The Root-Beer Blog

Yet Another Soda Tax

2009-05-12T16:35:00.000-04:00

First it was the governor of New York, wanting to raise more money for his dwindling coffers. Now it's the current regime and Obama who want to impose yet another tax on people and their carbonated beverages in order to help him fund his socialised medicine scheme.

Senate leaders are considering new federal taxes on soda and other sugary drinks to help pay for an overhaul of the nation's health-care system.

The taxes would pay for only a fraction of the cost to expand health-insurance coverage to all Americans and would face strong opposition from the beverage industry. They also could spark a backlash from consumers who would have to pay several cents more for a soft drink.

On Tuesday, the Senate Finance Committee is set to hear proposals from about a dozen experts about how to pay for the comprehensive health-care overhaul that President Barack Obama wants to enact this year. Early estimates put the cost of the plan at around $1.2 trillion. The administration has so far only earmarked funds for about half of that amount.

The Center for Science in the Public Interest, a Washington-based watchdog group that pressures food companies to make healthier products, plans to propose a federal excise tax on soda, certain fruit drinks, energy drinks, sports drinks and ready-to-drink teas. It would not include most diet beverages. Excise taxes are levied on goods and manufacturers typically pass them on to consumers.

Senior staff members for some Democratic senators at the center of the effort to craft health-care legislation are weighing the idea behind closed doors, Senate aides said.

The Congressional Budget Office, which is providing lawmakers with cost estimates for each potential change in the health overhaul, included the option in a broad report on health-system financing in December. The office estimated that adding a tax of three cents per 12-ounce serving to these types of sweetened drinks would generate $24 billion over the next four years. So far, lawmakers have not indicated how big a tax they are considering.

Mr. Obama and his bureaucratic cohorts are willing to add a "sin tax" on people who just want a few joyous moments with a frosty non-alcoholic beverage. This is just the opening salvo in his tax and spend health rationing plans. No doubt other onerous taxes lay in wait in the wings to fund this debacle. Fat taxes, fast food taxes, non-organic food taxes, organic food taxes and more are likely to rear their ugly heads, just to fund Obama's "health care" plans.

If they pass this one without resistance we can rest assured that they will see this as a sign of weakness and will rush to impose even more taxation measures. That's just the way these people work. Give them an inch and they want a mile. It's only a few cents, right? It's always a few cents here and there, and then pretty soon it's a whole dollar. Every soda you buy today already has embedded taxes in it that the companies have to pass along to the consumer. Fuel taxes, local, state and federal taxes, payroll taxes and a wide variety of incremental taxes that range from local to the federal levels. The politicians are counting on us not caring about " a few cents more". Well, I care.

You should, too. This taxation will be used to fund government controlled medicine. It doesn't work anywhere else in the world, why would we think that a Chicago politician would be able to do any better than anyone else? I certainly don't want the government controlling and rationing health care. They do a lousy job of it already and are more than partially responsible for most of the problems that we do see in our current system. No thanks. Keep your hands of my health care and my little pleasures in life.

Technorati Tags:
Taxation, Obama, Root Beer, Soda, Libertarian

Sugar Gaining Ground

2009-02-20T16:45:00.001-05:00

Add Snapple to the list of drinks abandoning HFCS for Sugar. Yeah, I know it's not a beautiful, fizzy beverage, but it's a sign of the times and it is owned by Dr Pepper.

Snapple, once the “official beverage of New York City,” is being redesigned — inside and out — this year.

The popular iced teas are losing the high-fructose corn syrup and the dated font. The bottles are becoming more svelte (to better fit into cup holders, which became a force after Snapple iced teas were originally introduced). The labels will also emphasize the green and black tea leaves used to make the drink. The changes are rolling out over the first few months of the year, and they are expected to hit New York in early March, according to Dr Pepper Snapple Group, which is now the owner of the brand.

Snapple, which once defined the genre of specialty tea, now finds itself fading in an increasingly crowded field of competitors. The brand, which passed through many hands before landing as part of Dr Pepper Snapple, went through a round of focus group testing over the last two years.

“Through that work we really found that Snapple had lost of its luster and had been replaced in the minds of consumers by other beverages out there,” said Jim Trebilcock, an executive vice president with Dr Pepper Snapple.

(For example, President Obama prefers (the more lightly sweetened) Honest Tea, and the White House is now stocked with his favorite flavors, Black Forest Berry and Green Dragon.)

Real sugar is replacing the corn syrup. (Sugar vs. corn syrup, by the way, is the difference between Mexican and American Coca-Cola.) In some cases, that has actually resulted in a decrease in calories.

The old ingredient list for Lemon Snapple Iced Tea: “water, high fructose corn syrup, citric acid, tea, natural flavors.” Calories: 200. The new ingredient list: “filtered water, sugar, citric acid, tea, natural flavors.” Calories: 160.

Now if only Coke and the other people out there would hop on the train. And I'm pretty sure that Obama has nothing to do with their decision, despite his inclusion in the article.

Technorati Tags:
Snapple, Sugar, Soda, News

Repent Soda Sinners!

2009-01-31T12:19:00.003-05:00

Apparently, the governor of Massachusetts thinks that those of us who like to consume a few "empty calories" via a Root Beer or Soda are sinners and in need of additional taxation. It's yet another, in a long line of attempts at behaviour modification by the powers that be to encourage us to act and consume the way they wish us to. At the same time these nanny staters want to fill their coffers by taxing the population segment that they wish to modify.

When Governor Deval Patrick proposed a 5 percent premium on sugary treats this week, his administration presented it as a sin tax with a bonus: Imposing such a levy, a briefing paper pledged, "is a critical first step in discouraging the consumption of these empty calories."

Thankfully, I am not a resident of Taxachusettes, nor am I likely to ever be, but the innocent people who like a good Soda, or one of the excellent regional Root Beers have to bear the burden of these nonsensical do-gooders. Enough is enough, isn't it? Once upon a time there were some Bostonians who had the courage to protest a tax increase on their beverage of choice. Where are those people now? If you won't protest a 5% tax on your Soda or Root Beer then what will you speak out against? Very little, it seems.

Technorati Tags:
Taxation, Root Beer, Soda, Massachusetts

Soda Vs. Pop

2008-09-16T12:57:00.001-04:00

When I was growing up in the South it was not odd to have an aunt or a friend or someone utter the words, "Let's go get a Coke". It didn't mean that I had to end up with a Coca~Cola product, either. In fact it was more likely that I'd end up with a Barq's, Nehi or other yummy bubbly beverage. My aunts would almost inevitably get an RC or Dr. Pepper. The fact that it was also pronounced "Cocola" made no difference, either. It was just what all soda water based drinks were (and likely still are) called in the South.

Well, the folks at The Pop vs. Soda Page have popped back up onto the radar again with their excellent map on the subject of what our favourite beverages are called by region. I was surprised to see that in my current region the Southern "Coke" is more common than Soda or Pop. Must have been an influx of Southerners into the region at some point in the past. Interesting.

Of course, where I grew up, if you wanted a Root Beer you asked for a Barq's. Just because it was the best on the market.

Technorati Tags:
Soda, Pop, Coke, Root Beer

New Push On Against Root Beer And Sodas

2007-11-16T17:35:00.000-05:00

First they came for the smokers and I screamed my head off, even tho I wasn't a smoker. Then they came for the trans fats and I screamed my head off again, even tho I avoid trans fats. Now they're coming for Root Beer and Sodas and I'll scream my head off again, for all the good it'll do.

It seems that the nannies over at the Centre for "Science" in the Public Interest and some of their fellow traveller busybodies are looking to attack bubbly beverages now. They are even going so far as to propose "modest" taxes on effervescent wonders to be used to fund themselves.

Consumer groups on five continents are promoting a new “Dump Soda” campaign to educate people about the links between soft-drink marketing and rising childhood obesity. “Multinational giants like Coca-Cola and PepsiCo are flooding the world with beverages that are nothing more than ‘liquid candy,’” said Bruce Silverglade, legal director of the Washington, D.C.-based Center for Science in the Public Interest, which is coordinating the campaign with the International Association of Consumer Food Organizations. “As a result, consumers, including children, in all corners of the globe are increasingly developing obesity, ‘adult onset’ diabetes, and other health problems.”
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Their demands include asking governments to require soft-drink producers to stop advertising sugar-laden beverages to children under 16 and to impose a modest tax on soft drinks to fund nutrition and fitness programs. The campaign also promotes the marketing of lower-sugar products, selling existing products in smaller portions, and stopping sales of sweetened beverages in all public and private schools, from elementary to high school.

It's all for the children again. Sheesh. Of course they failed in their "science" part, again. The vast majority of drinks on the market do not contain sugar. That's obvious from only a cursory glance at a label in most countries, especially the US. Most are sweetened with high fructose corn syrup. If they would actually champion sugar as the primary sweetener, rather than nanny banning and taxation, they might actually get my attention in a positive manner. Instead they have, once again, aroused my ire with their latest anti-everything good campaign.

Environmentalists and nannystatists seem to go hand in hand, these days. Wishing to impose their tofu and water lifestyles on everyone else. All for their own god, of course. Well, guess what folks? I am the final arbiter of what goes into my body and that of my children. Not you. Not your "scientists" and certainly not the politicians you will manage to sway with your "oh so caring" rhetoric. You people will be in for a fight on this one. Here's my line in the sand.

Technorati Tags:
Root Beer, Soda, Libertarian, Sugar, Politics

Cry Root Beer!

2007-07-04T13:57:00.000-04:00

During my most recent vacation to the Outer Banks I was given the gift of a bottle of Weeping Radish Root Beer by my sister-in-law and her husband. I must say that it was an unexpected pleasure and one I am glad to have received. This pint and 9 oz bottle was quite surprising to me. Many breweries make Root Beer as an afterthought and take little care with its formulation, using sub par extracts and treating it like the unwanted step-child of the business.

Weeping Radish Root Beer isn't one of those. Even though they rely on extract, rather than craft brewing they have managed to turn out a complex and tasty brew that is a pleasure to drink. Whatever extract the they use is pretty good and loaded with complex flavours that keep you going back for more tastings. Manteo, North Carolina is not just the home of Andy Griffith. It is home to one really nice Root Beer! It also sports about the shortest ingredients list I have ever seen.

Ingredients:

Root Beer Extract
Pure Sugar
100% Pure H2O

Aroma: Hints of cinnamon, nutmeg, wintergreen and licorice. Spicy.
Head: Dissipated all to quickly. Too Soda-like.
Carbonation: Average. Adds just a touch of bite to the brew.
Root Beer Flavour: A complex spicy flavour, not soft and draft-like. It has a slight dryness that gets put down by the sugar.
Sweetness: Sugary sweet, but not overwhelming. The sugar is a dominant aspect but it doesn't eclipse any of the other tastes.
Aftertaste: Sugared spiciness with licorice tones and a very slight hint of vanilla.
Overall: Quite possibly one of the most complex brews I've had in a while. While it was a gift to me, I would certainly go out and buy for myself.

I give Weeping Radish Root Beer a 7/10 or a B+

Technorati Tags:
Root Beer, Weeping Radish, North Carolina, Outer Banks

Jones Soda Switching To Cane

2006-12-05T10:12:00.000-05:00

Imagine my surprise to see that Jones Soda Company is ditching High Fructose Corn Syrup in favour of Pure Cane Sugar, according to a report in the Seattle Post-Intelligencer. Kudos to the folks at Jones for taking a step in the direction of flavour and product wholesomeness.

Jones Soda Co., looking for a marketing advantage, is making the switch to pure cane sugar from high fructose corn syrup as a soda sweetener.

"It's better for you, it's better-tasting and, overall, it's better for the environment," Peter van Stolk, the company's chief executive officer, said Tuesday.
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Seattle-based Jones, which makes root beer, cream soda and quirky drinks with flavors such as turkey and gravy, will sell 12-ounce canned sodas with pure cane sugar after Jan. 1. All of the company's products will make the switch by mid-2007, van Stolk said.
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Hopefully we will see many more Soda and Root Beer manufacturers taking the same decision and getting rid of that nasty sweetener. I was planning on reviewing Jones' Root Beer here, but I think I'll wait until they make the New Year switch to Cane and then contrast their old product with the new. I have never been especially enamoured with Jones' products, due primarily to their use of HFCS and the mediocrity of their flavours. Now, I'm looking forward to tasting their new offerings. Stay tuned!

