Great Baltimore cocktails: The Sweet Baby Jesus Adult Milkshake at The Yard

At The Yard, the new sports pub located inside the Baltimore Marriott Inner Harbor at Camden Yards, sits a miracle; a modern marvel; a Holy Grail of sorts for beer aficionados: a milkshake … Made. With. Beer.

Sweet Baby Jesus! Well yes, it does earn the exclamation but that's also the name of this 8th wonder of the world, officially: The Sweet Baby Jesus Adult Milkshake.

It was an industry contest — not divine intervention — that inspired bartender Jeff Crawley to concoct this holy creation. Currently, Marriott is holding an in-house competition among its hotel bartenders to design an adult milkshake representative of their town and bar. The Sweet Baby Jesus Milkshake Cocktail is Baltimore's ringer, quite literally. The Yard re-opened last month with a renovated space and a new philosophy: to source and support local products.

Crawley's milkshake takes that message to heart, featuring three local companies within one deliciously random treat. DuClaw Brewery's Sweet Baby Jesus Porter is the base for the cocktail. Alone, the jet-black porter is a complex beer: robust and dark, with notes of peanut butter and chocolate. I tasted more peanut butter than chocolate but nevermind — Crawley's got several more tricks up his sleeve. To the porter, Crawley adds a hint of vanilla flavor with Sloop Betty, a small batch, premium vodka out of Stevensville. The vodka ups the alcohol ante while playing off the candied elements of the porter. The milkshake element comes in by way of Glen Arm's own Prigel Farms: two scoops of their vanilla ice cream, a scoop of their chocolate ice cream, and a good helping of their heavy cream help to create the rich, creamy finish. If you're counting calories, don't. There's also Kahlua blended into the mix and a whole Reese's Peanut Butter Cup garnish, a final nod to the peanut butter porter. Sweet Baby Jesus indeed.

It's not really a matter of asking Crawley and company "Why?" Instead, have faith in The Sweet Baby Jesus. You'll be hard pressed to find another beer milkshake anywhere in the city — make that a beer milkshake that actually tastes good.

Amen.

How to make the Sweet Baby Jesus Adult Milkshake:

3 oz. of Sweet Baby Jesus beer

2 scoops of vanilla ice cream

1 scoop chocolate ice cream

1/2 oz. Kahlua

1 oz. heavy cream

1/2 oz. Sloop Betty vodka

1 Reese's Cup

Blend all ingredients together; garnish with Reese's Cup (and whipped cream, if desired); serve in a chilled pint glass.

Where to get the Sweet Baby Jesus Adult Milkshake:

The Yard

The Baltimore Marriot Inner Harbor at Camden Yards

110 S. Eutaw St. (ground level), downtown

410-209-2853, facebook.com/theyardbar

$8.50