Cocktail Hour: Tryst’s Atlantic Giant Pumpkin Ale on draft

Funky Buddha Brewery in Oakland Park, Florida crafts some of the best beer on the east coast. Fortunately, Tryst’s excellent draft list is heavy on local flavor. This Atlantic Giant Pumpkin Ale is a marriage between a Belgian strong ale and a 1,000 pound pumpkin (you read that right), roasted and donated by the Atlantic Hotel.

The notes are plenty of pumpkin, spice, and something nice (vanilla?)–but the Atlantic Giant Pumpkin Ale avoids most pitfalls of pumpkin beers (the ubiquitous chemically-laced, cloyingly sweet aftertaste) in favor of a Belgian strong ale kick.

A Burger A Week: Tryst’s McTryst Burger

We’ve already featured Tryst’s delicious fish taco on our The Best Thing I Ate Last Week, but the McTryst burger ($8 during happy hour!) is no slouch.

Tryst goes for classic over complex: the patty is adorned with only a wedge of fresh, crispy lettuce, sliced tomato and onion, and Beemster gouda. But the under-toasted sesame bun was lacking any crunch, and the prime beef was slightly overcooked and underseasoned, making for more than one dry bite.

Rating: 5.5. As far as the classics go, Diner and Arthur’s Tavern still take the cake–or ketchup–but this happy hour offering is one of the best deals in Delray.

Cocktail Hour: Dada’s Cuban Cure

Delray Beach’s Dada is an ode to artistry in the kitchen and behind the bar. The restaurant began as a rum bar and it’s no surprise that the best drink on the extensive cocktail menu is the Cuban Cure.

Hibiscus and ginger add a complex spice to the grapefruit bitters and squeeze of lime. Sip this slow.

Dada house-ages six different batches of rum.