Technorati Tags:
Root Beer, Jones Soda, Cane Sugar, High Fructose Corn Syrup

Eat And Drink At Joe's

2006-11-06T09:28:00.000-05:00

I recently went over to a reasonably local butcher shop called Joe's Butcher Shop, in Carmel, Indiana to see what they were all about. The owner, Joe Lazzara had contacted me some time back about Root Beers and Soda for his beautiful one of a kind vintage vending machine so I thought I'd take some time to jot over there and see what he had to offer.

Well, lo' and behold I walked into a fine establishment that had a great deal to offer. Cases loaded up with beautiful cuts of meat, fish and poultry, cheeses, spices and everything a foodie could want in a neighbourhood shop. Joe's even offers the venerable pieces of meat known in this area as "Atlas Tenderloins" which are extremely affordable beef tenderloins ($6.99/lb as I write this). The gem of my visit, tho was what awaited me just inside the door to the shop. A rack filled with bubbly goodness and a single six pack of Abita Root Beer on the top shelf. Yummy!

I spent some time talking with Joe about this and that and got a look at his 7-Up vending machine prototype (sweet!) and finally left with that single pack of Abita and some natural casing hot dogs that were well appreciated by the family! I've since been back to Joe's (sadly, he was out of Abita) for some holiday meat purchases and have plans to continue going back, (especially if he gets some more Abita back in). Maybe someday soo Joe will be able to fill that machine of his with some premium Soda and Root Beer and his customers will be afforded another venerable tradition, a cold Soda and a chat around the cases. If you're in the Carmel, Indiana area and want to see what a real butcher shop is then stop in at Joe's! Tell him the Root Beer Man sent ya!

Technorati Tags:
Root Beer, Joe's Butcher Shop, Carmel Indiana, Soda

"The Way Of The Warrior"- A Root Beer Related Interlude

2006-11-06T08:55:00.000-05:00

My family and I attended a Halloween party last weekend and one of the guests happened to be a fan of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. While talking with him he told me that his favourite episode was one which featured a mention of Root Beer and an exchange between two of the characters, (Quark and Garak). Being the Root Beer Man I had to make the effort to find this episode and the exchange and here it is. From the Season 4 episode "The Way of the Warrior".

[Garak takes a drink of root beer]
Quark: What do you think?
Elim Garak: It's vile.
Quark: I know. It's so bubbly and cloying and happy.
Elim Garak: Just like the Federation.
Quark: And you know what's really frightening? If you drink enough of it, you begin to like it.
Elim Garak: It's insidious.
Quark: Just like the Federation.

For fans of Root Beer it should be noted that Star Trek:Deep Space Nine has a number of references to our favourite bubbly nectar.

Quark: Care for a root beer metaphor?
Garak: What's that?
Quark: You take a scoop of metaphor and pour root beer on it. It's good if you like root beer, or, metaphorically, the Federation.
Garak: I don't like those, but I do like metaphors. I never metaphor I didn't like.
Quark: Good. No room for metaphobes around here.

Or this gem:

Worf: There is an ancient Klingon proverb that says, "You cannot loosen a man's tongue with root beer."

One cannot help but like a show where there are a bunch of Root Beer references!

Next up, some long overdue reviews.

Technorati Tags:
Root Beer, Star Trek, Deep Space Nine

Thomas Kemper Root Beer

2006-09-05T14:46:00.000-04:00

Thomas Kemper makes a variety of Sodas and does a reasonable job across the board. Their Root Beer is no exception, it's a reasonable brew that by and large does what it sets out to. Thomas Kemper Root Beer is a Washington staple sweetened with honey and High Fructose Corn Syrup. That's unfortunate, as the HFCS comes through as the sweetest part and the honey ends up being the primary flavouring, much to the detriment of the Root Beer flavouring that should be predominant.

Kemper's starts out with a nice, sweet vanilla scent and a long lasting head and everything after that is a matter of ups and downs. The carbonation is nice and adds just a hint of bite to the creamy mouthfeel. The Root Beer flavour is where things start to go wrong since the honey in the brew tends to overwhelm most of the Root Beer flavour. What there is of the flavour would best be described as draftish. The aftertaste of Kemper is a mixture of HFCS sweetness and a honey taste that make for a cloying experience.

In the end Thomas Kemper Root Beer ends up being about the honey and not the Root Beer and that's a sad thing.

Ingredients:
Carbonated Water
High Fructose Corn Syrup
Pure Honey
Natural and Artificial Flavors
Sodium Benzoate
Maltodextrin
Phosphoric Acid
Pure Vanilla Extract
Natural Sassafras Extract
Caramel Color

Aroma: Sweet vanilla scent
Head: Nice, big, long lasting head
Carbonation: Average
Mouthfeel: Creamy with a touch of carbonation bite
Root Beer Flavour: Draft-ish style flavour overwhelmed by the honey taste
Sweetness: HFCS sweetness flavoured with the taste of honey
Aftertaste: Cloying sweetness with honey flavour
Overall: Too much honey flavour with HFCS as a foundation, the Root Beer flavour gets lost in the mix.

Thomas Kemper Root Beer gets a 5/10 or a C.

Technorati Tags:
Thomas Kemper Root Beer, Root Beer, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Food

Barrel Brothers Root Beer

2006-08-08T15:34:00.000-04:00

Every so often you come across something that has a catchy label or name. So it is with Barrel Brothers, a product from the makers of Apple Beer. The label art and name are catchy, no doubt about it and the Root Beer itself isn't bad. It has a wicked nice head to it that sticks around for quite some time. A nice aroma of vanilla with a draft Root Beer tone. The unfortunate aspect of this brew comes from the use of HFCS and some rather oddball ingredients. It has ascorbic acid in it as well as calcium lactate..perhaps that accounts for the creaminess. There's a lot of un-Root Beer-ish stuff in here, but this Root Beer still manages to be decent, despite the odd aftertastes and dry quality. If you're offered one - take it - but don't drive long distances or pay lots of money to get one. Barrel Brothers is a decent Root Beer and the head is just fantastic, but there's just nothing that stands out other than the label and that's just not enough to carry it through.

Ingredients:

Carbonated Water
High Fructose Corn Syrup
Natural and Artificial Flavors
Caramel Color
Yucca Extract
Phosphoric Acid
Sodium Benzoate
Potassium Zorbate
Ascorbic Acid
Calcium Lactate

Aroma: Old Style Draft with some Vanilla
Head: Wicked Nice Head! Creamy and long lasting!
Carbonation: A soft and understated carbonation.
Root Beer Flavour: Sweet and draft-ish. There is a dry quality to this brew.
Mouthfeel: Really creamy in the mouth feel. Nice!
Sweetness: Distinctive HFCS sweetness. It lingers in the aftertaste.
Aftertaste: Lingering HFCS aftertaste with a hint of Root Beer flavour. Mostly sweetness, tho.
Overall: Not bad, not great. Just a strange Root Beer with some oddity to it due to the added ingredients. The Apple Beer folks should know that ascorbic acid is a no-no, tho.

I give Barrel Brothers a 5/10 or a C.

Technorati Tags:
Barrel Brothers, Root Beer, Apple Beer, Food

The Worlds Worst "Root Beer"

2006-07-25T22:44:00.000-04:00

Yes, you read right. This review is for the Worlds Worst "Root Beer". Now, bear in mind that Root Beer is in quotation marks . The product I am talking about here is an attempt at something approaching a Root Beer by the brewers of Samuel Adams called 1790 Root Beer Brew. This brew is part of a 4-pack collection of their Brewer Patriot Collection. Calling this a Root Beer is an insult to every Root Beer ever made, hard or soft.

This "Root Beer"- I hesitate to even use those words in connection with this stuff- has nothing to recommend it to Root Beer or Beer lovers. The only thing you can readily ID in the aroma is Molasses and a hint of wintergreen. The smell is reminiscent of a 4-H sheep barn, where the smell of Molasses soaked feed mixes with the smell of various ruminants. It's rather unpleasant to tell you the truth.

It has a serious head that is yellowish over a light amber body and is carbonated decently. Being a "beer" there's no sweetness to the recipe. The flavour...well, the flavour is truly unique in the drink world. It tastes like an ashtray. An old, beer soaked ashtray. This stuff is nasty and the brewmaster in charge of formulating this stuff should be ashamed of themselves and they certainly should never have put the words Root Beer on the label. It's nasty by any sane standard. By Beer Drinker standards it is wretched. My resident home brewer and Beer connoisseur, (my wife, for whom the 4-pack was purchased) tasted this one pronounced it the worlds worst Beer as well.

Ingredients:
Water
Beer
Sassafras
Wintergreen
Licorice
Spices
Molasses
Caramelized Sugar
Vanilla

Aroma: Molasses and sheep barn
Head: Big, yellow.
Mouthfeel: Decent for a beer
Carbonation: Decent carbonation
Root Beer Flavour: None. Some molasses and wintergreen.
Sweetness: None
Overall: Nasty. This stuff tastes like an old, overfilled ashtray filled with bad beer.
Aftertaste: See above. It lingers.

Samuel Adams 1790 Root Beer Brew gets a nasty 0/10 and F-.

Soft Core Root Beer

2006-07-19T15:51:00.000-04:00

This past weekend the family and I decided to go out for Sunday dinner and the destination of choice this weekend was a bit farther away than usual. We took a road trip to West Lafayette, Indiana to visit the Triple XXX Family Restaurant. Not only is it an old fashioned neighbourhood establishment, it is the only Triple XXX Root Beer stand I have ever seen. Sitting beside the campus of Purdue University it is a unique diner, to say the least and harkens back to a different era in Root Beer and Road Food.

My wife and I both had the Bert Burger, (1/4 pound of ground sirloin, topped with bacon, lettuce and tomato) with onion rings on the side. Even tho they were out of mayo and had only Miracle Whip (something we refuse to eat on our sandwiches) these burgers stood the test well! They were worth the 120 mile round trip! The bacon was tasty, the bun was soft, lettuce crisp and onion rings were just right. Maaan....I'm getting hungry just thinking about this burger. The diner fare at Triple XXX is something you rarely see or experience any more. It was an old fashioned burger experience worth the money!

Now...for the Root Beer, since that's what I really went there for, as if you didn't know! It was served up to me and the kids, (momma doesn't do Root Beer) in frosty mugs and made a nice head as it was poured by our waitress. The bubbly elixir has a nice, easily identifiable old fashioned draft scent that is a pleasure to smell. The taste? That too is a pleasure. It has the soft carbonation that you expect from a draft Root Beer and there are hints of anise or licorice in the background. The aftertaste is just sweetness with some lingering draft elements. It is fairly obvious from the taste, (and the label of the 4 bottles of Triple XXX I purchased, too) that this brew is sweetened with HFCS. While Triple XXX would be vastly improved by using sugar it is not a loser because of its lack. I was immediately reminded of Henry Weinhard's when I first tasted this Root Beer and even more so when I opened a cold bottle on the trip home. I'd love to see Triple XXX embrace an all sugar sweetening path for their brew, but I am not going to turn one of these down because they use HFCS with, or instead of sugar. Triple XXX is a tasty Root Beer!

Ingredients:
Carbonated Water
Sugar and/or High Fructose Corn Sweetner (yep, that's how it's spelled on the label)
Caramel Color
Sodium Benzoate
Citric Acid
Natural and Artificial Flavorings

Aroma: Old style Draft.
Head: Nice, likely to be gone by the time it reaches you if you have multiple orders like I did.
Carbonation: Soft as you'd expect with a Draft, but there's enough to add a hint of bite.
Root Beer Flavour: Old fashioned Draft flavour with hints of anise or licorice and a sugary caramel tone.
Mouthfeel: Creamy, just the way a Root Beer should be!
Sweetness: Triple XXX is just right in the sweetness department with their Draft brew. It has a sugared taste, so I will go out on a limb and say that there is likely a mix of HFCS and sugar in the Draft version. It is not as noticeable in the bottled version.
Aftertaste: Just a nice aftertaste of sweetness and Root Beer flavouring. Nothing cloying about it.
Overall: Triple XXX from the tap is great and a super compliment to the diner food they serve. It was worth the trip and worth the price of a few extra bottles. I am glad I went there and look forward to going back at some point!

Triple XXX Root Beer gets an 6.5/10 or a B!

Technorati Tags:
Triple XXX Family Restaurant, Root Beer, Triple XXX Root Beer, Lafayette Indiana

From One Comes Many

2006-07-13T15:39:00.000-04:00

What do you call a Root Beer that gets brewed up, slapped in a bottle and then has a bunch of different labels slapped on it? You call it Dominion, Monticello, Lighthouse, Chowning's Tavern and who knows what else. This Root Beer is definitely over extended in the label area as well as the flavour area.

