Root Beer

[Vintagefiend]

my fave is Fitz's from St. Louis

 

[Vintagefiend]

most of the 'Popular commercial brands" are not actually root beer and they are basically caramel colored sugar water

If the ingredients do not contain

Sassafras albidum
Smilax regelii
Smilax glyciphylla
Glycyrrhiza glabra
Aralia nudicaulis
Manihot esculenta

or a variation of the above then it isn't ROOT Beer

Ever heard of Charles Hires? that's the guy who formulated and brought the first commercial root beer to market

A&W Root Beer, Dad's Root Beer, Mug Root Beer, Barq's (all the large brands) no longer contain the actual ingredients needed to actually be a ROOT beer

Virgils is one of my favorites widely available

it contains: cane sugar and a number of natural spices, including anise, licorice, vanilla, cinnamon, clove, sweet birch, molasses, nutmeg, pimento berry oil (allspice), balsam oil, and cassia oil .

Natural Brew is another one...it contains: Filtered Water, Sugar, Bourbon Vanilla Extract, Anise, Licorice ROOT, Birch Oil, and Wintergreen oil..

but i suggest you also try

Maine Root
Boylans Root Beer
Whole Foods 365 Everyday Value Root Beer
Mystic Seaport

as they actually contain ingredients that classify them as "ROOT' Beer

enjoy

Nice - thanks for the tips!!

 

[theduke1]

+1 on Virgil's and we also like Blue Sky and

 

[theduke1]

Nature's Brew

 

[rickster4003]

Saranac is good and suprisingly Stewarts is also a quality root beer.

 

[Frank Tuesday]

This all seems vaguely familiar.

 

[Gopherbassist]

I've been trying lots of root beers lately. Of the major brands, A&W is the best, especially from the tap in their restaurants.

I've been trying traditional root beers, and don't like them that much.

Of all the root beers I've tried, Frostie is the very best.

 

[superdick2112]

A&W used to be my fave until I discovered Zuberfizz, the holy grail of root beers...

http://www.zuberfizz.com/

 

[RxFunk]

A&W used to be my fave until I discovered Zuberfizz, the holy grail of root beers...

http://www.zuberfizz.com/

I was in Durango about five years ago and remember having some root beer at a small brewery/ restaurant that was amazing. I believe that was what I had, if so, +100000. It was so good, we bought a few gallons before hittin' the road.

 

[superdick2112]

I was in Durango about five years ago and remember having some root beer at a small brewery/ restaurant that was amazing. I believe that was what I had, if so, +100000. It was so good, we bought a few gallons before hittin' the road.

Funny thing is, I've lived in Colorado my whole life & have never once visited Durango. I discovered the good stuff when I happened to see it on the shelves of my local King Soopers grocery store.

 

[DwaynieAD]

Appalachian Brewing Company rootbeer. so good.

 

[gkbass13]

Maine Root.

 

[Hopkins]

IBC is still the king of all root beers IMHO

 

[tink9975]

Dominion is one of my favorites, It can occasionally be found on tap at local restaurants.
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[mrpackerguy]

The best diet root beer by far IMHO is diet A&W

 

[electracoyote]

I've drank a whole mess o' root beer in my life, A&W still tastes best to me.

 

[echoSE7EN]

Dominion is one of my favorites, It can occasionally be found on tap at local restaurants.
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Urban BBQ has it on tap in Rockville -- across the street from GC. Decent grub too.

 

[Solarmist]

I like plain old A&W, but I like Mug Cream soda better.

 

[RxFunk]

Funny thing is, I've lived in Colorado my whole life & have never once visited Durango. I discovered the good stuff when I happened to see it on the shelves of my local King Soopers grocery store.

Actually, never mind. I had zuberfizz's sodas(which were quite tasty), but the root beer I'm thinking of came from Carver Brewing Co. Delicious stuff.

 

[DwaynieAD]

I'm working up a rootbeer mead recipe as we speak.