Links TapRoom to Open 11/11 in Chicago's Wicker Park Neighborhood

Links TapRoom - an All-American craft beer and sausage focused neighborhood bar - from owner/beer director Michael Quinlan and managing partner Cary Michael - will open to the public at 4:30pm on Saturday, January 11 in the former Bin Wine Café space at 1559 North Milwaukee Avenue in Wicker Park. Links will feature 36 All-American craft beers on tap, four All-American cask beers on beer engines, about 40 All-American crafts available in large format bottles, and about 10 by the can. Featured breweries will include Une Anee, Founders, Firestone Walker, Greenbush, Dark Horse, Green Flash, New Holland, Revolution, Jolly Pumpkin, Half Acre, and many more.

"Great beer, great sausages, and great fries all in a laid back neighborhood bar is what Links is all about," said Cary Michael, formerly of Branch 27, Rockit Bar & Grill, and Lettuce Entertain You. "Links will be a place that really appeals to the people in our neighborhood and beyond."

Links will be outfitted with four DigitalPour (digitalpour.com) screens that show which beers are on tap, brewery name, price, glassware, how much is remaining in the kegs, and customer social media integration via social media "check-ins" and updates tagged via Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Foursquare.

Links will also feature five wines (two reds, two whites, one prosecco) on tap along with Fernet Branca liquor on tap as well. Links will have a limited liquor bar as well as the Links' beverage program is very craft beer forward.

Consulting chef Joe Pierro of Big Onion Tavern Group and Lance Avery of Big Fork Brands (bigforkbrands.com) have created a classic sausage-focused food menu that will feature about eight different links including Chicago Steak & Ale (made with sirloin, bacon, Bell's Amber Ale, horseradish), Bratwurst (made with veal, pork shoulder, toasted spices, whole milk), 3 Chile Chorizo (made with pork shoulder, jalapeños, chipotles, habaneros), and Vegan (made with portobello mushrooms, black beans, and tamari) for the opening menu.

All classic links include a choice of two toppings like beer onions, giardiniera, cheese sauce, cider-braised cabbage, and more. The Links kitchen will also serve snacks including hand-cut fries in two sizes with different dipping sauces like bacon apple butter, bourbon BBQ and garlic pesto. "Buried Alive" fries will be covered with sausage, hot peppers, bacon, sharp cheddar, and jalapeños.

Also on the Links food menu is beer cheese soup, fried cheese curds, fried pickles, hot pretzels, roasted peanuts, chili, white bean hummus, and more. All guests ordering food at Links will do so at the kitchen counter. Guests will then be given one of the dozens of customized beer tap handles as a table marker, and their food will be delivered to their seat at the bar or table. Links' opening operating hours will be 4:30pm until 1am Monday thru Thursday, 4:30pm until 2am on Fridays, 11:30am until 2am on Saturdays, and 10:30am until 1am on Sundays. A weekend brunch food menu that will supplement the regular food menu will roll out a week or two after the opening.

Links will have 20 seats at its actual bar and another 60 seats at tables. The clean-lined space features exposed brick, dark wood, tin ceilings, five flatscreen TVs, beer growler light fixtures, and other designer elements featuring repurposed beer kegs. Links' décor will also be an organic process as beer signs, beer stickers, and beer labels will be added to the walls, beer cooler and other spots around the bar.

The Links TapRoom phone number is 773-360-7692, its website is http://www.linkstaproom.com, and its email is drinkcraftbeer@linkstaproom.com.

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