I picked up a six-pack of Dominion in a Charlottesville, VA Giant on the way to the Outer Banks, I also picked up a bottle of Monticello the same day at the gift shop at Monticello. I found the Lighthouse at the BP in Avon, NC and the Chownings (which I didn't bother to buy) at Jungle Jim's in Cincinnati. I couldn't tell you how many others there might be out there. While I commend the folks at Old Dominion Brewing Company for their marketing zeal, it makes you wonder....you can't be everything to everybody, no matter how hard you try.

For a Root Beer that's marketed as heavily as this one Dominion really isn't as good as it could be. The flavour is all over the map in a way that some people would call "complex". I call it muddled and confused, at best.

From the start you are hit with the confusion. The aroma is akin to what we identify as draft, but with heavy spice, nutmeg/licorice and a hint of vanilla with some honey. Despite Dominions assertions on their website their Root Beer has a head which dissipates quickly. The carbonation isn't bad, but it doesn't add enough bite to the brew. Dominion does have a decent mouth feel about it, which is a plus for them. As for the sweeteners...it has sugar and honey, so why does it need corn syrup and high fructose corn syrup? Answer: It doesn't. Overall I have to say that just because a brewery can make a Root Beer doesn't mean that they should. Dominion isn't a bad Root Beer, but it has quite a journey ahead of it to be a good one. Its creators need to refine their formula and decide what they want it to be, a premium drink or mass produced swill. This Root Beer, and by extensionthe other versions with different labels is a confusion of flavours.

Ingredients:
Carbonated Water
Sugar
Honey
Corn Syrup
High Fructose Corn Syrup
Natural and Artificial Flavor Extracts
Yucca
Sodium Benzoate
Citric Acid

Aroma: Draft-ish, spice, maybe some nutmeg/licorice and a hint of vanilla
Head: Dissipates quickly, not long lasting.
Carbonation: Decent. It adds a bit of bite. Unfortunately the rest of the brew doesn't hold up.
Root Beer Flavour: Licorice, honey and perhaps some clove. Honestly, it's hard to tell.
Mouthfeel: Dominion has a decent mouth feel about. Better than many of the Root Beers out there.
Sweetness: Again, we are dealing with confusion. Use sugar, use HFCS, honey, corn syrup, whatever...just don't use all of them! Dominion becomes cloyingly sweet and one of the key elements is messed up because someone saw the need to use 4 different sweeteners, two of which bring nothing to the game. The HFCS taste is not good in combination with the others.
Aftertaste: An unpleasant, cloying HFCS and honey aftertaste.
Overall: Dominion isn't a great or even good Root Beer. It's confused and has entirely too much going on in all departments and this makes for a not so good Root Beer. It needs some serious work.

Dominion (and all the other labels) get a 3.5/10 or an D-.

Technorati Tags:
Dominion Root Beer, Monticello Root Beer, Lighthouse Root Beer, Root Beer
Chowning's Tavern Root Beer, Outer Banks, Virginia, Jungle Jim's

A Comrade In Taste

2006-07-09T19:01:00.000-04:00

I recently heard from a kindred soul named Brian Pipa. Brian runs a site called Candy Addict. This man is to candy what I aspire to be where Root Beer is concerned. A while back Brian ran across TRBB and let me know about a new product that was coming out, Haribo Gummi Root Beer barrels. Brian tasted and posted a review on these candies at Candy Addict and it doesn't bode well for Root Beer fans. Apparently they are lemony and that covers up the Root Beer taste. A sad day for us Root Beer lovers. Fortunately there are a few other things out there like A&W Root Beer Barrels, Root Beer Jelly Belly's and a few other things and we have Brian to let us know when and if something else Root Beer flavoured comes down the pike! Candy Addict now has a permanent link over in the FoRB section, go see what Brian has that's sweet to eat! Hmmm...chocolate....

Technorati Tags:
Root Beer, Haribo Gummi Root Beer Barrels, Candy Addict

Frostie The Snow Job

2006-07-04T13:04:00.000-04:00

Once again I have taken a Root Beer from my youth and subjected it to the mug and found it wanting.
Frostie Root Beer, once a truly popular brand and now the "property" of Leading Edge Brands is not what it used to be. I was really hoping that there was a chance Frostie might have retained a semblance of their original formulation. Alas, it was not to be.

This version of Frostie bear little resemblance to the original. While it isn't a bad Root Beer it isn't a great one, either. The head dissipates fairly fast, as it does in most mass produced Root Beers and the sweet, vanilla scent is simply a teaser. The carbonation seems to be the major player in this brew, since that's the stand out component of the taste. It has bite, but little flavour for that bite to enhance. The mouthfeel is better than some but, unfortunately there's not a lot of flavour to complement it. Despite having a couple of good components Frostie falls down on the job.

Aroma: A sweet vanilla scent.
Carbonation: Lots of bite.
Head: Not long lasting, but better than some.
Root Beer Flavour: A very light Root Beer Flavour. Vanilla and Sweetness. Not enough Root Beer Flavour to suit me.
Sweetness: Lots of sweetness and a definite HFCS flavour that isn't covered by the Root Beer.
Aftertaste: Vanilla and HFCS.
Overall Taste: Frostie is lacking in a real Root Beer taste. The reliance on vanilla and the carbonation does nothing to set it apart from many of the mass produced soft drinks. If Leading Edge really wishes to earn the moniker then I'd suggest a return to Frosties original formula and a switch to Sugar.

Frostie Root Beer gets a 4/5 or a D.

Technorati Tags:
Root Beer, Frostie

Tasting The Barley

2006-06-28T14:01:00.000-04:00

Every now and again I get out and meet with other like minded people at someplace local where we talk about ~~rebellion~~ politics or just things in general. Last evening was just such a night and my fellow Libertarians got together for an evening of comradery at the Barley Island Brewing Company. While my fellows availed themselves of the various brews and food available to those inclined to imbibe, I ordered up my usual Root Beer, prepared the camera and my trusty Palm and got down to business.

I've had Barley Island before and, as brew pub Root Beers go it's not bad, (this is "not bad" in Chef's language which doesn't quite translate to non-Chef folks, sorry). I placed my order with our waitress, instructing her that I did not wish ice and would like a frosty glass if available (they aren't, sad to say) and sat back to enjoy an evening of conspiracy, politics and talk. And, need I say it? Root Beer.

Barley Island Root Beer, despite the lack of a frosty glass is served up nice and cold and that's a good thing. As micro-brewed Root Beers go it is a decent brew with a spiciness that is accentuated by the fine bubbled carbonation (they use forced carbonation for their Root Beer). It has a licorice flavour that is in the forefront and tends to dominate even into the aftertaste and a nice hint of cinnamon. There is also a "dry" quality to the brew that I have notice with a few other microbrewed Root Beers on occasion (my own included), this is most likely due to the extracts used, is my guess. The sweetness of their Root Beer is just about right, it doesn't overwhelm the taste as some others do.

I was fortunate that I got to talk with their brew master as I was on my way out and ask him about their technique for brewing Root Beer. Barley Island uses an extract as their base and adds a few other ingredients that lend to its unique flavour. One thing you won't find in their brew, oddly enough is vanilla. They do use sugar and corn sugar and avoid HFCS which is a good thing in my book, but they don't use Cane Sugar, which I would really like to see, as well as a hint of vanilla. Like any microbrewed drink, Barley Island Root Beer is an ongoing and evolving Root Beer. Perhaps the next time will see some tweaking to the formula in a continued search for the perfect Root Beer!

Ingredients:
Carbonated Water
Sugar
Corn Sugar
Cinnamon
Yucca
Root Beer Extract
Quillalia
Others I am sure

Aroma: Light and Spicy
Carbonation: Fine bubbles, not a lot of bite.
Head: Non Existent, this part needs some work!
Mouth Feel: Not creamy, more of a Soda like feel. This is where the vanilla would help out.
Root Beer Flavour: A Spicy and unique flavour. It stands on its own.
Sweetness: A nice balance. Not overly sweet.
Aftertaste: Spice and licorice.
Overall Taste: Barley Island is unique in its own manner. The licorice taste from the extract can be upfront but overall it's a nice Root Beer which I would like to see evolve a bit more.

Barley Island Root Beer gets a 5.5/10!

Technorati Tags:
Barley Island, Root Beer, Libertarians

A Taste Of Louisiana

2006-06-18T16:21:00.000-04:00

Abita is one of many Root Beers I have been wanting to try for quite some time and I got the chance while we were at the Outer Banks. I ran across Abita as a single bottle at a place called the Barefoot Gourmet in Nags Head, NC and grabbed it up, (along with a few other yet to be drunk and reviewed beverages). Imagine my surprise when I later came across some six-packs of Abita at the Village Grocery in Avon, NC. Yes, I bought some more! (Hint to Root Beer and Soda lovers: The Outer Banks is crawling with a variety of carbonated beverages. Take advantage of it should you get down that way).

Abita, a Louisiana Company known for their Beers has brewed a Cane Sugar sweetened Root Beer that anyone would be glad to have in their fridge and offer to their friends. This is good stuff, folks! The people who brewed this are not shy about letting you know how they sweetened it, the cane plant on the label is there to let you know and the label proudly sports "Made with pure Louisiana Cane Sugar" under Abita Root Beer.

I feel the opposite of ripped off with Abita! This is a good Root Beer and I am glad to have it in the fridge! Man, will I be sorry when the last one's gone! This is an opportunity to "put a little South in ya mouth!" that shouldn't be passed up!

Ingredients:
Carbonated Water
Cane Sugar
Caramel Color
Root Beer Flavor
Phosphoric Acid

No Additives
No Preservatives

Aroma: Draft and cane
Head: None to speak of. Soda like. Here and gone.
Carbonation: Nice.
Mouth Feel: Medium. Not too creamy , but not thin, either. Decent.
Root Beer Flavour: Nice Root Beer flavour. Hints of liquorice, sassafras and vanilla.
Sweetness: Nice Cane Sugar Sweetness. Not cloying.
Aftertaste: Vanilla and Cane
Overall Taste: Excellent. Glad I bought a six pack of this one!

Score: 7.5/10

Technorati Tags:
Abita Root Beer, Louisiana, Outer Banks, Root Beer

The Way Things Used To Be

2006-06-13T15:32:00.000-04:00

One of the first stops on our summer vacation was at the Frostop Root Beer Stand in Huntington, West Virginia. We had managed to get to the place at opening time, (10AM) on our way to a late breakfast down the road and the carhops (all guys) were more than happy to take my order even at this early hour. While I was getting a couple of pictures of the place and the menu my wife managed to get my attention just long enough to inform me that the carhop was in the process of putting ice in my Root Beer. I managed to catch him and let him know that I wanted no ice diluting my Root Beer, he corrected the problem and I got my Root Beer in a To Go cup.
Despite the fact that this Root Beer wasn't served in a frosty mug it was a great way to start out the day. I couldn't tell you what the ingredients were, as there was no listing for them on the cup. What I can tell you, though is that this Root Beer isn't bad. It has a decidedly Draft Root Beer aroma and flavour. A creamy mouth feel accentuated by a strong caramel and vanilla taste. Like many true Draft Root Beers, the fountain Frostop has a very weak carbonation and no head to speak of. Honestly, it's hard to say that I missed them, in this case. The caramel and Root Beer flavour that permeates this brew make it a truly unique representation of a time which is almost gone.

Add to this the fact that they throw this Root Beer together on the spot, serve it via carhop and are a still functioning Root Beer Stand and Frostop manages to score big with me! This is old fashioned Root Beer and it makes no apologies for being what it is. This is not some mass produced, overly ambitious swill. It's just an old fashioned, iconic Root Beer dinosaur of a better time and it works extremely well. If you get the chance to stop in at this place for a brew, do it! You'll have no regrets. At some point I'll have to get a bottle of Frostop and see if it compares to the Drive-In version.

Aroma: Old Fashioned Draft Style Aroma. Vanilla stands out.
Carbonation: There's not a lot of carbonation here and I'm not sure that this particular Root Beer needs it.
Mouth Feel: Creamy, thick and nice. Just what you might expect from an old fashioned Root Beer.
Root Beer Flavour: Frostop's flavour is easily identifiable as Old Fashioned Draft Style. Lots of vanilla and a delicious caramel taste. Some companies could learn a lot from this brew!
Sweetness: This brew is sweet, just at the edge of almost too sweet. Enjoyable.
Head: None to speak of.
Aftertaste: Caramel and a sugary taste. While I cannot say with any certainty whether they use Cane Sugar or not it is certainly reminiscent of Cane. It is good, though!
Overall Taste: This Root Beer stands on its own for flavour and the taste is just fine in my book. It is not a very complex brew but it stands out from the run of the mill. Its taste is great, even in a Styrofoam cup.

