Top 10 ROOT BEER brands

[Walter Sobchak]

{ redacted }

[wuapinmon]

1. Henry Weinhard's

2. everything else

[Surfah]

I concur with Wuap.

Though for NA beers, I prefer this:

[ERCougar]

I had a time where I got really into rootbeer, like to the point where I was ordering rootbeers from all over the country at about $3 a bottle. Lame, I know, but it was my latent oenophile expressing itself in its own Mormon way.

I'm glad there is another Sprecher's fan...good rootbeer although seeing as you can purchase this in several grocery stores, I might have looked down a little on this one in my older days. As far as widely available rootbeer though, i think it's the best.

Weinhardt's is also good, but it's not Sprecher's. Some people just don't like Sprecher's because it's a little different, so I wouldn't fault wuap for liking this one.

IBC--meh. Can't agree with you on this one.

A couple of my faves of the less commonly found variety:
Virgil's
XXX
Bulldog

(I just noticed you already named Bulldog--meaning that this one's a little more common than i thought)

[wuapinmon]

I should add that I haven't tried many of the ones on his list. For now, Weinhardt's is my favorite.

Abita Springs root beer from Louisiana isn't bad.

[ERCougar]

Sam Adams makes an alcoholic root beer. FYI.

Bulldog is a nice mellow brew; you can find it at most Cost Plus World Markets. The flavor is built on a honey undertone and is delicate and sweet; it finishes with a slight hint of wintergreen. The carbonation is light and perfectly suited for the subtle flavor. This is a good sipping brew on a hot day while sitting on the back porch.

XXX (here in Issaquah at least) has slipped in quality... and it happened just recently, about two years ago I would guess. In fact, the quality of the food slipped at the same time. The burgers and the root beer just ain't what they used to be. I can't explain it. Was it a change in management? A switch in distributors? I've scratched my head about this many times. Once upon a summer, I very much enjoyed the large frosty mug (no ice!) on a warm Saturday evening at triple-X while watching the cars for the car show roll into the parking lot... but no longer.

I have to disagree with you on Virgil's. Virgil's is an interesting, unique beverage to be sure... just have a gander at the cornucopia of spices listed in the ingredient list: anise, licorice, vanilla, cinnamon, clove, sweet birch, molasses, nutmeg, pimento berry oil, balsam oil, and cassia oil, among others. With such a wide variety of flavors, Virgil's tastes more like an herbal beverage than a pure root beer. That does not necessarily make Virgil's a bad beverage per se, but it does make it a bad root beer.

cheers.

Dang...you know your rootbeers...

I'll agree on Virgil's. It's been a while, but I remember really digging the anise taste, but I can see how it wouldn't be everyone's ideal rootbeer.

That's too bad about XXX (and I forgot it came from Issaquah!). Like I said, it's been a couple of years, so maybe before the downturn in quality. That's cool that you've been there--I doubt the bottled version ever matched the on-tap version.

I'll have to check out my son's windowsill to remind me of some others. One of the fun results of this rootbeer exploration is that he has a collection of bottles and caps in his room--looks like a frat guy's window.

[kccougar]

I like that Howie's is on your list. It's the cheapest rootbeer on the shelves at our local grocery, and I think it's a great root beer. Lot's of vanilla flavor. In fact, I think it tastes exactly like a rootbear float without the ice cream.

My favorite root beer is a St. Louis local brew. Fitz's. Several years ago my brother-in-law hosted a root beer tasting party with about 10 brands. We ordered a case of Fitz's and brought it to the party, and it was the winner. Bonus that their restaurant/bottling plant has a window separating the two where you can watch the rootbeer being bottled.

Second place goes to a brew called Captain Eli's. I think it is bottled in Portland, Maine. I found it at the Rootbeer Emporium in Chico, CA - a great little place that has a wall full of root beer from around the country. You just choose which one you want then order it at the counter and they pull cold ones from a big walk-in fridge. Captain Eli's has a slight minty flavor that I like.

[kccougar]

I should add that I am not a fan of Weinhard's for those might consider my other recommendations.

[DrumNFeather]

Old Dominion out of Virginia is a solid brand of Rootbeer.

[marsupial]

Artisan root beer? You're kidding.

I don't like root beer without vanilla ice cream.

[HuskyFreeNorthwest]

I am not sure this counts as a root beer, I would guess more Ginger Ale, however the main reason I hope to visit YOhio one day is to have some Sykline Chili and an Ale8.



*My intent was not to drag this thread off the original topic.

[PaloAltoCougar]

I would like to partake from that list, but I haven't had a one. My RB experience has been very pedestrian (Hires vs. Mug vs. A&W vs. Barq's, etc.). Sad, really. My Rupert, Idaho mission companion made up a batch of RB in Vienna, and told me it was going to be the finest elixir I had ever quaffed. But during the "cure" period (or fermentation, I don't know), while we were out doing the Lord's work, all of the bottles exploded, leaving a sticky mess throughout our apartment. I don't know why we were punished. I've been rather of afraid of root beer ever since.

[RC Vikings]

My RB experience is pretty limited but it's hard to imagine anything better then some A&W RB in a nice big glass after a little league baseball game.

[TripletDaddy]

I am not well versed in root beer.

If you want to do a cream soda thread, I can participate. I once held a cream soda taste test in my office....I featured over 25 brands for sampling. Delish!

[happyone]

I used to love root beer, nothing better than an AW root beer in a frosty mug at the drivein. Unfortunately, my tasting has mainly been with the national brands.

Now I can't even enjoy that. Diet Barq's is not too bad though