Jackson Hole Soda Company Buckin’ Rootbeer
Nothing remarkable. To be honest, I should have written the review a little closer to the time I drank this.
Scott’s Score: 6 (out of 10)
Faygo Beverages, Inc. Detroit, MI 48207
I had to check the bottle twice to make sure there was some kind of flavoring at all in it. Astonishingly weak, but unoffensive.
Scott’s Score: 3 (out of 10)
Unique Beverage Company, LLC Everett, WA 98213
Nothing remarkable in this one. A bit too much wintergreen.
Scott’s Score: 6 (out of 10)
My Root Beer Interview with Mikal Bellicove
(originally appeared at Mikal’s blog here)
Let’s start at the beginning. What led to your fascination with Root Beer?
‘Fascination’ is a harmless word. I’d prefer something a bit more descriptive, like ‘psychotic obsession’.
I think it was my grandfather who got me started. I want to believe that he was a bootlegger during the Prohibition era, but sadly he came from average Utah pioneer farming stock. Anyway, he always had root beer at his house. Maybe he slipped a little root-hooch into my bottles when I was an infant. He died several years ago and I have no way of confirming or denying his involvement during the Prohibition.
Do you ever make your own Root Beer? If so, what do you call it?
I sometimes make my own root beer. I’ve never made it the same way twice, though. I think my best batch was two years ago on the 4th of July. I’d added a little vanilla extract (the real stuff), a little anise, a little honey, a little salicylic acid maybe (that’s the wintergreen flavor, for you non-chemists). Maybe not. Anyway, it turned out great, but subsequent attempts haven’t all been as good. For example, once I tried a new recipe that used yeast to carbonate. Well, let’s just say I put the “beer” in root beer. It was horrible and I’ve stuck to dry-ice carbonation methods ever since. I’m not a hard-core brewer as I’d like to be.
Count ‘em down for us, 1 through 10… who makes the best Root Beer in the land?
Now we get to the part where my opinion reigns supreme! I have an extremely high opinion of my root beer preferences, if I may say so. However, in the interest of interest, I’m going to give you my top 6 and bottom 4:
Top 6:
- Americana
- Sprecher
- Bulldog
- Howie’s (made locally)
- Ruby River (brewed in-house)
- IBC
Bottom 4 (first the worst):
- Barrel Brothers (made locally)
- Briars
- Henry Weinhards
- A&W
Now I got some ‘splainin to do:
While I consider myself a connoisseur of root beers, I don’t have nearly the breadth of exposure as people like Luke (there are many others like Luke who a) have an unlimited amount of money with which to buy root beer and b) have an unlimited amount of time to write about the root beers they try).
I do try to make my comparisons fairly objectively (as objective as one’s tastes can be). When trying a new root beer, I’ll have a bottle of one that I know fairly well and compare the two sip by sip. This at least gives me the opportunity to say “A is better than B” and list a few reasons why.
The top 6 are just great all-around root beers. Bulldog is a beautifully flavored root beer. It has good honey and its nose feels flowery and warm, and the aftertaste is calming. Howie’s is the only local brew in there—it’s very sweet and mellow. IBC has a very interesting “peppery” component to it. I like it because it’s unique among national brands.
The bottom 4 are likely to be a bit touchy for people. I list them partly because they truly are at the bottom of my list (i.e., I never buy these unless I have no other choices) and partly because they are so prevalent that listing them would make people take notice. People, hear me! There are better root beers out there than the stores are supplying you with—rise up! Fill out the suggestion cards at the front of the store and demand better root beers! (It actually works; several Macey’s in Utah Valley are now carrying Sprecher—my “everyday” root beer—after months of suggestion cards by me and other of my ilk.)
Barrel Brothers is made by the same folks who make the fantastic Apple Beer. I don’t know how they can make one great drink like Apple Beer, and then one of the worst root beers on the planet. The label is cute and all, but the brew is bad bad bad. Briars tastes like sugar water and wintergreen—no subtlety at all Very nearly a birch beer, more than a root beer. Henry Weinhards? Let me put it like this: Bulldog is what Henry Weinhards wants to be when it grows up (and gets rid of its urine-like aftertaste—yuck!). A&W can be summarized thus: yet another bland national brand root beer.