Frostop Root Beer from the Drive Inn at 1449 Hal Greer Blvd in Huntington, West Virginia gets a 7/10. Make sure to drop by there if you're in the area, it will be worth the trip! Next time I'll make a point of eating there, too!

Technorati Tags:
Frostop, Root Beer, Drive In, Road Food
West Virginia, Huntington

He's Baaack!

2006-06-13T15:26:00.000-04:00

Yep. I am indeed back after a brief hiatus which included a trip to the East Coast for a family vacation and a chance to restock my Root Beer collection! I think I have managed to gather together a few new Root Beers and some Soda's for the Soda Pop Blog. I managed to find some new items and some oldie but goodies. I even managed to find the one Root Beer that has quite a few different labels! So, let's get on with the show! It's good to be back!

Who's Your Daddy?

2006-05-29T16:22:00.000-04:00

The good folks at Real Soda have made a habit out of resurrecting old standards in the Soda and Root Beer world and making them the way they should be made. Dad's Classic Draft Root Beer, another label owned by the Monarch Beverage Company and licensed to Real Soda is one of those classics. Dad's Root Beer has been around since 1937 and has stood the test of time, even going through some sweetener changes along the way. The folks at Real Soda have made a point of making sure that Dad's was returned to its original form and sweetened with sugar, rather than HFCS, unlike some other recent reiterations. That was a good decision on their part as the sugar adds an extra dimension to an already complex flavour.

Dad's has the easily identifiable aroma of a draft style Root Beer and and sports a soft vanilla undertone. While this brew has no head to speak of the carbonation is just right and adds to the flavour. Dad's Root Beer is a sweet Root Beer, pushing the limits of just how much sweetness is enough. The Cane Sugar adds a strong taste to this well crafted brew and doesn't detract from the other flavours that are present. There are subtle hints of licorice, wintergreen and, (I won't swear to this!) perhaps nutmeg. There is almost a suggestion of fruitiness to the flavour of Dad's. The mouthfeel is not as thick as I might normally like but it is not Soda thin as some brews are, it strikes a decent balance.

Overall Dad's is a good Root Beer, even tho the taste takes a bit of getting used to. This is not a run of the mill flavour in Draft Root Beers, but I wouldn't expect something that's been around for almost 70 years to be a run of the mill Root Beer. While Dad's Root Beer won't be classed as my favourite I'll never have a real issue with revisiting this brew!

Ingredients:
Carbonated Water
Sugar,
Caramel Color
Natural and Artificial Flavors
Sodium Benzoate
Citric Acid

Carbonation: Dad's has a decent amount of carbonation and it enhances the Root Beer.
Head: Not enough to matter and it dissipates quickly.
Aroma: A nice Draft Root Beer scent with some vanilla
Mouthfeel: Not bad. Not as creamy as I might have liked but not bad.
Root Beer Flavour: There's definitely a Root Beer flavour here but it is a complex flavour. Hints of wintergreen and vanilla fight it out with other ingredients. I am pretty sure there is some nutmeg in this brew, since it has a slight "medicinal" quality, rather than a spicy quality. It's not bad, tho. Just different.
Aftertaste: This is where the sugar really pushes the envelope because the cane taste sticks around and coats your tongue. It's not a bad thing but it could be almost too much for some people. Not me, though.
Overall: Dad's is a pretty decent Root Beer and between the bottle and the cane sugar used to sweeten it make for a good beverage. It doesn't disappoint but it does puzzle the tastebuds.

Dad's Classic Draft Root Beer gets a 6/10 or a B-

Technorati Tags:
Root Beer, Dad's Root Beer, Real Soda, Cane Sugar

Natural Does Not Mean Good

2006-05-22T17:03:00.000-04:00

After decades of direct experience with that axiom I must say that it holds true. Some things labeled "natural" are quite good, while many others using that label are not tasty at all. This is the case with Natural Brew Hand Crafted Root Beer. It falls into my "not good" category. The label states that it is a "complex flavor of sweet birch, licorice root, sarsaparilla, cinnamon, clove, anise and wintergreen." Complexity does not necessarily make for a tasty beverage and in this case it certainly held true for me. The taste which we normally identify as Root Beer, specifically "Draft" Root Beer, which Natural Brew claims to be is almost totally lacking here. The flavours of sarsaparilla, licorice and the other ingredients combine to make a taste which is not pleasant, in my opinion.

The brewers of Natural brew make a note to tell the consumer that they add pure vanilla to their product...unfortunately that vanilla, like any Root Beer flavour it may have possessed is lost amidst the jumble of the other mismatched flavours in the Brew. While I am certain that this drink has many fans out there, otherwise they would not continue to make it, I am never going to be one of those folks. Sorry.

One the props side, tho Natural Brew does have a nice head, decent mouthfeel and nice carbonation. The cloying quality of the aftertaste tends to put me off, as well. Since this brew comes from the Smucker Company I can feel comfortable in saying that this is more mass produced swill. And not very good swill at that. It's a bad use of ingredients.

Ingredients:
Sparkling Filtered Water
Evaporated Cane Juice
Natural Flavors
Caramel Color
Vanilla Extract
Phosphoric Acid
Licorice Root and Sarsaparilla Root Extracts

Carbonation: Fine with a bit of a bite
Mouth Feel: A bit of creaminess
Root Beer Flavour: Not even remotely. What small hint of Draft Root Beer Flavour that exists is covered up the hodgepodge of flavours from the other ingredients. Too much sarsaparilla, as well.
Aroma: It smells like it tastes. There's no easily identifiable Root Beer scent here.
Head: Natural Brew has a nice head. That's a mark in the plus column.
Aftertaste: A cloying sweetness that just lasts for entirely too long a period.
Overall: Unpleasant to my taste buds and not something I plan on revisiting any time soon. This is not a good Root Beer.

Natural Brew gets a 2/10 an F

Technorati Tags:
Natural Brew, Root Beer, Smucker

A Root Beer Related Interlude

2006-05-19T13:49:00.000-04:00

Every so often a Root Beer interlude comes to mind and today offers one of those moments. While puttering about, listening to my youngest sing "Wake Up" while banging on a Chinese drum, I had a Root Beer moment flashback to a long ago summer when my family and I were living in Gulfport, Mississippi, prior to departure for an overseas assignment. We had an apartment in Orange Grove, just north of Interstate 10, in the same complex my Aunt Linda, (known as Aunt Dodo, due to my inability to speak well as a toddler) and her family. That was a pretty good summer, especially having my favourite high strung Aunt around. (Note to Yankees: Ya'll don't have Aunts like we Southerners do. Ours make a lifetime habit out of threatening to whoop someone's butt for messing with family. It even happens now and again. And they never stop drinking coffee. Ahhh...family!)

That was a good summer for me. The sun always seemed to shine, it never became too oppressively hot and Barq's Root Beer lined my pockets with money. Not tons of money, but it certainly kept me in Icee's, comic books and the occasional movie. How did Barq's Root Beer manage to do that for me? Simple. There was a bit of a building boom in Orange Grove at that time, a bank here, a building there and what have you. Since it was Mississippi and summertime it was inevitable that the work crews would have to have a few bottles of Soda during the day and most of them had a Barq's. Or two. When their workday was done I would make may way around the sites and gather up the bottles left behind or tossed hither and yon and take them over to my friendly neighbourhood 7-11 and cash them in. At a nickel a pop, I managed to do pretty well for myself.

There was the occasional Coke, Dr. Pepper or 7-Up bottle, but the vast majority of those bottles were Barq's. I did this virtually every day, up until we left for our overseas destination and I cannot help but think that Barq's, the ones I drank and the empties I collected made for a great summer. That was the last time I ever lived in Gulfport, but it certainly wasn't the last time I went back.

We made it a habit to visit the Gulf Coast for the past decade or so and we managed to do it last year, just before Hurricane Katrina wrought its devastation on my old home. On our way back north we stopped in at a roadside stand in Orange Grove to procure a unique Southern delicacy, some delicious boiled peanuts, (I would have liked to have found a tamale stand somewhere, but that fine old Southern Mississippi tradition is, unfortunately long gone in most places. For those who aren't familiar with it tamale stands were once more common than McDonalds in Mississippi!). We had already taken the time to drive slowly by the place I used to live, the bank they were building is there, finally completed. But that 7-11 which had sheltered me on those hot summer days was gone. The apartments still stand, looking much as they did way back then even if their age is showing. Despite time and the ravages of storms you can still count on one thing, tho. On that slice of the Gulf Coast you'll always be able to get a Barq's Root Beer and it'll be in an ice cold glass bottle. Some things, thankfully never change.

Technorati Tags:
Barq's, Gulfport, Mississippi, Root Beer

The Night Chicago Died

2006-05-15T21:07:00.000-04:00

That was February 28th, 2006, the night the venerable Chicago culinary institution called The Berghoff closed its doors for the final time. While I never got to eat there, I did get a chance to enjoy one of their Root Beers last night and this afternoon. For over 50 years the Berghoff name has been attached to their Root Beer which, despite the restaurants closure is still being produced. That's a good thing, too!

The last Chicago Root Beer I tried was not very good, but Berghoff's has managed to win back some respect for their city, (altho, I am never going to like Chicago Style Pizza, no matter what). While I could conceivably still enjoy a cold draft mug of their brew at the Berghoff located in O'Hare International Airport, I don't believe that I'd like to submit to a TSA body cavity search for a mug of Root Beer. I will have to content myself with finding and drinking the occasional bottle of this nice Draft style Root Beer and make my own hand carved sandwich.

My Berghoff's acquisition was a 32 ounce screw-top bottle of Draft Style, cane sugared goodness. Chilled and served in my trust frosted Berghoff 100th Anniversary mug this elixir was a nice change from run of the mill Root Beers that seem to dominate the market, (you know who you are, people!). The first thing to hit you is the nice Draft Style aroma laced with a cane sugar scent. Then you pour it and get to see a nice head on it for the short time it's there. Then the tasting comes and you get the carbonation, a soft bite of bubbles and the flavour we all easily identify as Draft Root Beer, enhanced by the predominant taste of Cane Sugar.

While I caught a very occasional slight taste of anise, the taste which rules this Root Beer is that of Cane Sugar. The Root Beer flavouring is light, as is to be expected of Draft Style, but it still leaves no doubt that you are drinking a Root Beer. The aftertaste that Berghoff Root Beer leaves is that of Cane Sugar. Nice and clean with none of the cloying quality you often get with High Fructose Corn Syrup. This Root Beer is yummy! As another Chicago icon would say, "Berghoff Root Beer gets a thumbs up!".

Ingredients:
Carbonated Water
Pure Cane Sugar
Caramel Color
Sodium Benzoate
Natural Flavor
Citric Acid

Carbonation: A medium carbonation. Just what you'd expect in a Draft Style Root Beer
Mouth Feel: Not a creamy feel. Just right for a bottled Draft Style.
Root Beer Flavour: Light Draft Style flavour. I picked up hints of anise every now and again. Nice.
Aroma: Cane Sugar and a light Root Beer scent
Head: Decent. Not long lasting, tho.
Aftertaste: Cane Sugar goodness that hangs on the tongue. Niiiice.
Over All: A delightful Cane Sugar and Root Beer flavour that doesn't disappoint.

Berghoff Root Beer gets a 7/10 or a B+

Technorati Tags:
Berghoff Root Beer, Chicago, Root Beer, Cane Sugar

Big Bear, Big Taste

2006-05-02T21:38:00.000-04:00

This is the time of year where it becomes difficult to find a spare moment to write about my beloved brew. Yard work, kids and repairs. Did I mention yardwork? Well, I finally got the time and I had a Root Beer in the fridge ready and willing to give it up for the cause, Bennett's Big Bear Root Beer.

This is an odd Root Beer that uses molasses as a dominating flavour and manages to make it work. I've tried a couple of other brews that used molasses and didn't care for them at all, but Bennett's changes that for me. As a good Southerner I actually do like the flavour of molasses in many things. It's the original American sweetener and is used much too infrequently these days . Big Bear manages to make good use of the flavour, even if it overshadows the Root Beer extract they used.

