Hosmer root beer

Background information: (from the website) "Hosmer Mountain Bottling Co. was purchased in 1958 by Arthur J. Potvin from Mrs. Fred Meyer, whose husband had passed away the previous summer. The Potvin’s then became the fourth family to run Hosmer. With the help of his wife and two eldest sons: Bill and John, Arthur began the arduous tasks that make the soda business a difficult one. He worked hard at keeping the machinery operational and the trucks on the road, blending the soda varieties, and keeping the customer happy. He learned how to make good soda with the help of a salesman and through trial and error. All soda was made with bagged sugar in those days and dry ice was converted to gaseous CO2 for the carbonation. All cases were wooden and bottles were all heavy refillable glass bottles. Two more sons, Andrew and Chuck, joined the operation in the late 60’s.

Early changes included getting a company logo (the shield that is still used today) and going to reusable fiber cases. However, the use of glass bottles has remained constant. Many of the same flavors are still available today along with the addition of diet beverages, seltzer water, and some new trendy drinks."

(from the bottle) "Made with micro filtered naturally pure water."


Product details: 12 fl. oz.  Hosmer Mountain Bottling Co., Willimantic, CT 062265. 180 calories, 45g sugar.  Glass bottle with twist off top.  https://hosmersoda.com/


Ingredients: Carbonated non chlorinated water, high fructose corn sweetener, natural & artificial flavors, caramel color, benzoate of soda (preservative), phosphoric acid.


My thoughts: Hosmer skips the fancy label, goofy names, and wacky mascots to deliver a root beer bottle that is pretty nondescript. Without the glamour and glitz to tell me what to think, I have to rely on my own rooty prowess to suss out what this drink brings to the table.

Taste-wise, this is a down to basics root beer. It has the regular rooty sassafras flavor, the tiniest bit weaker than I prefer, but pretty solid nonetheless. There's no mistaking this for any other flavor of beverage. Underneath the basic flavor is a touch of vanilla, which becomes slightly more pronounced as the overall flavor fades away into the aftertaste. No hints of wintergreen, anise, or any other spices that I can make out.

I rarely run across a root beer that screws up the sweetness too much and this is no exception. It has the expected amount of sugar and isn't obnoxiously syrupy. Carbonation comes in the form of small, subtle bubbles that do their job of keeping it effervescent to the end of the bottle. I do like my carbonation a little more on the aggressive side, so most people should be perfectly pleased. It's not particularly foamy or creamy, so isn't exactly what I'd call "smooth", as I think that term encompasses more than just texture related to the carbonation factor. It's about average, with only a slightly creamy texture offering a small bump up.

While it may seem that I'm a bit down on this particular root beer, I assure you it's a perfectly serviceable drink. However, for a "step up" root beer from your average supermarket root beer, it really doesn't offer anything to justify the added expense. It's just slightly better than average and, therefore, gets just slightly better than an average score. I initially gave it a "C+", but upon further reflection decided that it just ekes out of the "C" range and into the lowest tier of "B" scores.


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