Root Beer (152 reviews)
Sarsi Sarsaparilla
I found this bottle of Sarsi at a large international supermarket near my house. Judging by the color, ingredients, and uncanny similarity to the Pepsi logo, I thought this was going to be a cola. I also didn't see the "I" at first and was really excited that there was a drink called Sars. After i pried off the non-twist bottle cap (all I had was a staple remover to help with this), it didn't smell nor taste like cola. It's more of a light sarsaparilla, but with a bitter aftertaste due to the use of aspartame instead of sugar or high fructose corn syrup. It's not bad, but it's not amazing. If you're a fan of sarsaparilla and don't mind artificial sweeteners, it's worth a try.
- Country
- Philippines
- Sweetener
- High Fructose Corn Syrup
- Rating
- Reviewed By
- Derek Neuland on 9/6/2010
Johnnie Ryan Root Beer
I always get really excited to try products made by local companies. Johnnie Ryan is produced in Niagara Falls, about 20 minutes from my house. A bunch of restaurants in the area carry it now, which is great because it is sweetened with cane sugar. I'm definitely a huge fan of the company, and I'm surprised it's taken me so long to try the root beer. I have to say, it's not what I want from a root beer. It just tastes like a sugary soda, and doesn't have any of the earthiness that I have come to expect in nicer varieties. It actually reminds me a lot of A&W or Dads. I'll stick with my "fancier" root beers.
- Website
- http://johnnieryan.com/
- Country
- United States
- Sweetener
- Cane Sugar
- Rating
- Reviewed By
- Jason Draper on 9/12/2010
- Comments
- 2 Comments. Leave a comment.
Mt. Angel Root Beer
I saw this bottle at New Seasons yesterday and was drawn in by the plain label in a sea of colorful bottles. I had high hopes for this micro-brewed root beer, and I wasn't let down. I wish all root beer was this smooth. Even though I've only had one bottle so far, I think this is easily in my top 5 root beers.
- Country
- United States
- Sweetener
- Sugar
- Rating
- Reviewed By
- Derek Neuland on 9/14/2010
Trader Joe's Vintage Root Beer
I don't know why I expected more of this root beer since it's a store brand. There's nothing wrong with it, but it's definitely mediocre as far as root beer goes. It's better than A&W since it's sweetened with cane sugar, but it's far from being as good as Virgil's or other top tier root beer's. It's drinkable, but I wouldn't go out of my way to get a bottle.
- Website
- http://www.traderjoes.com
- Country
- United States
- Sweetener
- Cane Sugar
- Rating
- Reviewed By
- Derek Neuland on 9/21/2010
- Comments
- 3 Comments. Leave a comment.
Cold Spring Root Beer
I saw this root beer in the store for $3.50 for a sixer. I figured for cane sugar root beer, how could I pass it up? On the way home I cracked one open, and was fairly disappointed. It tasted more like root beer barrel candy than actual root beer. The rest has been sitting in my fridge since. Today I brought one to work. Having it cold made such a difference. It became creamy and smooth, almost like cream soda minus the vanilla. I will enjoy the rest of the bottles I have, but I doubt I would purchase it again. There are just too many other better root beers out there.
- Website
- http://www.coldspringbrewery.com
- Country
- United States
- Sweetener
- Cane Sugar
- Rating
- Reviewed By
- Jason Draper on 9/22/2010
- Comments
- 3 Comments. Leave a comment.
Stewart's Fountain Classics Birch Beer
So a bunch of my friends are always going on and on about "shower beers." Which is exactly what it sounds like, drinking beers whist taking a shower. They all talked about how great it is, so I decided to have my own version, "shower birch beers." I have to admit, it was pretty awesome. A cool frosty birch beer really complimented a steamy shower.
This is the most mild birch beer I have ever had. It doesn't have the bite that I've come to expect from this beverage. It tastes more like a root beer with one extra ingredient. It's not bad by any means, but I've just had better.
- Website
- http://www.drinkstewarts.com/
- Country
- United States
- Sweetener
- High Fructose Corn Syrup
- Rating
- Reviewed By
- Jason Draper on 9/22/2010
- Comments
- 3 Comments. Leave a comment.
Boylan's Creamy Red Birch Beer
Until I came across Boylan's, I had no idea that there were different types of birch beer. This is their "Creamy Red" version. It definitely has the creaminess of a cream soda, with the bite of a birch beer. The bite isn't as strong as other birch beers I have had, but it's nice to have the option. So far I have been a fan of all of the Boylan's drinks I have tried, so I will keep sampling all of their wares I come across.
- Website
- http://www.boylanbottling.com/
- Country
- United States
- Sweetener
- Cane Sugar
- Rating
- Reviewed By
- Jason Draper on 9/26/2010
Teddy's Root Beer
When I saw this bottle I was excited because it reminded me of the IBC root beer "40's" (actually 32oz) my friends and I in high school would buy and drink around Tonawanda, NY. Sadly, this is no IBC. It tastes like any generic root beer, not bad but not amazing. Plus, the HFCS makes it a really heavy root beer. There's also a great drawing of Teddy Roosevelt on the label.
- Country
- United States
- Sweetener
- High Fructose Corn Syrup
- Rating
- Reviewed By
- Derek Neuland on 9/28/2010
Virgil's Micro Brewed Root Beer
I was hanging out at my friend's house last night when I drank this and I didn't have any way to write this review. Sorry about the delay, but I did learn some interesting facts such as "Robert Palmer has the best record covers. One has a girl's naked butt on it." As you can see it was a classy affair. I felt this "classy" root beer was fitting for the festivities. The Virgil's/Reed's company makes some of my favorite sodas out. This root beer is no different. It's nice and smooth with a hint of anise and nutmeg. I'm normally not a fan of anise, but the flavor works perfectly with this root beer. I really need to get into some more micro brewed sodas. They are far superior to others on the market.
- Website
- http://www.reedsinc.com/virgils/
- Country
- United States
- Rating
- Reviewed By
- Jason Draper on 10/1/2010
- Comments
- 2 Comments. Leave a comment.
- Buy Now
- Virgil's Rootbeer - 4 per pack
Oogave Root Beer
I'm always excited when I try something sweetened with something other than sugar. Oogave uses agave nectar to sweeten their sodas. While it's definitely preferred to HFCS, I wouldn't say it's better than cane sugar. This root beer was good, but not amazing. It had a very mild root beer flavor, one of the lightest root beer's I've ever had. So much so that it tasted like cola with a root beer after taste. I doubt I'll ever pick up this root beer again, but I’d like to try other sodas Oogave has to offer before I dismiss agave nectar in soda.
- Website
- http://www.oogave.com/
- Country
- United States
- Sweetener
- Agave Nectar
- Rating
- Reviewed By
- Derek Neuland on 10/4/2010
- Comments
- 1 Comment. Leave a comment.