This was a nice Root Beer, despite the HFCS and I can easily see why B. Scott Bennett developed this particular Root Beer for use as a Float Brew for his Los Angeles Farmers Market Ice Cream store, it would go well paired with a scoop of vanilla. From what I can gather, that's what Big Bear was created to do and it likely does it well, (I didn't have any ice cream around or I'd give you a definitive answer to that one!). On its own, tho it still stands as a drinkable Root Beer.

Ingredients:
Filtered Water
High Fructose Corn Syrup
Root Beer Extract
Molasses
Sodium Benzoate

Carbonation: Nice carbonation that adds bite.
Mouth Feel:Not too creamy.
Root Beer Flavour: The flavour of Big Bear is old style draft when it's not overwhelmed by molasses.
Aroma: Molasses and light old style draft Root Beer smell.
Head:Nice head.
Aftertaste: Need I say it? It has a molasses aftertaste. Nice.
Overall Taste: Molasses dominated Root Beer in this one and that's not necessarily a bad thing. The Root Beer flavour is hiding in the background but it is there. Overall this brew has a nice flavour and I won't turn one down if offered!

Bennett's Big Bear Root Beer gets a 6.5/10 or a B

Technorati Tags:
Root Beer, Bennett's Big Bear Root Beer

No Go For Faygo

2006-04-18T11:08:00.000-04:00

Under certain circumstances I might say something like, "How the mighty have fallen" where Faygo Root Beer Soda is concerned, but that's not going to happen. I can remember Faygo products from my youth and, back then they were the equivalent generic Soda. Despite new packaging and marketing, not too much has changed over the decades.

I pulled out my 16 ounce bottle of Faygo, (obtained from the holy shopping mecca of Jungle Jims) and had high hopes that this longtime brand would offer me some nostalgic good taste. Fate, apparently had other plans for my taste buds this night.

In the halcyon days of my youth I lived in a number of places and Quonset Point, Rhode Island was one of them. As a military family we bought what the local stores offered but more often than not we shopped at the base commissary and were stuck with whatever the DoD decided was fine for us. While there was never a shortage of Coke, Pepsi or 7-Up products we did get two other brands. Shasta and Faygo. Now Shasta, (which I have not seen in years!) had a Root Beer that we liked, so we often bought their products. Faygo was another story and now I can see why.

After pouring this Root Beer Soda into my trusty, iced mug I was presented with my first concern, the head...or lack thereof. The head on this drink disappeared almost as fast as it formed. This was my first clue that this was a Soda and not a Root Beer. The aroma had some vanilla qualities and a Draft Root Beer scent that wasn't unpleasant, so I plunged into the tasting. The carbonation was biting but there was nothing for it to enhance. The flavour could best be described as Root Beer-ish, it's nothing to get excited about. This is a Root Beer Flavoured Soda , not a Root Beer. There was no mouth feel at all here, none of the qualities one normally associates with a true Root Beer. There's also an unpleasant aftertaste from their extract and the High Fructose Corn Syrup. It's a dry, almost metallic sort of taste, not a good thing.

At least Faygo labels this product correctly. It is a Root Beer Soda and not a Root Beer.

Ingredients:
Carbonated Water
High Fructose Corn Syrup
Caramel Color
Potassium Benzoate
Citric Acid
Natural and Artificial Flavour
Gum Acacia

Carbonation: Soda style carbonation. Fast and biting.
Mouth Feel: None to speak of. It has the consistency of bubbly water.
Root Beer Flavour: Root Beer-ish, but not great. There's nothing here to write home about.
Head: Nonexistent. What there is dissipates almost as fast as it forms.
Aftertaste: Unpleasant. A dry, almost metallic taste that I have noticed in some drinks with HFCS and lower quality Root Beer extracts.
Aroma: A Draft Style aroma with vanilla.
Overall Taste: Not that great. As my wife is wont to say, "Mass produced swill". This is a Soda masquerading as a Root Beer and doing a poor job of it.

Faygo Root Beer Soda gets a 2/10 or big fat F.

Technorati Tags:
Faygo, Root Beer, Shasta
High Fructose Corn Syrup, Jungle Jim's

Just Sit Right Back And You'll Hear A Tale...

2006-04-12T14:55:00.000-04:00

And what a tale it is. After my debacle of a Soda tasting with Thums Up Soda I needed something to set my mind at ease and reassure me that all was, indeed right with the world. Searching through my available chilled Root Beers I selected one that I had been wanting to try for the last week. I reached in and took out my sole bottle of "Milligan's Island Awesome Root Beer", my trusty mug and sat down with no small amount of trepidation.

Things began well for me when, upon decanting this interesting brew I was rewarded with a truly nice head. This Root Beer could give Henry Weinhard's a run for the money in the head category! Frothy, long lasting and aromatic, it brings a nice quality that too many modern brews lack.

The folks at Milligan's did a good job on carbonation, too. It adds just the right amount of bite to the brew that the spiciness is accentuated in a pleasant manner. Combine this with the creaminess of the mouth feel and the initial old style draft flavour and you have a winner!

It is easy to find yourself almost literally devouring this brew in search of the flavours. I have yet to find any Root Beer which had a spiciness that used cloves in the same way that Milligan's does. It's not a common, upfront flavouring for Root Beer by any means, but it seems to work well. The cloves don't dominate in any fashion other than in the immediate, non-lingering aftertaste. It surprising and pleasant. I thought I also detected a hint of ginger and possibly some nutmeg in there, too.

After tasting and reviewing I took a trip over to the Milligan's website and was pleased to see that they have the right spirit for Rooties! A fun little site for fans of their product and a sure sign that they don't take things too seriously.

Ingredients:
Carbonated Water
Cane Sugar or High Fructose Corn Sweetener
Caramel Color
Natural & Artificial Flavors
Citric Acid and Sodium Benzoate

Carbonation: Nice. Accentuates the spiciness and adds bite.
Mouth Feel: Creamy with a decent amount of body.
Root Beer Flavour: More reminiscent of "draft style" bottled brews.
Head: Great head. Comes on strong and lasts quite awhile.
Aftertaste: A clove taste in the initial aftertaste. It fades quickly to a vanilla taste.
Aroma: Vanilla with just a hint of the spiciness.
Overall Taste: Yummy. It could do with a more pronounced cane sugar taste, which I just couldn't discern. But, overall this Root Beer is very drinkable!

Milligan's Island gets a 7/10 or a B+

Technorati Tags:
Milligan's Island, Root Beer

What's A Fan To Do?

2006-04-06T12:34:00.000-04:00

It seems as if someone is always trying to suck all the joy and livability out of life and the things we love and today is no different, my friends. Many of you may have already seen the headlines in numerous news outlets concerning the presence of benzene in Soft Drinks. As usual there will be many different versions of the tale, as the spinmeisters and their news organisations take the information and rewrite it to suit their particular agenda.

So, what is a fan of Root Beer and Soda to do? Well, first things first....

That's the key now, isn't it? That and wait for some seriously solid numbers and data, which are sorely lacking in this matter. The Environmental Working Group, the folks who are doing the loudest yelling on this issue have some data available that tends to support their claim that benzene could form in drinks under certain conditions. They cite studies from the UK that tend to point towards the formation of benzene in some drinks towards the end of shelf life. Without seeing the data from which they drew their numbers I am unwilling to say whether they have a case or not.

Here's what I do know from reading up on this matter. Benzene may form in some drinks under certain conditions. If a drink contains ascorbic acid and a benzoate (Sodium benzoate or potassium benzoate) and is stored at warm temperatures for long periods of time then benzene MAY form due to the combination of chemicals, time and heat. I also know that this story is being spun. The headlines from all over are saying the benzene is to be found in "soft drinks" and, judging from what I have managed to read on this, the drinks with the highest levels appear to be Juice Drinks, not Sodas and the like.

After taking a look through my treasure trove of Sodas and Root Beers, I can rest easy. Most contain a benzoate, but none contained ascorbic acid. Do not confuse citric acid and phosphoric acid for ascorbic acid...they are different and there is no evidence that either of those two acids add any risk for benzene formation. It's all good!

The British have managed to do as they often do and they gave in to panic and yanked products from store shelves. I would say you should take note of their list of items removed. See a commonality amongst them? Yep. They are, by and large drinks containing ascorbic acid (Vitamin C), mostly in the form of juices. Not Sodas, folks...Fruit Juices and Fruit based drinks. Once again we are seeing panic mongering, agenda driven people maligning Sodas. All I can see from this is that Fruit Drinks may well be hazardous to your health, (I never did trust that Sunny-D stuff).

The industry went out of their way years ago and did a good deal of reformulation to specifically address this issue when it first reared its ugly head in the early 90's. While I have little trust in the FDA and question their motives on almost any given issue this is one time when I will look at the available data and lean towards trusting them and the beverage companies.

So, don't run out and throw your Root Beers, Sodas and the like in the garbage. Refrigerate them, keep them from prolonged exposure to heat and enjoy them at the peak of freshness. Oh, and avoid Fruit Juices....they're apparently really bad for you according to these folks. I think I need a Root Beer and maybe a Soda, too.

Technorati Tags:
Benzene In Soft Drinks, FDA, Environmental Working Group
politics, Health

Man's Best Friend

2006-03-28T22:04:00.000-05:00

Well, once again I was in need of something good, so I popped a bottle of Sea Dog Root Beer into the fridge and set aside my anticipation till it and my mug chilled. Sea Dog Root Beer comes to us from Pugsley Brewing LLC, Portland Maine but, the reality is that Sea Dog Root Beer is made by Shipyard Brewing, the same fine folks that brought us Capt'n Eli's, the Finestkind Root Beer around! Contract brewing can be a confusing thing but, in this case I don't care. It just doesn't matter who takes the credit for Sea Dog.

The brewers of Sea Dog have made a really nice brew. Not as good as Capt'n Eli's mind you, but a good brew. The first thing that struck me about Sea Dog was the nice cane sugar scent with vanilla undertones. That's a sure sign of good things to come in my book and I wasn't disappointed in the least. The head on Sea Dog was also a nice surprise, as it lasted a lot longer than many other brews on the market. The carbonation in this brew adds a necessary bite that isn't brought by the ingredients, it's pleasant.

The heart of Sea Dog is in the Old Style Flavour, dominated by the cane sugar taste. It's a light Root Beer flavour that is really drinkable, it's hard to say anything much better than that. I enjoyed this brew and that's a testament to the consistency and care that its brewers maintain. Good work, folks!

Ingredients:
Water
Cane Sugar
Caramel Coloring
Natural & Artificial Flavors including Wintergreen Oil, Anise and Vanilla
Spices
Herbs
Citric Acid
Sodium Benzoate

Carbonation: Good. Adds a bite to the brew.
Mouth Feel: Nice. Not too thin.
Root Beer Flavour: Old Style, not heavily "Root Beer" or spicy, tho.
Head: Great head, lasts long enough to be a pleasing addition
Aftertaste: Cane and vanilla
Aroma: Nice cane scent with vanilla. You can smell a light herbal scent, as well.
Overall Taste: Nice cane sugar and vanilla taste with a light root beer flavour. Every other flavour is light, understated even.

Barney the Sea Dog's signature Root Beer gets an 8/10!

Technorati Tags:
Root Beer, Sea Dog

A Family Affair

2006-03-08T12:55:00.000-05:00

Sometimes you need a bit of goodness in your life to counteract all the little things that add up and bring you down. Not something great, just something pretty good. That's what brought me to Sparky's yesterday. I just wanted something pretty good....and I got it. The folks at Knox Brewing, a small family run business in Pacific Grove, California brew up Sparky's as a regional beverage. I was lucky enough to come across one of their 22 ounce bottles during my last foray to Jungle Jim's and I must say that I wasn't disappointed that I bought this brew. The Knox family have turned out a pretty good Root Beer, and that speaks well of them and the folks in their region, who have supported them by consuming enough of their product to make it a profitable enough business that I can manage to obtain a bottle in the Midwest.

Most folks are going to want to share one of these 22 ouncers with someone else, but not me. I sat back with my frosty mug and consumed the whole thing and have no regrets about it at all. Kevin and Carol Knox, (their names are even signed on the label) have managed to turn out a nice Root Beer. Like many Root Beers that are "Draft" style, it has a soft carbonation, in some brews this is a good thing and in some...not so good. It does seems to work well for Sparky's, tho. The taste of cane, honey and spices combine really well. While it doesn't list it I will hazard a guess that they have used some birch flavouring in their Root Beer, as well since it lacks a serious jolt of sassafras flavour. But, that's OK, too...it works in this case and the mellow flavour is nice.

