Signature Select root beer

Background information: This root beer is sold at Safeway/Vons/Albertsons grocery stores, but doesn't really have any pertinent product information.

Product details: 12 fl. oz.  Distributed by Better Living Brands LLC, P.O. Box 99, Pleasanton, CA 94566-0009. 170 calories, 46g sugar. Aluminum can. https://www.safeway.com

Ingredients: Carbonated water, high fructose corn syrup, caramel color, potassium benzoate (preservative), natural and artificial flavors, citric acid.


My thoughts: As I continue to encounter a drought of new, bottled root beers to try, I came across a single can of root beer in my grocery store's discount pile (they sell singles when a case breaks open). So not only is it not in a bottle, but it's a store brand, so I don't have high expectations for this. I figure I'll be happy if it comes in with a C-average score.

With a strong crack of the can opening, I toss back a swig of this store brand root beer and...it's pretty dang good! It has a strong, rooty flavor that is bolstered by vanilla, but not a lot else. It's a good flavor, but quite basic, with no hints of spices like wintergreen, licorice/anise, cinnamon, etc. that make for a really great root beer. But, in spite of only including the basics, I really do like this. The aftertaste leans a little more into the vanilla, but mostly resembles the initial flavor.

As I mentioned above, the can opened with a strong crack (and the sound of fizzing), which is a good sign. The carbonation is quite satisfying, though a little short of the really aggressive prickling bubbles that I prefer. But if you want something well carbonated but with a smoother profile, this one gets it just right. It also has a nice, creamy feeling, making it a very smooth root beer in spite of the carbonation. I think it's an excellent blend of properties. It does run a touch on the sweet and syrupy side, not too terribly so, but not quite as crisp as the best root beers manage to achieve.

Going in to this one, I wasn't expecting much from a generic, store brand root beer, but in the end it was a surprisingly competent root beer, punching above it's average appearances and, while doing almost nothing exceedingly well, manages to match up a lot of good attributes for a pretty decent root beer. 

Rating: B-
flavor: B
aftertaste: B-
sweetness: C-
smoothness: A-

carbonation: A- 

VitaLife Prebiotic root beer

Background information: This root beer is sold at Aldi grocery stores, but has no product information. It is a seasonal item, however, so may not be readily available.

Product details: 12 fl. oz.  Dist. & sold exclusively by Aldi Batavia, IL 60510. 40 calories, 5g sugar. Aluminum can. https://www.aldi.us

Ingredients: Water, Organic Water Kefir (Water, Organic Cane Sugar, Organic Kefir Culture), Organic Agave Inulin, Organic Cane Sugar, Organic Apple Juice Concentrate, Organic Root Beer Flavor (Water, Organic Caramel Color, Organic Gum Acacia, Natural Flavors, Citric Acid), Organic Stevia, Organic Lemon Juice Concentrate, Organic Vanilla Extract, Organic Monk Fruit Extract, Tartaric Acid, Sea Salt.


My thoughts: I'll admit that I'm not generally a fan of prebiotic sodas. But I saw this root beer and figured that it needed to be added to my reviews, so I bought a can (from my local Aldi's).

Taking a whiff of the just cracked can, it smells like an ordinary root beer. Taste, however, is completely different. Okay, I guess not completely different, as there are some rooty undertones, but the overall flavor is kind of a fruity...something. It doesn't really have a specific fruit flavor so much as it creates an impression of the fruitiness without being a definite flavor. I know that may not make a whole lot of sense, but that's the impression I get. It's not a particularly pleasant flavor, but it's not gag inducing. The aftertaste reveals a little hint of the root beer undertones and some wintergreen or some such mint along with some vanilla. At this point, not having read the ingredient list yet, I suspect the fruitiness is monk fruit, which is often used as a natural sweetener (edit: monk fruit confirmed on the list).

One thing this gets right is the carbonation. While not the really aggressive bubbles I love, it's probably more along the lines of what the average person prefers, a suitably prickly experience that doesn't necessarily dance on the tongue. To go along with that, I feel like it has a decently creamy sensation, going down nice and smooth. As for sweetness, I don't like the flavor monk fruit imparts as a sweetener, so am marking the sweetness down as a negative due to the influence on the flavor profile.