If you take any of the bottom 4 and drink them head-to-head with any of the top 6, you’ll see what I’m talking about. Really.
Regardless of taste, whose root beer is branded better than anyone else’s (please don’t say “Rootie Tootie Root Beer”)?
Without question, A&W. Everyone knows it and nobody has ever lost their job for buying it. It’s the Microsoft of root beers. If A&W is made fresh (and it’s been a long time since I’ve had it fresh), it’s a pretty good root beer. But the stuff you get at the grocery store in plastic bottles is bland and lacks personality. That said, my Dad prefers it to any of my favorites. I can’t explain this discrepancy without causing hurt feelings.
Wine experts all agree: Roasted chicken goes really well with a good cru Beaujolais, like the Côte de Brouilly from Château Thivin. Does the same apply for Root Beer, and if so, what are some of the more remarkable Root Beer and food pairings?
Actually, yes. Americana, for example, has a fruity nose (a sharp and sweet hit right when enters your palate). It has a stronger taste that goes well with chicken dishes. But it’s stronger taste doesn’t work well when eating, say, a beef szechuan or a curry dish. For those, I like Sprecher, which is more mellow and has a soothing effect. It really complements the dish. As a general rule, you don’t want a root beer to compete with the food, so if you’re having a really flavorful dish, choose a milder root beer. If you’re having something like chicken or pork, go ahead and get a root beer that will take control of the meal.
I’m going to assume that since you live in the Salt Lake City area, you know where to go to get the the best frosty mug of Root Beer. Do tell!
If I have the craving really bad, I go to Ruby River. The food there is unfortunately going the direction of all food chains (all supplied by Sysco or other large food suppliers), but their root beer is fresh and wonderful. Lots of anise (my tastes are changing as I age—I didn’t used to like anise that much). Children probably wouldn’t like their root beer much because of its stronger flavor.
If you’re down in Moab, go to the Moab Brewery and get a half-gallon (just walk to the back of the bar on the left side, where the tap is, and ask for a “growler” of their root beer). The root beer is a bit above average, but you can’t beat the freshness and sincerity of it.
What ingredients that are generally found in Root Beer, and any of them bad for us?
Root beer used to be made with actual sassafras root, but that was found to cause cancer in rats (like everything else—I think all rats probably get cancer when given anything out of their ordinary diet of garbage). Today, root beers are flavored with some of the same things I listed above (vanilla, honey, wintergreen, anise). I’ve seen some with a bit of clove and other botanicals. It’s a pretty wide-open field for beverage makers, which is great for us drinkers—lots of variety. Some makers are putting sassafras back into their list of ingredients again, which I think is a good sign.
Assuming vanilla is the first, what is the second best flavor of ice cream for a Root Beer Float?
I’m not a big float person. Sorry! I’ll drink them, but that’s a ton of sweetness floating in a ton of sweetness—too sweet for me usually.
When I was a kid, someone brought a slice of Root Beer Cake to school. Aside from cake, what else can be made using Root Beer as a primary or secondary ingredient?
Boy, you’ve stumped me again! I’m sure there are some “fascinating” things out there, but I stick strictly to the beverages. Want to talk about ginger ales?
How much money would it take for you agree to bathe in a tub of Root Beer?
I assume you meant to ask, “How much money would you pay to bathe in a tub of root beer?” I think I’d pay $10 for the experience. I’d bring my own towel, even.
Bonus Question: Do you ever eat at those A&W® restaurants, or is that just a slap in the face?
The root beer is great, but I haven’t eaten there for years. I would eat there more if I liked the food at all. They’ve gone national, which means their supply chain is the same as all of the other national (and even many local) restaurants. To get really good food, you have to find an owner who still cares more about making delicious food than the bottom line—an anathema to all MBAs, but a boon to people who like good food (and again, the business owners never make as much money as they could). There are a few restaurants in the valley who do this, but unfortunately none of them (that I’m aware of) make their own root beer.
When I’m out dining, I usually ask for “Mug” root beer (it’s a Pepsi product). I think it’s the best of the root beers produced by the really large beverage makers. I drink anything else before I drink Barq’s.
