Root of the Matter

Published on Monday, July 9, 2007, by Regan Burns / Edit Post

Thank you, Charles Elmer Hires. Even though root beer never really became an alternative to alcohol, as you intended (that temperance movement didn’t really stick either, did it?), you invented a delicious soda that has become quintessentially American. And since America’s all about choice (right? Well, sort of), there are a lot of brands out there to choose from—Soda Pop Stop and BevMo! each sells around 45 varieties. Our staff—riddled with root-beer-lovers—decided to sample a bunch of bottles: Here’s a roundup of our favorites. And remember, don’t pour your brew over ice—a frozen glass (or even better, a frozen glass mug) is the only way to enjoy root beer.

1. Virgil’s is one of the only commercially available root beers that is actually brewed with roots (just like CHOW’s) rather than mixed with extracts. Extremely complex and slightly medicinal, this one elicits a strong reaction from most people. We absolutely love it!

2. We consider Thomas Kemper to be the Cadillac of root beers. Creamy, with a smooth, honey flavor, it’s just what high-quality root beer should be.

3. Sprecher Root Beer Soda is blended with raw Wisconsin honey, which lends a complex sweetness and a nicely rounded taste. A rich, frothy head and subtle spiciness complete the package.

4. Henry Weinhard’s brewery makes a top-notch root beer. Smooth and full of vanilla, it pours from the bottle with a thick head. This one is out of this world in a Root Beer Float.

5. Berghoff Famous Root Beer is another Midwestern bottling. One taster called it “a good baseline beer, for those who want to take a step up from Dad’s.” By that we mean that while not extremely complex, it’s a good brew with balanced flavor.

6. The Original Bulldog handcrafted root beer has notes of licorice and vanilla with a smooth mouthfeel. It’s delicious! (And has a pretty cute label, too.)

7. AJ Stephans of Boston makes “the finest elixirs and mixers in New England.” It sells a draft-style root beer redolent of anise, spearmint, and spices.

8. Fitz’s was born at Fitz’s Drive-In in St. Louis, Missouri. Now available in bottles, this brew has strong notes of spearmint and wintergreen, with a creamy head.

9. Louisiana’s Abita brews up a mighty fine root beer with pure cane sugar. It’s a bit less intense than others, with a minty nose and a sweet, cola-esque flavor.

10. A true classic, IBC is well balanced, with prominent notes of sassafras and vanilla. While we expected this more common brew to be underwhelming, it definitely held its own among the small-batch breweries’ offerings.

ALLThe Ten
POST A COMMENT |20 Comments

COMMENT

  • I like Sprechers, Fitz, and IBC. Haven't tried the rest yet though

  • Barq's imho is the best ever!!!
    SheerBliss

  • I hate to be the lone dissenter but I think Virgil's is overrated, including the unbelievably expensive Bavarian nutmeg stuff that I got a deal on in Fairway years ago. (To be fair, I'm nuts about both of their cream soda and black cherry.) Also, what they brew is in effect their own proprietary extract which they add to carbonated water--it's not as though they actually brew their root beers...+READ

    I hate to be the lone dissenter but I think Virgil's is overrated, including the unbelievably expensive Bavarian nutmeg stuff that I got a deal on in Fairway years ago. (To be fair, I'm nuts about both of their cream soda and black cherry.) Also, what they brew is in effect their own proprietary extract which they add to carbonated water--it's not as though they actually brew their root beers with yeast.
    One of my faves is bottled by the Ithaca Beer Co. and I'd really like to try Sparky's and Bulldog but am loath to pay the shipping. And speaking of Ithaca, quite a few breweries manufacture root beer...why not actually brew it? It's not like they don't have the equipment, and I'll bet there'd be a market for it.-COLLAPSE

  • NOT BAD - but i was surprised to find "Sparky's" absent
    ...it's a local SF Bay Area product, made by Knox Brewing in Pacific Grove, CA - only avail throughout Santa Cruz & Monterey Counties and Online Suppliers
    (here's a list: http://www.sparkysrootbeer.com/Get%7E1.htm)
    ...the 'organic' stores of Mollie Stone used to carry it - but no longer!

    But it still remains some of the BEST, most...+READ

    NOT BAD - but i was surprised to find "Sparky's" absent
    ...it's a local SF Bay Area product, made by Knox Brewing in Pacific Grove, CA - only avail throughout Santa Cruz & Monterey Counties and Online Suppliers
    (here's a list: http://www.sparkysrootbeer.com/Get%7E1.htm)
    ...the 'organic' stores of Mollie Stone used to carry it - but no longer!

    But it still remains some of the BEST, most REFRESHING Root Beer i've tried!...and the 22 oz Bomber Bottles will get you thru a half-pound burger, too!
    Give it a try - you won't be sorry - and if you could help get Mollie Stone to start selling this stuff again... ;~>-COLLAPSE

  • stopped by half time in poughkeepsie yesterday, they've always carried virgil's, but i noticed abita and fitz's as well! so i picked some up, and left a note asking if they'd carry sprecher (since they already carry the beer).