Alright, so as a prebiotic soda, this isn't a terrible drink by any stretch. But as a root beer, it's just not good, falling well below the average tasting root beer. This might be a decent option for those trying to drink healthier beverages, though I'm sure that -as in many things- the health advantages are overstated. I'd rather just eat healthier in general and mix in good tasting root beers in moderation instead.

Rating: D-
flavor: F+
aftertaste: D
sweetness: D
smoothness: B

carbonation: B+ 

Zevia creamy root beer

Background information: (from the website): "Our mission is as clear as our Soda: Create a world of better-for-you flavor, better for people and planet. One can at a time, we’re cleaning up the beverage aisle with naturally sweetened, zero sugar deliciousness for all. Zero-compromise refreshment you can enjoy whenever, wherever, as often as your taste buds’ crave. Without a plastic bottle in sight.

The world is already pretty sweet, so we see no need to add sugar. So we are serving up a simple way to avoid added sugar by creating naturally sweetened, great-tasting, drink-as-much-as-you-want refreshment for everyone. It’s a knockout combo of better-for-you beverages and limitless enjoyment that’s accessible to all. We’ve got plenty of flavor for you, and not a single gram of sugar.

It takes guts (and smarts) to improve on a beloved classic. With Creamy Root Beer we’ve (re)created a classic root beer, but with a rich, creamy and naturally sweetened, zero sugar twist. ‘Velvety smooth and bursting with flavor’ some might say, even if they weren’t on our payroll. They might also comment on its clear color — in between pouring their ice-cold Creamy Root Beer into a frosted mug and adding a scoop of vanilla ice cream."

Product details: 12 fl. oz.  Distributed by: Zevia PBS, Los Angeles, CA 91436. 0 calories, 0g sugar. Aluminum can. https://www.zevia.com

Ingredients: Carbonated water, natural flavors, Stevia leaf extract, citric acid.


My thoughts: Okay, I'll be up front and admit I am not a fan of zero calorie soda, especially of the Stevia sweetened variety. But in my unflagging quest to bring you more root beer reviews, I'll take the hit and give it a try. Maybe it'll surprise me?

Okay, the smell is classic root beer. That's promising. Now the flavor. I can tell it's going to be wretched. I scrunch up my face, close my eyes, take a swig, and just like I thought this is completely disgus---hey wait...this isn't too bad. It has a pretty classic root beer taste. Now, don't get me wrong, it does have that telltale stevia sweetened flavor to it that I find unpleasant and also hides picking out the individual spices in the flavor, though I do detect some vanilla. Aftertaste leaves behind the dreaded stevia aftertaste, but again, not as bad as I thought. The strong rooty taste helps mask it a little bit, I think.

Carbonation is pleasant, starting out pretty crunchy and tapering off to a moderate bite mid-can. Fairly decent for a canned soda. There is a little bit of a creaminess to it, though it's not the most frothy and creamy root beer. As for sweetness, it's a decent level of sweetness but unfortunately this comes with a healthy dose of stevia undertones and aftertaste, which is a huge hit to my enjoyment of this root beer. I new going into this that it was a "zero sugar soda," so was completely expected. That said, with 0g of sugar, this is a good option for those that can't drink sugary beverages.

So this wasn't the complete disaster I was expecting for a stevia sweetened root beer. It's drinkable, which is more than I can say for some of the other zero sugar root beers I've tried. It's no Dr. Pepper Zero levels of decent taste (which is where I set the bar for "good" zero sugar sodas), but if I had to switch to a no- or low- sugar diet, I'd consider making this one of my root beer choices. Fortunately for me, I don't need to so I doubt I'll be picking this up again.

Rating: C-
flavor: C
aftertaste: D
sweetness: C
smoothness: B-

carbonation: B+ 

poppi Prebiotic root beer

 

Background information: (from the website): "Founded by husband-and-wife duo Stephen and Allison and based in Austin, TX, poppi combines fresh fruit juice, apple cider vinegar, and inulin prebiotics for a deliciously refreshing, full-of-flavor soda with benefits.

