Yard House is known for having more than 125 beers on tap, but this summer you should consider ordering one of the new beer cocktails. Each location features six new alcoholic drinks made from a beer on tap plus a slew of liqueurs and bitters.
The new beer cocktails include the Dreamsicle, an alcoholic rendition of the classic orange-cream Popsicle; the Framboise Fog, a mix of Mezcal, bitters and Framboise; the Hawaiian Five O, a surf-side fruity cocktail featuring cider, bitters, pineapple and coconut rum; the Jack & Ginger, a Bavarian Weiss drink mixed with Jack Daniels Honey, ginger citrus agave and orange bitters; The Silly European, a House Belgian Amber Ale Tripel stirred with gin, amaretto Disaronno plus bitters; and the West Coast Shandy, a light summer drink made with an IPA, grapefruit, X-rated fusion liqueur and citrus agave.
Although my bartender admitted to not enjoying most of the beer cocktails because he was "more of a beer guy," he did recommend the Hawaiian Five O. It's a fruity cocktail featuring Ace Pineapple Cider, Malibu coconut rum, Mai Tai mix, aromatic bitters and fresh pineapple chunks. Being a novice beer drinker and a fan of fruity beverages, I assumed this one would be right up my alley. And it was.
Ciders are great for those who enjoy a light, sweet beer. This drink was crisp, fresh and not overpoweringly sweet -- a surprise to me.
All of the drinks are garnished with a piece of fruit, so you can snack on something sweet and infused after you take your last sip. For me, that was two chunks of pineapple.
If my fiancé had the choice, he would just drink a dark beer. He's not into fruity drinks at all. But, since we were trying beer cocktails, and most of his mixed drink choices include gin, he chose The Silly European, a much darker (and stronger) concoction than my tropical cocktail. The Silly European features the Yard House's Belgian Amber Tripel which has notes of berry and cherry -- hence, why it is mixed with Disaronno Amaretto, aromatic bitters and garnished with black cherries.
This Belgian Amber Tripel cocktail's bitterness and sweetness from the cherries and liqueur is like drinking a combination of a Gimlet and Old-Fashioned. Sour, sweet and strong.
For those who like a stronger drink where you can taste the alcohol, go ahead and order The Silly European. But, if you'd rather it be light and sweet, try the Hawaiian Five O. Or keep it simple and stick to a West Coast Shandy for your summer beer-cocktail fix, or drink a childhood favorite dessert, the Dreamsicle.