If you get the chance to buy a Sparky's, go for it. You won't be disappointed.

Ingredients: Carbonated Filtered Water, Pure Cane Sugar, Honey, Natural and Artificial flavorings, Spices, Sodium Benzoate, Phosphoric Acid and Caramel Color.

Carbonation: Softly carbonated. Just about right, initially. But it loses the carbonation bite really fast.
Mouth Feel: Not creamy but not too thin.
Root Beer Flavour: Old Time draft style taste. Nicely spicy. Honey and cane sugar throughout.
Head: Sparky's has a head that dissipates fast.
Aftertaste: Nice cane sugar aftertaste with a hint of honey.
Aroma: Old Style Draft aroma. Light vanilla scent. A bit of spiciness.
Overall Taste: Sparky's has a nice all around taste. The spiciness combines well with the cane sugar and honey

Score: 6.5/10

Technorati Tags:
Root Beer, Sparky's

Blog Tag...And I'm It.

2006-03-05T10:24:00.000-05:00

I've been tagged -twice-by the same person! The perils of having more than one blog, I guess! On the upside, though that’s proof positive that someone's reading them!

Four Jobs I've Had
1. Dish Washer
2. Chef
3. Overseas Government Contractor
4. Computer and Technology Sales and Support

Four Movies I can watch over and over
1. The Princess Bride
2. Serenity
3. Buckaroo Banzai-Across The Eighth Dimension
4. To Kill A Mockingbird

Four Places I've lived
1. Cairo, (That's Egypt, not the Peoples Repbublik of Illinois)
2. Beijing
3. Tel-Aviv
4. Pretoria, South Africa and a dozen more.

Four TV shows I love
1. Battlestar Galactica (the new series)
2: Firefly
3. Red Dwarf
4. Kitchen Confidential (cancelled) and Anthony Bourdain-No Reservations

Four highly regarded and recommended TV shows I haven't seen (much of)
1. 24
2. House
3. The Shield
4. CSI

Four places I've vacationed
1. Gulfport, MS
2. Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt
3. Mahogany Flats, Death Valley, CA
4. New Orleans

Four of my favorite dishes
1. Creamed Chipped Beef On Toast
2. Barbecue
3. Sushi
4. New England Clam Chowder (made with Quahogs)

Four sites I visit daily
1. Liberty Filter
2. Kn@ppster
3. Sunni and The Conspirators
4. Kole Hard Facts

Four places I'd rather be right now:
1. Cairo
2. Hong Kong
3. Lake Cumberland, KY
4. The Smokey Mountains

Four new bloggers I'm tagging:
1. Mike Kole at Kole Hard Facts
2. Captain Corruption
3. The Barq'sMan
4. Honestly, I can't think of anyone who hasn't already been tagged.....

Why answer this thing? Seems like fun and it affords me the opportunity to give an insight into who I am, without a long and probably boring biography...except for the getting shot at parts...

Even Ex-Presidents Know That Cane Sugar Is The Way To Go!

2006-03-01T15:03:00.000-05:00

Yep. Bill Clinton, the oversexed poster-child for the Left-Side of the Boot On Your Neck Party knows that High Fructose Corn Syrup is a major cause of what's wrong in the American diet.

He described the changing composition of the American diet and of food itself, and how the body metabolizes fructose, a soft-drink sweetener, differently and more destructively than cane or beet sugar.

Unfortunately, he and his fellow politicians will muddy the waters even more by getting involved because they will want to do something. It was doing something that got us into this sorry mess of having HFCS in everything on the market, even supposed "health foods" are often HFCS laden calorie bombs. As I have written before on the High Fructose Corn Syrup debacle, I know that there IS a solution. Get government out of the way, get rid of subsidies for corn and HFCS, quit protecting cane sugar and artificially inflating the prices via protectionism. Government interference has made it prohibitive to use natural sweeteners in foods and drinks. That's why a standard soda will cost you $.50 and a premium, cane sugar sweetened drink can cost you up to $2.00.

What Bill didn't bother to cop to was that government was probably the major culprit in the crisis du jour, now that tsunami relief is passe'. By interfering in the free market and subsidising corn and corn sweetners the government paved the road which has led to any obesity problem that might exist in this country. Go in your pantry and take a look at what you have that contains HFCS. You might be surprised, I know I am. Peanut butters, fat free and low fat mayos, beans, ketchup, "healthy foods" and low fat foods along with Root Beers and Sodas.

So, thank you Mr. Clinton for bringing this to the notice of your political peers. Now, if you really want them to do something....then urge them to undo what has already been done to us. Then we can get back to enjoying our Root Beers and Sodas the way they were originally formulated and enjoy better health as a side effect.

Technorati Tags:
Bill Clinton, Root Beer, High Fructose Corn Syrup,
sugar, politics, Libertarian.

Ram: A Sheepish Kinda Root Beer

2006-02-21T18:00:00.000-05:00

Some Root Beers exceed expectations and some aspire to be something they aren't, while others just never really manage to figure out what they want to be and embrace mediocrity as their norm. The latter description applies to the Root Beer brewed by the Ram Restaurant and Brewery in Fishers, Indiana and, unfortunately to the food, as well.

This past weekend my family and I managed to make it into The Ram after a previous attempt failed due to the large, early crowds. One of the main reasons I wanted to check the place out was their Big Horn "Soda" Root Beer and my wife wanted to see if their beer was any good...she's a Chemist who home brews, plus it was Friday night and the Man In Brown doesn't cook on Fridays. I almost wish I had stayed home and called out for pizza. It would have been a lot cheaper.

We didn't have to wait for a seat and the service was fairly good. During the ordering process I mentioned that I wanted a Root Beer and was informed that it was flat. That was a shame, since it was the real reason I bothered to show up. When I asked if they had any which was bottled, (as they advertise on their website) I was told they fill growlers...but, the Root Beer was flat and they were waiting for more. "No bottles?" Nope. But maybe they had tapped another keg of Root Beer that wasn't flat.

You can see where this is going? I have never had to work so hard to get a Root Beer at any place I've been to. It was like pulling teeth. Finally, it showed it up with my meal...in a non-frosted glass. Grrrrr...a minor enough faux pas on their part, entirely forgivable in most circumstances, except my wife got one with her beer...a beer she had to ask for twice.

So, I'm finally drinking my Big Horn "Soda" Root Beer and paying attention to it and....I'm not impressed. It had a nice aroma, a nice head, biting carbonation, slight sweetness, unremarkable flavour and no real body. It was...OK. Not bad, not great, it was just OK. Much like the food. Mediocre.

I ordered what was purported to be a "Kobe" Wagyu Beef Burger, a premium imported Japanese beef. One would think you would let a premium ingredient speak for itself and use nothing to detract from it. Nope. Not at The Ram. The burger, (cooked to perfection at medium rare) was slathered in an overly sweet and cloying "bourbon glaze". Even scraping it off didn't rid the meat of the taste of this artificial tasting glaze. Why anyone would ever think to cover a premium meat with something that covered the taste, rather than enhancing the flavour is beyond me. The rest of the family had Fish and Chips and Mini-Corn Dogs. It was exactly what you could have expected, more mediocre fare.

Am I sorry I went to The Ram? Nope. If I hadn't gone I would not have been exposed to their bill of fare and wouldn't know what to expect if I were to return. Now, I know. I probably won't be going back, since there are so many other places in my area which I have either not tried or are on my good food list. Despite a professional and open kitchen The Ram failed to deliver when the chips were down.

PS: My wife? She brews better beer. While I'm not a drinker, I am a taster and hers has better attributes than theirs.

Big Horn "Soda" Root Beer

Ingredients: A Secret

Aroma: Nice and light, nothing that really screams Old Time Root Beer, but easily identifiable.

Carbonation: A fine bubble with a biting edge to it. Nice.

Mouth Feel: Kind of watery, nothing distinguishing.

Root Beer Flavour: So-so. A bit of spicyness, but...again, mediocre.

Sweetness: Lightly sweet, the sugar came out when the Root Beer warmed up.

Head: A nice head. Ringed the glass for quite awhile.

Aftertaste: Very lightly sugary with no Root Beer flavour aftertaste.

Overall Taste: Not bad, not great. Mediocre. You can get better mass produced Root Beer in a bottle.

Score: A mediocre 4/10

The Good Captain

2006-02-19T20:17:00.000-05:00

After my last experience with Goose Island Root Beer I needed something to wash that taste out of my mouth and memory. Looking at the Root Beers in my fridge I decided to pull out one I knew to be a winner in the taste category and get my taste buds back in the game.
The choice was clear to me. I reached in and grabbed a Capt'n Eli's Root Beer. Not too many Root Beers out there come with their own online comic book, as comics go it's pretty darned good, reminds me a lot of all those Johnny Quest cartoons I consumed as a kid. They also have a nice interactive website and online store to order their fine products.

Capt'n Eli's Root Beer is made by Shipyard Brewing in Portland, Maine and these guys know what they're doing. From the amber bottle to the great label artwork and the brew itself, the folks at Shipyard have managed to craft a Root Beer that has all of the right qualities, in the right amounts and it stands out from the rest of the market. They could easily have called this Admir'l Eli's and they'd have been right on. From the head and the spicy Root Beer flavour to the just right sweetness, this is a true, premium brew. Capt'n, my hat's off to you.

Let's get down to the review, although I feel it just cannot do it justice, you'll have to get up and go find one and drink it, to truly understand this Root Beer. If I could get Capt'n Eli's locally in the Indianapolis area it would become a staple in my fridge.

Ingredients: Water, Cane Sugar, Caramel Coloring, Natural and Artificial Flavors Including Wintergreen Oil, Anise, Vanilla, Spices, Herbs, Citric Acid, Sodium Benzoate as a preservative.

Carbonation: Nicely carbonated. It adds an enhancing kick to the spiciness. Too few brews manage this.
Mouth Feel: Not creamy, but not too thin.
Root Beer Flavour: A spicy flavour with a nice undertone of cane sugar sweetness.
Sweetness: Medium sweet not cloying in the least. Just right.
Head: Reasonable, medium length.
Aftertaste: Spicy with a slight vanilla tone that meshes well with the cane sugar taste.
Aroma: Sharp, spicy with a cane scent.
Overall Taste: Beautifully spicy with an understated hint of wintergreen . The anise combines really well with the wintergreen and the brew just makes your tastebuds sing.

Score: Capt'n Eli's gets a 9/10

The Politics Of Root Beer

2006-02-11T22:42:00.000-05:00

Politics and Root Beer mix fairly well in my estimation. Root Beer came to national prominence during prohibition, the largest single statist example of social engineering by government we've experienced other than the Income Tax. So it was only fitting that the Root Beer Man himself do a poltical good deed.

I had an invitation to attend a meeting today for Mr. Mike Kole, a fine gentleman hoping to win the Libertarian Party of Indiana's nomination to run for Secretary of State of Indiana, and it was an invitation I was more than happy to accept. You see, Mr. Kole has a not so dark secret. He's a Rootie. That's right. The man likes a good Root Beer.

So, the Man in Brown took himself to a political meeting and brought along a little something to help christen Mr. Koles campaign. Mr. Kole's meeting was held at Claude and Annie's in Fishers, Indiana and the good folks there were happy to provide me with an frosty glass full of Mug Root Beer, compliments of the Kole campaign.

After all the hoopla and speechifying was done I pulled Mr. Kole aside and presented him with a not so rare vintage bottle of Boylan Bottleworks Root Beer. He was suitably impressed by the embossed bottle, as am I. Fortunately, none of the pictures with me in them were of sufficient quality to include here but Mike's picture is worth noting. He regaled me with his road trip tale from the Portland area and his introduction to Henry Weinhard's. If you're a resident of Indiana do yourself a favour and give Mr. Kole the nod on Election Day. He's certainly got my vote!

Finding A Wild Goose

2006-02-04T16:53:00.000-05:00

Every so often I'll be somewhere by random chance and run into something nifty. That was just the case recently when I walked into a local Aldi's store. I have been in one of these places exactly twice now. After this experience, I may not go back again. I had dropped in to take a look and see what they had. Nothing really, other than 6-packs of Goose Island Root Beer for $2.99. Not a bad deal but I can see where they got the pricing on this. I might have got the worst of the deal.