With the help of an investment on Shark Tank, poppi has gone from farmer's-market-favorite to sitting pretty on the shelves of thousands of retailers across the nation. Along the way, we’ve become beloved by some new besties like Hailey Bieber, Kylie Jenner, Billie Eilish, Russell Westbrook, JLo, Olivia Munn, and more."

(from the can) "Facts... No one wants a basic drink. So make every hour happy with this bubbly, better for you prebiotic soda that keeps your gut happy and gives your bod a boost. Classic flavors that are downright delicious, these bubbles with benefits will be your new BFF."

Product details: 12 fl. oz.  Distributed by: poppi, Austin, TX 78731. 25 calories, 5g sugar. Aluminum can. https://www.drinkpoppi.com/

Ingredients: Sparkling Water, Organic Cane Sugar, Apple Juice*, Fruit Juice Color, Organic Apple Cider Vinegar, Organic Agave Inulin, Natural Flavors, Stevia, Natural Tartaric Acid. *Concentrate (Contains 3% Juice)


My thoughts: Prebiotic soda. These words strike some fear into my root beer loving heart. From the swampy depths of prehistoric earth emerge microorganisms, whose essence is being distilled into a soupy blend of sludge of slime molds, fungi, and bacteria, with the sole purpose of ruining what might be a perfectly decent root beer. Okay, perhaps I mischaracterize a perfectly decent beverage trend. Maybe this will be the best root beer I've had yet. We shall see if my preconceptions, though slightly exaggerated, hold true.

The initial flavor, when one expects root beer, is a bit confusing. It has a strangely subtle fruitiness which I can't quite explain (looking at the ingredients, I now see "apple juice" and "apple cider vinegar" listed, which likely gives it that flavor). Seeing those ingredients might also explain the tangy sensation with the vinegar. It's such a strange flavor combination, I don't quite know how to describe them. It's not bad, exactly, but I don't know that I particularly like it, especially as far as root beers go. There is a little bit of that rooty sassafras flavor in there, which becomes a more prominent as the initial flavors fade into the aftertaste. It also has a vanilla taste that grows stronger as an aftertaste.

Carbonation is fairly good, maintaining a decent fizz throughout the can. I tend to prefer my CO2 quite prickly, which this is a drink with smaller, less aggressive bubbles, but it does a decent job. The smaller bubbles don't froth a whole lot, which leaves it a little short on that bubbly creaminess I really like in my root beers, but something in the drink is leaving a thicker, creamier sensation behind. As for sweetness, I'm usually a bit skeptical of drinks sweetened with agave and Stevia, but the blend with cane sugar here works well, with no unusual sweetness related flavors I can detect. With only 5g of sugar (about 1/8 the usual amount), if leaves a much cleaner sensation behind.

I'm a bit puzzled on how I should rate this. It's not a great root beer, but it's fairly decent as a "healthy" probiotic beverage. I wouldn't mind having it again, but if I'm putting it purely into the context of a root beer, it's certainly not one I'd seek out again. So when you see the lower score, just keep in mind that I think it's a moderately decent Prebiotic soda (and not some awful swamp water sludge), but not exactly a great root beer. But, if I had to keep my sugar or calorie intake low, I do think it beats most diet root beer options and would likely be one of my low sugar picks.

Rating: C-
flavor: D+
aftertaste: C-
sweetness: A-
smoothness: C
carbonation: B

Twisted Root Burger Co. root beer

Background information: (from the website) "With high-quality made-to-order burgers, a ‘come as you are’ environment and a strange reverence for Chuck Norris, there’s no place else quite like Twisted Root. Way back before ‘gourmet burgers’ was a thing, Chefs Jason Boso & Quincy Hart decided to build a restaurant around half-pound, fresh ground burgers with a menu that allowed customers to build their own burgers with a list of crazy and inventive toppings. The two met in culinary school, after jobs in stock brokerages and telephone line repair. After paying their dues working the line at The Four Seasons & Pappas Bros, Jason & Quincy finally opened Twisted Root Burger Co. in the Deep Ellum neighborhood of Dallas, Texas in 2006. Twisted Root appeared on the second season of Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives with Guy Fieri (2009) and suddenly Twisted Root was a dining destination in Dallas. While Twisted Root Burger Co. has seen incredible growth, Jason & Quincy have stuck to their roots and their senses of humor, using a hands-on approach to high-quality, fresh food in an casual atmosphere with tons of personality."

