The Wild Onion Tied House to Open Thursday in Oak Park

Wild Onion Brewery, known for its long history of brewing world-class ales and lagers, is opening its second Chicagoland location this Thursday, August 17th in Oak Park. Located at 1111 South Boulevard, in the Pleasant District, “The Wild Onion Tied House” has revamped a 100-year old theater building,
formerly known as “The Playhouse Theater” that originally opened in 1913.

This will be the second restaurant location for the Kainz family, who also own The Onion
Pub and Brewery in Lake Barrington, IL.

“We are thrilled to bring our unique style of brewpub operations to Oak Park”, said co-
founder and brewmaster Mike Kainz. “We really identified with the community after
attending beer festivals here and knew this was the perfect location for a satellite pub that
is “tied” to our brewery in the Northwest suburbs. The old English tradition of tying
pubs to a central brewery and its beer brands served as inspiration for the name.”

Tied Houses are not unique to England alone-they were also a colorful part of pre-
prohibition Chicago. The Schmitz brewery, for example, opened many Tied Houses in Chicago at the
turn of the last century, and there are several buildings that still have the brewery’s logo
above the front entrance.

A Strong History of Beer Brewing Experience

The historical significance of the old theater building resonated with the Kainz family, as
they have a deep connection to Chicago’s past. Wild Onion Brewery CEO Joe Kainz
grew up working in his family’s dairy business located in the Lincoln Park neighborhood,
and stories of his grandfather’s prohibition-era brewing were part of the verbal folklore
handed down to Mike. Anton Kainz, founder of the Kainz Dairy on Mohawk St,
supplemented the dairy’s income during the Prohibition years by brewing and selling
beer to a well-known “merchant” of Italian descent.

“I grew up with stories of my great-uncles rolling out barrels of beer in the back alley of
the dairy”, said Mike, “ So it seemed natural to carry on the family tradition when we
opened the doors to the Wild Onion Brewery in 1997. Our philosophy in brewing has
always been firmly grounded with a passion and respect for many of the world-class beer
styles that have existed for centuries.” The Kainz family opened the doors to its first pub
and taproom several years after building the original brewery down the street from it’s
current location in Lake Barrington.

Many of the same ales and lagers available at the Onion Pub will be served at The Wild
Onion Tied House, along with some small-scale “one-offs” fermented onsite in Oak Park.

Some of those styles include the brewery’s original flagship brand, Paddy Pale Ale, along
with Beggar’s Brown, Misfit IPA, and a long list of other seasonal styles and cask-
conditioned ales. New styles released at the Tied House, specifically for Oak Park
drinkers, will be a Dortmunder style German lager, a nitro IPA, and variations of the
brewery’s bourbon-barrel aged Russian Imperial Stout called “Drago.” Both growlers and
crowlers will be available for sale, along with 6-packs of Wild Onion’s packaged beer
lineup.

The Wild Onion Tied House will also have a rotating menu of handmade craft cocktails,
bringing its extensive beer brewing knowledge to cocktails and featuring signature
ingredients like freshly smoked cherries for Manhattans, and smoked ice cubes to bring
out the flavor profile of other popular drinks.

Enlighten Your Taste Buds

The Wild Onion Tied House is proud of its made-from-scratch menu using only the
freshest ingredients and locally sourced produce. The menu will showcase beer and food
pairings, and the smoker in the kitchen will play a central role in formulating unique
flavor profiles in both meat-based proteins and in vegetable dishes.

“I am really excited about the restaurant’s commitment to bringing unique flavors and
high-quality ingredients to a variety of favorite pub-style foods such as fish and chips,
burgers, French onion soup and more” said Josh Wight, chef at Tied House.

A True “Public House” Experience Like Never Before

The atmosphere at the Wild Onion Tied House is just as vibrant as the beers and menu.
Talented and fun-loving staff with strong beer and cocktail knowledge, combined with
live music on the weekends, will make each visit unforgettable.

Inspiration for the décor is a blend of German-style beer hall with an urban, downtown
vibe. Some of the unique signature décor items include a skylight roof-original to the old
theater building-and a 36 foot long bar made entirely of oak barrel staves reclaimed from
the brewery’s barrels aging program. Wall art from local artists will also be displayed.

“We want The Wild Onion Tied House to play the role of a true Public House, a place
where locals can gather, relax, and recharge,” said Kainz. “We look forward to being a
part of this great community.”

The Wild Onion Tied House will be open 7 days a week, and will feature daily food and
drink specials, brunch on both Saturdays and Sundays, and a Mug Club for its loyal beer
drinking customers. Hours will be 4-11 pm Monday-Wednesday, and 11 am-1 am
Thursday-Sunday.