Goose Island is a Chicago "Handcrafted" brew that says it is "Creamy Head Root Beer". The head isn't too bad, many others posses less longevity than this one. The Chicago part should have been my warning, tho. Not being a huge fan of Chicago I often seem to get things labelled "Chicago" that aren't very good. Perhaps it is the curse of Capone, who knows? This Root Beer certainly falls into that category. Other than the sugar taste Goose Island doesn't have a lot to recommend it. There just isn't a lot of flavour going on here beyond sugar. The scent is pleasant enough with subtle hints of licorice, wintergreen and light vanilla, the mouth feel is only slightly heavier than a Soda and the aftertaste is sugary, tho not unpleasant. Oddly enough the flavour in this Root Beer develops after it has warmed up to room temperature. Unfortunately, I dislike warm Root Beer.

Ingredients: Carbonated Water, Sugar, Natural and Artificial Flavor, Caramel Color, Sodium Benzoate and Potassium Sorbate and Citric Acid.

Carbonation: OK

Mouth Feel: Not too much thicker than a soda

Root Beer Flavour: Old Time flavour when you can find it. Not a lot, tho.

Head: Longer lasting than many.

Aftertaste: Sugar with a mild hint of vanilla

Aroma: Hints of wintergreen and anise or licorice. Mild vanilla.

Overall Taste:Not a lot.

Goose Island gets a 4/10 an abysmal D

He Shops And He Scoooores!

2006-01-30T22:34:00.000-05:00

And score I did! I took a few extra minutes this weekend to drop into my local antique mall to see what might be there that was of interest to me. As usual it wasn't difficult. A few inexpensive cookbooks from the 40's and 50's (about $2 ea, on average) and the crowning score....a Berghoff 100th Anniversary mug in pristine condition for a price I considered a steal.

Given that the Berghoff will be closing it's doors come February 28th, 2006 it is a certainty that there shall never be a 120th Anniversary mug. That makes this acquisition special for me. I have never been to the Berghoff for a Root Beer, and now I never will sidle up to the bar and ask for a Berghoff Root Beer in one of their thick glass mugs and, as much as I dislike Chicago I wish I could have made it there to do just that.

Berghoff's has a line of bottled Root Beers and beer and I have seen no mention as to whether or not they will continue the bottling side of their business when they close the doors of the venerable old establishment. I currently have a 32 oz Berghoff's awaiting a good moment to quaff and review. And now I have the mug that it will reside in. A one of a kind, never to be seen again.

Next time, I may just have to pick up a couple of A&W mugs and the Frostop glass....and that oooold Hires bottle....

Prohibition Tested Hank's

2006-01-27T12:46:00.000-05:00

Henry Weinhard's Root Beer bottle says: "Enjoy a truly great American Root Beer originally crafted by our master brewers during prohibition. This gourmet elixir, brewed with sassafras, vanilla and honey, proved to be a popular alternative for our beer-drinking loyalists.
Our tradition of providing only the highest quality beverages continues today in each bottle that bears our founder's name, brewmaster Henry Weinhard.
A gourmet Root Beer, hand-finished with only the freshest and highest quality ingredients."

What are those ingredients?

Carbonated water, high fructose corn syrup, caramel color, vanilla extract, natural and artificial flavors, phosphoric acid, sodium benzoate (preserves freshness), honey essence, acacia sassafras extract.

OK, let's get to it. I have a good news/bad news deal in this one. Good news? I like Weinhard's, this is a good Root Beer with an amazing head. Despite using high fructose corn syrup this brew is nice. Easy on the palate and quite tasty with a nice vanilla flavour enhanced by a very subtle honey undertone. It has a nice, full and creamy mouth feel and is drinkable. This is the one to use if you're a Root Beer Float fan! The head is the most amazing thing about Weinhard's. From the moment I poured it into my iced mug it developed this creamy and long lasting foamy head. There was still foam on this Root Beer when I finished the last drop. Amazing and so classically Root Beer! Kudos to the guys at Henry Weinhard's.

I also like their bottle cap blurbs. They add a nice touch to an already nice bottle and label.

Now for the bad news. This Root Beer could be so much better if they ditched the HFCS and replaced it with sugar. The HFCS is noticeable in this drink, for those who normally go in for the cane sugar sweetened brews. Weinhard's practically screams to be sweetened with cane sugar. That it is not sweetened naturally is a contradiction to their label marketing. It is not "gourmet", despite its great taste.

Somehow, I doubt Henry Weinhard used High Fructose Corn Syrup in his original. It uses, according to the label "acacia sassafras extract". Acacia and sassafras are two different things, each of which bring something different to the brew.

Slapping the gourmet label on something may allow you to get a higher price for your product but it does nothing for your products reputation. There are really too many artificial ingredients here for a true "gourmet" product as marketed on the label to hold true. That said, I’m going to have no trouble keeping a few bottles of this Root Beer in my refrigerator, it is a good brew and money well spent. I have had many Root Beers that cannot hold a candle to Henry's. It definitely gets a thumbs up.

Beyond this Henry Weinhard's is a good Root Beer and stands up against the many other brews currently on the market.

Carbonation: Nice and soft

Mouth Feel: Thick and creamy

Root Beer Flavour: Old Time flavour

Head: Amazing head. This should be the poster child for long lasting Root Beer Head. Honestly, it sets the standard!

Aftertaste: As with most good root beers it has a lasting aftertaste. Not cloying at all. Nice vanilla with a hint of honey

Aroma: Easily identifiable as Root Beer. Vanilla scent is not too overpowering.

Overall Taste: Nice balance of vanilla, honey taste and acacia, which is almost invisible.

On the Michael scale Henry's brew gets a guarded B- 6/10

Welcome to the Jungle!

2006-01-21T11:56:00.000-05:00

So, cabin fever finally sets in for the family last weekend and we decide that you can only sit around and play Civ IV or Splinter Cell so much before your brains turn to mush. I make the suggestion that we should go “somewhere”, specifically we should bail out of the Indianapolis area and do a road trip to Cincinnati and visit our favourite purveyor of fine foods and other comestibles such as, oh, I don’t know….Root Beer?

And therein lays the tail of our most recent foray to Jungle Jim's, the finestkind market for whatever you want in the Midwest. No, let me correct that, in the USA. I have never, in all my travels seen anything to compare with Jungle Jim’s. To call it a grocery store would be akin calling Costco a convenience store. Going to the Jungle isn’t shopping, it is an experience. Thank the gods I don’t live in Cincinnati, I’d never get anything done as I would spend my days wandering the aisles at Jim’s.

You are looking at 6 acres of inside space and, as I recall almost 79 acres planned, including the outside space and additional future features, including a tram. Their produce section alone is over 1 acre!
While the fresh, raw peanuts were of interest to me (I bought, boiled and devoured about 3 lbs...so much for the low fat, low cholesteral thing for the past week) and the beer section was of intense interest to the wife, it was the soda section I longed to visit. One thing to note here, since I mentioned a Beer/Root Beer connection. I have come to the conclusion that companies which make beer should NOT make Root Beer. So far every beer I have tasted by a Root Beer maker sucks. And, in one case....*cough*...TommyKnockers....*cough*.....their beer is not good, ditto SeaDog. Here's Michael's Rule #3, "Stick with what you know!". Now, back to our blogging!

After collecting beer for my wife, some produce for us all and stunned wandering we made our way over to the Soda area. Heaven. While the Premium area is really one side of one aisle it is chock full of enough goodies to make a Root Beer and Soda lover dizzy with delight. Old favourites, classics like Kickapoo Joy Juice and Grape Nehi, relatively unknown regionals like Bennett's Big Bear and more. Down many of the international aisles you can find Soda's from foreign lands like Thumbs Up from India. On this particular jaunt I managed to get out with a host of new and old for my tasting pleasure and your blog review reading. Well, mostly for my tasting pleasure, (I hope, as I have been burned before!). While I usually keep only cane sugar drinks about for my pleasure and a few of these contain HFCS…who knows? One of them could actually be a gem and you never know till you taste them!

In coming posts you will get to see my haul, one by one. Berghoff's, Captain Ely's, Seadog, Dad's, Frostie, Thomas, Kemper, Big Bear, A.J. Stephens, Milligan's Island, Faygo, Sparky's and Henry Weinhard's. I also have quite a few non-Root Beer Soda's for my other blog, The Soda Pop Blog, (coming soon to an Internet near you!). These, along with a fair number of Root Beers already in my possession bode well for my tasting and blogging!

See ya shortly, kind readers! I have some refrigerating and drinking to do!

A Boylan Update

2006-01-17T14:31:00.000-05:00

For the all the surfers out there I want to give you the web address for Boylan. They have a really nice site, (incredibly hard to find if you were to just Google it) that is chock full of information and background on the company. This was and is a family owned business that was turned around by the descendants of the companies owners. Boylan's site is a nice place to navigate around and reflects the same quality as one finds in their sodas and Root Beers.
I did discover that their Natural line is a new addition and is likely in a location near you, (Wild Oats carries it) and heralds their entrance into the premium beverage market. All natural ingredients DO make the difference in their product. While I like both the vintage Bottling Works Brand and the Natural Brand, tha Natural will win out every single time in my book.

A big thumbs up to the folks at Boylan's!

A Tale Of Two Root Beers

2005-12-12T16:16:00.000-05:00

"It was the best of Root Beers, it was the worst of Root Beers". - Chuck Dickens

Or words to that effect. The problem is that so many Root Beers are the same, in all too many cases. Take the case of Boylan Bottling Company and their Root Beers. Unbeknownst to many out there they have started to make 2 different Root Beers, other than regular and diet. One I have found at Wild Oats and the other I have found at the usual places. The Wild Oats version is a "Natural" Root Beer and lists the following ingredients:

Carbonated Water, Cane Sugar, Pure Essential Oils Of Sweet Birch, Cinnamon, Sassafras And Anise, Extracts Of Bourbon Vanilla, Yucca And Licorice, Other Natural Flavours And Spices, Caramel Color (From Cane Sugar), Citric Acid. The bottle boasts a different tagline: From Earth and even sports a different company logo. Unlike the "regular" bottles withe their "Boylan Bottleworks" labelling the Natural sports a label saying "Boylan's". That's quite a departure, in my view.

The "regular" Boylan with its "Best Head" tagline lists its ingredients as:
Carbonated Water, Cane Sugar, Natural And Artificial Flavors, Caramel Color, Natural Yucca Extract, Citric Acid, Sodium Benzoate (Preserves Freshness).

So, we can see that, according to the ingredients list there are differences. I do hope this is a "scoop" where other reviews are concerned, I have seen no mention of the Natural anywhere else and I have looked. Are they the same? Nope. Not really. The tastes they put forth are subtly and flavourfully different. Both of these stand out from other Root Beers and stand on their own against each other.

So...let's take a look at the reviews.

The Boylan's Natural

Carbonation: Better than a soda. Nice large bubbles that convey the thickness of the brew.
Mouth Feel: Not creamy but thicker than many brews.
Root Beer Flavour: Old fashioned flavour undertones of sassafras, birch and a nice bourbon vanilla taste.
Sweetness: Not too sweet. A nice cane taste that speaks of carmelisation.
Head: Nothing to brag about. The head is OK but only lasts about 20 seconds.
Aftertaste: Complex, the vanilla stands out but there's a sassafras undertone that lingers, too. Not cloying.
Aroma: A mellow Root Beer Aroma with a great Bourbon vanilla scent that doesn't overpower.
Overall: What could be a nicely complex and flavouful brew is overshadowed by the vanilla, which dominates this root beer. There is a very subtle sassafras undertone that should be much more upfront and in your face.
All in all a decent root beer. Give it a 7/10 or a B+.

Now for the regular Boylan Bottleworks Root Beer.

Carbonation: Not as good or long lasting as a regular soda but largish bubbles. The bottle clearly states "Best Head" and this is sadly not true.
Mouth Feel: Not creamy but thicker than a soda. It's a decent Root Beer mouthfeel.
Root Beer Flavour: Not a load of Root Beer flavour but lots of vanilla.
Sweetness: Too sweet in the aftertaste but not unpleasant.
Head: 20 seconds. Very short lived despite the claim of "Best Head" on the bottle.
Aftertaste: Vanilla and caramelised cane sugar taste. The vanilla flavour sticks around and almost become cloying after a while.
Aroma: Vanilla and cane sugar the dominant aromas in this brew. The scent does not scream Root Beer but is still easily ID'ed.
Overall: The cane sugar taste is nice and, along with the vanilla dominates the brew. It is not overly complex but is a nice brew. Gets a 6/10. A solid B-.