Product details: Fountain drink. Dallas, TX. https://twistedrootburgerco.com/

Ingredients: n/a


My thoughts: I don't usually test fountain drinks, but since this isn't available any other way and I've lately run low on new root beers, I figured it was time to branch out. Unlike their banana cream pie version, this is dominated by a sickly sour, fruity taste, though there is a decent rooty sassafras flavor. There might be a faint hint of mintiness, but it's hard to tell (disclaimer: I tried this root beer after eating my burger, which had a very strong garlic sauce, so my taste buds aren't quite as attuned as when I normally test the root beers). Aftertaste is a bit watery and thin.

Having come out of the same spigot as their banana cream pie root beer, I was unsurprised to find the carbonation equally disappointing, with a major lack of effervescence. I don't care for the level of sweetness, perhaps the sickly sweet flavor lending the overall sweetness a feeling of being overbearing. There is no real creaminess to speak of, in spite of it being a banana *cream* variation.

I should have stuck with their banana cream pie flavor they were offering at the time, as it was a far superior root beer experience, even if that one wasn't stellar by any means. The poor carbonation, bad flavor, and unappealing sweetness all combine to make this a root beer I never need to try again. But if you ever find yourself in the area, it's well worth stopping in for their delicious burgers!

Rating: D+
flavor: D
aftertaste: C-
sweetness: C-
smoothness: C
carbonation: D+

Twisted Root Burger Co. Banana Cream Pie root beer

 

Background information: (from the website) "With high-quality made-to-order burgers, a ‘come as you are’ environment and a strange reverence for Chuck Norris, there’s no place else quite like Twisted Root. Way back before ‘gourmet burgers’ was a thing, Chefs Jason Boso & Quincy Hart decided to build a restaurant around half-pound, fresh ground burgers with a menu that allowed customers to build their own burgers with a list of crazy and inventive toppings. The two met in culinary school, after jobs in stock brokerages and telephone line repair. After paying their dues working the line at The Four Seasons & Pappas Bros, Jason & Quincy finally opened Twisted Root Burger Co. in the Deep Ellum neighborhood of Dallas, Texas in 2006. Twisted Root appeared on the second season of Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives with Guy Fieri (2009) and suddenly Twisted Root was a dining destination in Dallas. While Twisted Root Burger Co. has seen incredible growth, Jason & Quincy have stuck to their roots and their senses of humor, using a hands-on approach to high-quality, fresh food in an casual atmosphere with tons of personality."

Product details: Fountain drink. Dallas, TX. https://twistedrootburgerco.com/

Ingredients: n/a


My thoughts: I'm typically not a fan of banana flavor, so I was surprised to find that I liked this one. While their regular root beer was dominated by a sickly sour, fruity taste, this suffers no such fate. The rooty sassafras isn't quite as strong, but still present, but the interesting flavor is the banana cream. The banana does remind me a little of the banana Runts candy taste, but surprisingly it mixes well with root beer. There might be a faint hint of mintiness, but it's hard to tell (disclaimer: I tried this root beer after eating my burger, which had a very strong garlic sauce, so my taste buds aren't quite as attuned as when I normally test the root beers). Aftertaste is a bit watery and thin, mostly highlighting the banana cream.

Having come out of the same spigot as their regular root beer, I was unsurprised to find the carbonation equally disappointing, with a major lack of effervescence. Unlike the regular root beer, I found that with the lack of the sickly sour sweetness, this offers a pleasant level of sweetness. I thought perhaps the banana cream would make it too much, but the lack of a syrupy coating left me with a positive impression. There is no real creaminess to speak of, in spite of it being a banana *cream* variation.

I'm glad I gave this flavor a try after my meal, as it's a superior offering over the regular root beer. The lack of carbonation really holds this back from being a better drink, however.

Rating: B-
flavor: B
aftertaste: B-
sweetness: B+
smoothness: C
carbonation: D+

Henry Weinhard's root beer (redux)

Background information: (from the website) "In 1851, Henry journeyed from Germany to Portland with a love of beer. He loved it so much, he got a job in a brewery and began concocting his own recipes before deciding to go out on his own.

