that was the official opening, and also because it’s also my Dad’s birthday. Which is fun.)

Five year is the “wood” anniversary, and that seemed right up our alley, no? Here’s what we have in store for our anniversary week:

Wednesday 24 February: Barrel Aged Beer Nite.
Special on draft
* Green Flash Superfreak
* Alesmith Boubon Barrel Aged Speedway Stout

Special on cask
* Green Flash barrel aged stout
* Firestone Walker Double Barrel Ale 100% oaked
* Rock Bottom barrel aged barleywine

And more beers by the glass including Russian River Temptation, Firestone Walker 12, Firestone Walker 13, and (we think) Russian River Supplication

Thursday 25 February: Anniversary Beers and Santa Maria Barbecue.

Cask Beer specialties made just for the Linkery 5th birthday (and Hop Porter’s 70th birthday):
* Green Flash “Hop Porter” world debut
* Stone Levitation special edition with 5 Hops

Special on Draft
* Stone 2005 Old Guardian

Smokehouse Birthday
Santa Maria BBQ over local red oak, featuring grassfed beef

And cask beer pairings, German Chocolate cake, and more.

Friday & Saturday 26-27 February:
* Smoked oysters paired with Magnolia oyster stout on cask
* Steakhouse weekend with local grassfed steak
* More details being arranged

Sunday 28 February: Smokehouse Sunday and 30th on 30th, short-month edition
* small plate of smoked meats for $2
* half-pour cask beers $2
* half pour Linkery cask wine $2
* spit-roasted whole pig!

Awesomely, or perhaps overwhelmingly, our big wine dinner event with the Paso Wine Alliance, which I think is a pretty big deal, is the day before this all starts — the wine dinner is on Tuesday the 23rd of February. You might just want to get an apartment nearby for the month.