  • hosmer's in ct is quite good as well..

    i like virgil's, but know plenty of people who don't - and i can understand it.

  • I love Wienhard's and have a great fondness for Sparky's and just bought a 5 gallon Keg of Kemper for a party which was good.

    I want to love Virgil's. but 80% of the bottles of it I've bought whether Ceramic capped, Mettle capped or Half gallon can have been flat. and that is not good eats

  • I love Virgil's but my sentimental favorite is Old Dominion Root Beer - whenever we are down in DC - we live in New York - we cross into Virginia and bring some back for old time sake -

  • Down in our neck of the woods there are a couple of superlative root beers. St. Arnold, a brewer of excellent craft beers out of Houston bottles a dynamite version: http://www.saintarnold.com/beers/rootbeer.html
    ...and maybe even better is a brew crafted by Maine Root Soda Co, a company founded by a couple of brothers, Matt and Mark Seilers. Mark lives in Austin, so we are privy to being able to...+READ

    Down in our neck of the woods there are a couple of superlative root beers. St. Arnold, a brewer of excellent craft beers out of Houston bottles a dynamite version: http://www.saintarnold.com/beers/rootbeer.html
    ...and maybe even better is a brew crafted by Maine Root Soda Co, a company founded by a couple of brothers, Matt and Mark Seilers. Mark lives in Austin, so we are privy to being able to get it on draft (and bottled) at many fine establishments all over town:
    http://www.maineroot.com/products_rootbeer.php
    ...seek them out! mick-COLLAPSE

  • I wasn't aware the beers were brewed in Monroe. A quick google search finds that it is the Joseph Huber Brewery, that brews the Berghoff brand.

    Thanks for the information.

  • True, S. Andrew Miller, Berghoff root beer was originally created at the eponymous restaurant in Chicago. While it was bottled for a time in Wisconsin, now the company buys the root beer from Clover Bottling Co. (the same company that makes Green River) which IS in Chicago, while the Berghoff beers are brewed in Monroe, WI. Thanks for pointing out the error. We've fixed it in the story.

  • Harpoon Brewery also makes a great rootbeer - but I haven't seen it in ages. (It's non-alcoholic.) My husband is really the rb drinker, he really likes Stewarts- when the stores have it.

  • Berghoff Famous Root Beer is not from Wisconsin. It is from the (sadly now closed) famous Berghoff Restaurant in downtown Chicago. They also make their own real beer, available throughout Chicagoland.

    See:
    http://www.berghoff.com/
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Berghoff_(restaurant)

  • Mmmm! I grew up around Drive-Ins like that in the midwest. I even worked at one (Lou's in Peoria, IL) that made root beer. Mug n' Bun in Indianapolis has some of the best drive-in root beer too.

  • I recently went to Carl's Drive-in here in st. louis. They make thier own root beer everyday. It's the original IBC recipe and it's oh-so-good. Apparently, IBC was originally made in St. Louis, then the company stopped making it and sold the recipe to Carl. When the 7up company revived IBC, they had to go to Carl's for the original formula. If you're in st. louis you must get a (large!) rootbeer...+READ

    I recently went to Carl's Drive-in here in st. louis. They make thier own root beer everyday. It's the original IBC recipe and it's oh-so-good. Apparently, IBC was originally made in St. Louis, then the company stopped making it and sold the recipe to Carl. When the 7up company revived IBC, they had to go to Carl's for the original formula. If you're in st. louis you must get a (large!) rootbeer float there. Also, somewhat locally, Charleville winery in Ste. Genvieve, MO make they're own rootbeer. It's thick and creamy and awesome. They can't bottle it, though, so you have to get your fill while you're visiting the winery (which is a awfully nice place to visit).-COLLAPSE

  • Sam Adams releases a hard root beer now and again.

  • I love love love Virgil's. Last year they had some kind of special nutmeg (and possibly vanilla in there too) root beer in a big glass bottle with a sort of cork in the top. It was excellent.

  • Great list. I'm a long time root beer fan and I agree with all this. I'll have to try Virgils, sounds like a step beyond the rest.
    Word of warning, Weinhard's is strong with vanilla, so it's over the top for some people. If you can find the regular beers from Sprecher, those are pretty excellent too.

  • Mmmmmmm...root beer. From A&W as a kid, to my adulthood introduction into Thomas Kemper in a keg while living just miles from their bottling plant to my recent foray into brewing my own (a little too yeasty, honestly!) I'm a full on root beer lover.

    Thanks for your honest approach to the American beverage that goes delightfully with pizza every Saturday night. I look forward to trying Virgil's!

  • I too am a root beer lover. IBC was always my drink, once Mug, which was a native San Francisco product, was bought by Pepsi in 1986.

    The one thing I can definitively say about root beer is that it's a great hangover cure--something about it is soothing to the savaged brain and cuts the tape on the road to recovery.