He was an eccentric man with an unmatched passion for bringing people together. He once offered to pump free beer through Skidmore Fountain to celebrate its unveiling, only to be turned down by the people in charge of the town who feared for rowdy horses.

It’s a story we love, and we often use it to remember to take a moment every now and then and be a little less like those in charge of Skidmore, and a bit more like Henry.

In 1920, Prohibition happened. Instead of giving up, as was expected, we spun our situation, switching from suds to sodas to stay afloat. We briefly left alcohol behind to carefully craft bottles of bubbles filled with flavor. It was the Henry thing to do, and we wouldn’t be where we are without him."

Note: While the bottles used to list "honey essence" as an ingredient, it's no longer mentioned. The website does say, however, that "Out root beer is a truly great American original and has stayed the same since forever. We mix the finest sassafras, vanilla and honey to create a soda that's anything but ordinary." A couple thoughts on that: honey is supposedly still used but removed as a separate ingredient from the label and their claim that it's "stayed the same since forever" is categorically false, as they not only changed over from high fructose corn syrup sometime in the past 10 years to cane sugar (an upgrade, IMO), but sassafras -which was originally used in root beers- was banned in food in the 1960's, so they would have also changed over from real sassafras in the original Prohibition-era recipe to artificial sassafras (or possibly safrole-free sassafras, I haven't seen anybody making that distinction in their ingredients or ad copy).

Product details: 12 fl. oz.  Blitz-Weinhard Gourmet Soda Company, Fort Worth, TX 76134. 180 calories, 42g sugar. Glass bottle with twist off top. https://www.henryweinhards.com/

Ingredients: Carbonated water, cane sugar, natural and artificial flavor (caramel color, acacia gum, potassium sorbate (preservative)), sodium benzoate (preserves freshness), phosphoric acid.


My thoughts: Having first discovered Henry Weinhard's root beer over 25 years ago, it quickly became my go-to, A-grade root beer by which all others were judged and was the subject of my very first root beer review over a decade ago. For a good portion of that time, their "sweetened (partially) by honey" was one of the things that stood out in the crowded root beer market, but recently I noticed they had changed the formulation and it no longer claims "honey" in any form on the ingredients label (though I notice they still claim honey on their website), but has also swapped high fructose corn syrup for cane sugar. In the light of these changes from their older formulation, I thought I would give it another review and see if it's held up and if they had improved on the slightly less than average carbonation.

I like the blend of spices that they use in this root beer. It has an immediate, rooty sassafras taste, but the other flavors come through nicely, with some wintergreen and vanilla coming through. This isn't the most complex root beer profile, lacking hints of things like clove, cinnamon, and anise that I've come to enjoy over the years, but it's still a solid root beer. The aftertaste doesn't reveal anything hiding underneath the initial flavor.

The carbonation is a bit on the weak side, though it doesn't necessarily feel like it's flat. Remember, I'm a fan of the big, aggressive bubbles and this has a smoother, calmer effervescence. It's not bad, but like the original, is lacking a little over what a "C" average root beer should be doing. Speaking of smooth, I like how this one has a pretty creamy texture to it. I wasn't expecting it as usually the creamier root beers list yucca root as an ingredient, something this one doesn't have listed. While this has dropped honey extract, it did replace the high fructose corn syrup with cane sugar. I haven't had the older formulation for some time, so I can't make an assessment as to how it's changed, but I will say that it never felt overly syrupy and felt appropriately sweet.

I don't know why "honey" has been taken off the labeling since the website still claims they "mix the finest sassafras, vanilla and honey...", but whatever they've changed Henry Weinhard's root beer still holds up decently well. Even back before I had tested all these root beers, I knew it wasn't the most complex flavor profile, though now in hindsight that's even more obvious. But fortunately, what it does do flavor-wise it still gets right. It may be slightly on the simpler side, but it's still deserving of finding a place on your buy list. In retrospect, it maybe didn't quite deserve the straight "A" I originally awarded it, so I'm knocking it down slightly to an "A-" here in this review.

Rating: A-
flavor: A
aftertaste: A-
sweetness: B+
smoothness: A-
carbonation: C-