Thanks for asking!
Hank’s Gourmet Philadelphia Recipe Root Beer
Hank’s has the yucca like Boylan’s, but it really lacks anything else but sugar (which is of good quality). The flavor is bland: no dark herbs lurking in this beautiful bottle. This might better pass as a cream soda easier than a root beer soda, in my opinion. I’d give it an 8 as a cream soda, but since these are the root beer rankings…
Scott’s Score:
6 (out of 10)
Sometimes, all-natural isn’t better. There’s a fine balance between making a good-tasting root beer and making one that uses natural ingredients, and in Virgil’s case, the balance is too far on the natural side.
From the bottle:
“Originally brewed in the north of England, Virgil’s is made with natural ingredients—nutmeg, imported anise, and wintergreen.
The brewing process gives Virgil’s a rich, creamy body and a taste so pure, you’ll swear it’s made in heaven.
Cute, but I get no such divine sentiments.
I can’t sense any nutmeg at all. The taste is rather sharp, chiefly anise and some wintergreen as stated, but no creaminess to it at all. A bit of vanilla or honey would have mellowed this out a bit, I think.
It’s also one of the most expensive root beers out there, nearly $2.00USD a bottle. Thanks to Rus for sending me this one.
Scott’s Score: 7 (out of 10)
My friend Rus came into town and brought a half-dozen Americana root beer bottles (full) for me.
Judging between these two is like picking a favorite child. You may have one, but you’ll never say anything. But I’m going to say something anyway.
I drank from each of the two brands while eating alternatively a pepper dish (“Beef a la Sichuan” from P.F. Chang’s) and a curry dish (pineapple curry from Thai Chili Gardens).
Americana is obviously more heavily flavored when you drink it, a somewhat fruity nose. Sprecher is subtle, sweet, and mellow.
Sprecher went much better with the pepper dish; no screaming “I am Root Beer!” while you’re drinking it. For the curry, it was a toss-up. Either beverage felt fine.
Afterward, letting my palate cool a bit, I tried them both again just as standalone beverages, and this is where I can’t make up my mind. As with all root beers, they’re strikingly different and seem to fit different ecological niches.
Americana has a beautiful and strong flowery/fruity feel to it, like eating concord grapes off the vine. I think I’d take Americana to parties because it’s a showy (and impressive) drink. Sprecher is subtle and quiet, but solid. The honey and vanilla base are blended perfectly (in my opinion) and suitable for any purpose.
Surprised as I am by this, I think I’m going to give Sprecher the edge between tht two, but with an asterisk that would indicate not at all times nor in all places.
I’ve also realized that a simple scalar value for grading the drink is somewhat folly, but I need some kind of way to discern without worrying about 6 or 7 variables. shrug
If I figure something else out, I’ll update my pages.
This is what Henry Weinhard’s root beer wants to be.
Bulldog is a good brew: firm, sweet, subtle. Great flavor.
I’ll be drinking this head-to-head against Sprecher’s later this week
and will possibly revise my score.
Update: Thu Mar 1 13:58:34 MST 2007
After going drinking this head-to-head with Sprecher’s, Sprecher’s wins but not by much. My score still stands at 8, but I do have some additional commentary.
Bulldog has a mellow, bright taste that only hits the back of your palate. It’s sweeter than Sprecher’s, but is very well blended. No complaints, really, just personal preference.
Scott’s Score: 8 (out of 10)
Sorry, but this isn’t root beer. It’s vanilla cream soda witha a root beer label.
If I were rating vanilla cream sodas, I’d give Tommyknocker an 8 (it’s an excellent drink—very smooth). It’s got a bit of butterscotch or maple in it.
But since it’s marketing itself as a root beer, I have to give it a 3 for just not being much of a root beer.
Scott’s Score:
3 (out of 10)
I bought a couple of Growlers (half-gallon bottles) of the stuff, thinking I’d be getting something special. Well, I guess at roughly $2.50 a pint that’s a special (high) price for an average root beer.
Nothing notable in the flavor, though it was perfectly adequate to drink. Root beer fresh off the tap was a better drinking experience than, say, chugging a 2-liter, however.
Scott’s Score:
6 (out of 10)