My recommendation? If you ca find the Natural it is the better brew of the two. The regular Bottleworks brew is a good bottled Root Beer and won't disappoint, but the Natural will make you feel good.
Boylan's bottles are nice to look upon, as well. The upraised lettering, painted on labels and amber glass speak to the companies committment to quality.

Things Now Gone.

2005-12-03T23:40:00.000-05:00

In my first post I spoke about Barq's Root Beer and some of the places that I associated it with. One of the first was a place called the Dog House, Jr. The Dog House is long gone but at some time somebody made a rather lame attempt to revive what was once a regional icon. There was no better place on the Gulf Coast (possibly in that section of the South) to get a chili dog. They came in a wide variety. Plain dogs, chili. Chili with cheese. And all the usual toppings. Once your dog was assembled it went into a sandwich steamer for a quick press and a softened bun and melted cheese. Get a dozen, slap them in a cooler and off you went.
Why the original closed up will always be a mystery to me. But one thing isn't. Never try to follow in perfections footsteps unless you know you can do better. Anything less than the original is unacceptable. And so it is, or rather was with the Dog & Burger House. I don't know if it survived the recent devastation in Gulfport that was wrought by hurricane Katrina. In fact, I don't care if it did. Better that it went into the gutter of history before another day passed with it riding on the esteemed coat tails of an legend.

One other place will be greatly missed. The finest seafood on the Gulf Coast was available at the White Cap Restaurant in Gulfport. The White Cap had....has...been in Gulfport at the Yacht Harbour as long as I can remember.

The White Cap sat on the Gulf side of the Yacht Harbour. While you were enjoying your meal you could look out upon the Gulf of Mexico, John Moses Pier or see the ship channel and watch the banana boats come, go and unload. The White Cap boasted thatthey had the best seafood platter on the Gulf Coast and it was not an idle boast. The Seafood Platter contained Stuffed Crab, Jumbo Shrimp, Bay Scallops, Oysters, Fish Fillets, Crab Fingers, Fries (or New Potatoes), A Side Salad and Hush Puppies. Do I even need to mention that it was all fried to golden perfection? All for $15.95. Add an order of Oysters on the Half Shell and a Barq's and you have a slice of heaven for the you spent there.
I've seen the satellite pictures of the Gulfport Yacht Club Harbour. It was scoured clean by the storm and, as far as I can see nothing remains. I, and my family can only hope that the kind folks who owned the White Cap decide to spit in the face adversity and rebuild a Gulf Coast icon. I look forward to the day my family and I, once again walk through the doors and set ourselves down for a memorable meal in the best damned restaurant in South.

Ya'll come back now, y'hear?

The Tale of Frank and Roy

2005-11-29T23:17:00.000-05:00

Back around 1919 a man named Roy Allen opened a roadside Root Beer stand in Lodi, California for a veterans parade, a common enough thing in those days when folks walked, took a trolley or drove a slow car and went to parades to honour their neighbours service. Apparently, Roy found himself with an instant hit on his hands!

He had purchased his recipe from a pharmacist in Arizona, according to A&W historians and that was the start of an American Root Beer revolution. The following year he opened a second stand in Sacramento and along the way he hired Frank Wright, a man who would very soon become his business partner in an American Dream. At the time Roy opened his Lodi location he charged only 5 cents for mug of his creamy, frosty sensation. Quite a deal considering the size was a solid 10 ounces. Drug store competitors charged a nickel for less soda in most locations around the country.

In 1922 Roy and Frank became partners and the Root Beer changed it’s name from Roy Allen’s Root Beer to the now well known A&W, for Allen and Wright. And there it has remained till this very day. A&W pioneered the drive-in with car hops in 1923, setting the stage for our modern fast food, drive-thru society

A lot has changed in the intervening years since Roy and Frank began their business. When I was a boy I remember going to the A&W in Meridian, Mississippi with my mom and aunts. It was a real drive in, virtually identical to the one pictured here.

On hot Southern days we would sit in the car or at one of the outside tables and enjoy a nice cold mug of A&W Root Beer that had been made on the premises. I can clearly remember walking through the screen door into the place and smelling the fries, burgers and hot dogs of that now long gone place. Surrounded by tall trees that provided shade to all the folks who drove in to sample the fare, the A&W was just across the way from the Matty Hersee Hospital on 8^th Street. Around the corner was the Borden’s Ice Cream store, a favourite for any young kid. But, the A&W held, and still holds a special place in my heart. It was here that I got to hang out with my extended family in the form of my Aunt Shirley, more often than not. We’d drive over in her Chevrolet, red with a red interior and indulge in Root Beer, fries, burgers and some of the best chili dogs in Meridian, enjoying sitting under the canopy of the old growth oaks, pecans, sweet gum and other shade giving trees.

Like my now deceased and greatly missed Aunt Shirley the A&W has long since been replaced by something else. A Taco Bell now sits in the spot where generations of kids and families drove up to eat, drink and be merry. Some might call that progress, but I’m not one of those people. I find it strangely comforting, (in a vengeful sort of way) that the section of that town that was once so happy, clean and successful is now run down and anything but successful. There’s something satisfying when you see a venerable institution destroyed to make way for the new and progressive and then see that there are indeed karmic consequences. Physics applies across the universe. For every action there is an opposite and (usually) equal reaction. Vengeance is mine, sayeth the Root Beer.

Now, on to the rating of A&W's latest offering. A "vintage" plastic bottle. Vintage to me would have been to offer it in a glass bottle but in this case plastic says it all. This is no freshly brewed Root Beer, such as we used to be offered at the A&W Drive-In's. No sir, this is mass produced Root Beer and gives you exactly what you expect from one. I'd let the kids drink it on a hot picnic kinda day but you'll never see this as a staple in my home.

Carbonation: Soda-like, almost too bubbly for a Root Beer.
Mouth Feel: Just shy of creamy. Almost creamy.
Root Beer Flavour: Modern Root Beer Flavour. It relies on sweetness to do the trick and not the complex Root Beer flavour.
Sweetness: Very sweet bordering on almost too sweet.
Head: No lasting head, no creaminess.
Aftertaste: Vanilla-like aftertaste. Becomes cloying after awhile. A short while.
Aroma: A decent Root Beer smell, easily identifiable as "Root Beer" in the modern world. Not displeasing, but lacking any character or complexity.

Rating (1-10)
A&W Root Beer: 5

Pour Some Sugar On Me

2005-11-18T17:30:00.001-05:00

Sodas today use one sweetener more than any other. High Fructose Corn Syrup, otherwise known as HFCS is their horrible sweetener of choice. It’s everywhere, in everything and has, in my humble opinion destroyed most of the Root Beers and Sodas on the market today. And, as with so many things in this day and age, it is the fault of government as much as of is the fault of the soda producers
Root Beers which use pure, natural cane sugar are, more often than not selling as premium beverages at premium prices. Seeing a genuinely good Root Beer for $2 or more is not an oddity. Even a handcrafted Root Beer from your local microbrewery could easily pull in that much without the benefit of a bottle and a snazzy label. Why the priceyness? Other than the bottle, it must be the quality and a significant portion of the quality and taste come from that delightful caramel flavour that can only be found in cane sugar. Sugar prices are kept artificially high via tariffs, restrictions, quotas and unnecessary government protectionist interference. American sugar prices have been kept artificially elevated above the worldwide prices for 45 years or better, to the detriment of the Root Beer and soda manufacturers of this country, as well as their customers.
HFCS is cheaper than sugar, especially cane sugar. Despite the heavy refining necessary to produce HFCS it remains cheaper than the preferred sweetener for carbonated beverages because the government subsidizes it. In other words, they use our tax dollars to keep the production of corn and corn based products low, so we have to pay more for sugar. Unfortunately, HFCS brings nothing to the party other than oft times cloying sweetness. It is, for all intents and purposes flavourless.
I can’t lay sole blame on the Root Beer and soda companies for using this nasty tasting product instead of the more expensive and better tasting sugar, even though they consistently lie to us and tell us there is no difference in taste. These companies have an obligation to their stockholders, owners and employees to maintain a certain level of profit in order to stay in business. Yes, they bear some of the blame for the price of what are now considered “premium beverages” but the ultimate blame must be lain at the feet of generations of politicians who have meddled in the free market.
I long for the day when these draconian rules are removed and Root Beer and soda manufacturers can import cane sugars from a variety of places around the world at a decent price. I cannot help but wonder what the minor taste differences would be if you used cane sugars on a micro-regional basis. I see numerous foods and ingredients from micro-regions that sell at a premium and there are significant taste differences. Look at coffee as a prime example!
What would Queensland sugar bring to a brew? Cuban? South African? Columbian and Guatemalan? Oh, for the day when the government gets out of the way of the invisible hand and lets us get back to the basics of brewing Root Beer the way it was intended to be made.
Who screwed up our Root Beer? Look no farther than the people in Washington, D.C.

This is not to say that all Root Beers and sodas that contain corn syrup or HFCS are horrible. They just aren't on a par with their competitors who use cane sugar. Shoot, quite a few of these are decent, some are even quite good. But, in my not so humble opinion they don't hold a candle to those sweetened with sugar, especially cane sugar. So, all you good folks out there manufacturing corn syrup sweetened Root Beer and soda, don't blow a gasket. There's room for you in this world, too.

In The Beginning

2005-11-17T15:05:00.000-05:00

As with any good story the only place to start is the beginning. I am certain that I had many Root Beers before I developed my taste for the divine brew. In fact I clearly remember drinking A&W's as a kid at the now sadly gone A&W in Meridian, Mississippi. Those frosty mugs, accompanied by fries and chili dogs are etched in my memory even now, many decades after. I also clearly remember drinking bottles of Frosty Root Beer in my Great Uncle Eugene's store in Collins, Mississippi. He dispensed his beverages from an old, ice filled metal cooler that was a blessing on hot Mississippi summer days.
But those are not the brews that gave me my desire to imbibe. Nope. That belongs to Barq's Root Beer. Not the Barq's Root Beer that so many are used to now, the mass produced crap from the once great Coca-Cola Company. No. The Barq's I drank was the original. Made and bottled in its original home in Biloxi, Mississippi. Filled with delightful acacia bite and beautiful cane sugar sweetness. Nothing compared to that brew.
Some of my fondest memories as a kid revolve around that old Root Beer flavour. I had the distinct honour and joy to be a kid on the Gulf Coast and one of my favourite places as a kid was The Dog House, Jr. in downtown Gulfport, Mississippi.
The Dog House, Jr. was a hot dog joint, stuck across the street from train station and around the corner from J.C. Penny's it was home to the worlds greatest chili dogs. Even after all these years I have never found a better chili dog than the ones which this small hole in the wall served. Great hotdog, yummy chili topped with American cheese and steamed to perfection. And, to top it all off....an ice cold Barq's in a glass bottle, (the only way you could get one in those days). Droplets of ice water and condensation forming on the outside of the bottle brought the beautiful diamond pattern of the bottle to life as we sat back, enjoyed our dogs and drank our wonderful elixir of sugar, acacia and Root Beer flavoured carbonated water. There was and never will be anything quite like that again.
Sadly, the old Dog House, Jr. is long gone, (despite a half-assed attempt by know nothings to bring it back) and so is the Barq's of my youth.
My last taste of one of those glass bottled Barq's came this past summer at the White Cap Restaurant in Gulfport. Over oysters on the half-shell and fried seafood with my wife and kids, I found that most of the joyful taste had gone from the brew. The American mega-corporation had touched something beautiful and ruined it. Sad to say. In the wake of hurricane Katrina my favourite seafood joint is gone, swept away along with my memories of a Root Beer that once ruled them all.
Some of the bite is still there in the glass bottled version but that bite is missing all of the full bodied flavour that was imparted from the sugar they used. Whereas the original brew of my youth would rate a solid 8 out of 10 the new brew, sweetened with high fructose corn syrup gets no more than a 4.
Soda and Root Beer companies should take note. While high fructose corn syrup is cheap and sweet it brings nothing to the party. The original formulae for these venerable drinks were based upon using a specific sweetner. That sweetner was cane sugar in almost every case. You may be enhancing your bottom lines by using this heavily government subsidised sweetner but you are doing your product and your customers a grave disservice. Barq's, a Southern tradition deserves better than you folks accord it.

Rating(1-10):
Barq's Root Beer:
Original: 8
New version: 4

Getting Frothy

2005-11-16T23:22:00.000-05:00

Over the next few days I will be posting reviews of brews, pics of the bottles and just some commentary and frothy talk. Hang tight, hang loose and crack a cold, frothy brew. In the meantime, ask yourself...who is Simon Jester?