Yard House is turning 22!! To celebrate they brewed a delightful double IPA with Stone Brewing. I sat down with Chicago Yard House General Manager Roland to try out the gin inspired brew.
My visit started with a trip to the keg room. I was particularly excited about the kegs because I’ve never actually seen a restaurant’s keg room. It is incredible to see the extensive organization and care that goes into keeping your beer tasting the way that the brewer intended it to taste. Each draft line has its own pressure gauge, so the carbonation can be set based on the style of beer in the line. The system will alert the bartender if the pressure fluctuates so that it can be corrected ASAP. When a keg is ready to be changed, the line is sufficiently washed out with water to ensure no contamination from the last beer. I was really blown away by the care that Yard House takes in providing customers with great beer.
Along those same lines, I had a really nice discussion with General Manager, Roland about his philosophy on beer. His mission is to take his customers on a craft beer journey. For example, if someone comes in looking to drink a domestic staple (Miller Lite, etc.) his goal is to show them their options on the craft beer side. It’s really all about expanding their horizons. He finds that samples are the best way to do this. If you can get a Miller Lite drinker to try a craft lager such as 3 Floyd’s …..and like it then it’s a win in his book. As someone who would only drink domestic lagers 3 years ago, this really resonates with me. If I had been to a Yard House then, I may have started my craft beer journey earlier!
I’ve been a frequent visitor of Yard House for quite a while now. Their extensive tap list and great happy hour specials have kept me coming back. This time I visited with the mission of tasting their Liquid Compass Double IPA. This beer was brewed in collaboration with Stone brewing and the inspiration of Aviation Gin. This beer does a fantastic job of capturing the gin essence. It’s got the flavor profile of a traditional IPA while finishing with a refreshing juniper touch. The juniper finish really suited this big hoppy beer. It left you wanting another sip. Liquid Compass is a perfect birthday celebration, especially if you cant decide between Gin and an IPA!
Happy 22nd birthday Yard House! I have a feeling you’ll only get better with age!
Yard House compensated the cost of my meal in exchange for my honest review. As always, all opinions are solely my own.
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