REBBL root beer

Background information: (from the website) "A CAUSE LOOKING FOR A COMPANY…

REBBL was born out of a passionate collaboration between global thought-leaders to identify an innovative solution to uplift vulnerable communities around the world."

(from the can): "Deliciously supercharged plants to power people."

"Every can of organic REBBL POP is packed with deliciously refreshing, nutrient-dense, plant-powered ingredients that support immunity and digestive health. We ethically source our ingredients, supporting the communities that grow them, and use sustainable packaging."

"Good for you, great for other, better for the world."

Product details: 12 fl. oz. Distributed by REBBL, Emeryville, CA 94608. 50 calories, 5g sugar. Contains 3% juice. Aluminum can. www.rebbl.co

Ingredients: Sparkling water, organic acacia, organic coconut nectar, organic natural flavor, organic vanilla extract, organic stevia extract, pink salt, organic monk fruit extract, vitamin C (ascorbic acid). Contains: coconut. 


My thoughts: Following up on my last "healthy" root beer review, I have yet another root beer with similar claims, with "supports immunity & digestive health." Sounds like another flavor disaster waiting to happen, but we'll see if this one can't offer something a little more palatable.

First off, the rooty sassafras flavor isn't very pronounced. It does come across as definitely being a root beer, however. The stevia is just ruining it with a very pronounced taste. If you like Stevia, no big deal. But I detest the flavor it imparts and in this drink it overwhelms the other flavors with its presence. Notes of vanilla and what I believe is the monk fruit (which -according to the internet- has a caramel/toffee taste). There are some other flavors that I can't quite identify, though I do like what they are doing, but it's hard to sort them out underneath the oppressive stevia. The aftertaste starts out not very good, with more stevia taste on the menu. But an interesting thing happens if I wait a bit longer, as the stevia finally fades away and I can start tasting more of the underlying flavors that were hidden away before, with the vanilla and monk fruit finally taking over. This is one drink that is vastly improved by the aftertaste and benefits from longer pauses between taking another drink. One thing I didn't notice earlier in the drink is the wintergreen, but as I got down to the last 1/3 of the can I started to notice it and it seemed to get stronger the closer to the bottom of the can I got. It never did get too strong, though.

The carbonation is on the weak side, but at least doesn't seem to totally vanish as I make my way through the drink. Again, when carbonation is low it's harder to gauge smoothness, but I'd rank this about average. It's not particularly creamy (I like a creamy foam froth), but there is a little bit of creamy texture in there. Sweetness is fine, leaving a pretty clean feeling in my mouth, but comes at the price of destroying the flavor, so gets some points knocked off for that detrimental side effect.

Whereas the last "healthy" probiotic root beer I tried was an absolute failure on all levels, this one at least offers a somewhat pleasant experience. Other than the overly strong stevia influence, I like what the flavors are doing here. Yes, it could use a little more rooty sassafras taste and veers more towards a vanilla caramel flavor in the aftertaste, but overall I enjoyed this flavor blend that was hidden underneath. I think this is a good choice for those that are looking for very low sugar alternatives. If you're okay with the stevia taste, then adjust my rating accordingly as that was the main factor for my lower score. Absent that sweetener, this might be a mid to high "B" rating instead. I wish they'd offer this same blend with a cane sugar sweetener, as I think I'd really like it.

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

Olipop classic root beer

Background information: (from the website) "OLIPOP tastes like the soda you grew up sipping, but with the added benefit of microbiome and digestive health support. With plant fiber, prebiotics, botanicals, and a touch of magic, we made soda healthier AND more delicious!"

"Our botanically driven Root Beer marries a classic bite with a creamy sweetness with extracts of sweet birch, smooth-vanilla bean and naturally sourced burdock root. We recommend pairing it with your favorite ice-cream."

(from the can): "We've spent years crafting a drink that;s as good for your digestion as it is delicious. OLIPOP combines the benefits of prebiotics, plant fiber and botanicals in a sparkling tonic that supports your microbiome and benefits digestive health."

Product details: 12 fl. oz.  Manufactured for OLIPOP Inc., Oakland, CA 94610. 35 calories, 2g sugar. Contains 3% juice. Aluminum can. www.drinkolipop.com

Ingredients: Purified water, OLISMART (Chicory Root*, Jerusalem Artichoke*, Kudzu root*, Cassava fiber, Cassava syrup, Marshmallow root*, Slippery Elm bark*, Nopal cactus*, Calendula flower*), Apple juice, Organic Root Beer Flavor extract*, Stevia*, Burdock root*, Pink rock salt, Vanilla bean essence, Sweet Birch*. *extract 


My thoughts: Okay, I'm feeling adventurous. Not only is this not a bottle, but it hits all the buzzwords: Prebiotics; botanicals; plant fiber; digestive health. Seems like it could be a perfect pairing with my avocado toast. I jest. Sort of. Avocado toast is tasty.

Okay, this is an interesting mix of flavors. I can tell it's a root beer, as it has some of the classic sassafras rootiness, but there are a lot of other competing flavors. A lot of the flavors I can't identify, as they are way outside my normal wheelhouse: Cassava, chicory root, Jerusalem artichoke, Kudzu root, etc (see the ingredients list above and most of those I have never had before). These flavors do lend a slightly "healthy herbal medicinal" sensation to the flavors, and I'm not entirely sure I like it. Vanilla is somewhere in this mix and I can taste it a little. The worst offender is probably the stevia, of which I have never been a fan. The stevia lingers strongly in the aftertaste, making me regret this drink.

With my first swig, the carbonation wasn't too bad. Weak, but okay. The effervescence quickly dissipated, leaving an almost entirely flat drink. (note: I had purchased this once before and only noticed it was past it's "best by" date after trying it and discovering it was totally flat, so I dumped it out. Giving it a chance with a newly purchased, fresh can, it seems that being flat is just how this drink rolls.) It's hard to judge smoothness in the near-complete absence of carbonation, but there is a sense of some creaminess. Sweetness is awful, not due to the texture, but the fact it's primarily sweetened with the awful stevia sweetener. Gross.

So this was an absolute failure as a root beer, or even as a moderately drinkable beverage. There is so much going on flavor-wise, with a few hits but mostly misses. I get that this is supposed to be a healthy alternative to regular soda, but they certainly didn't do a good job of convincing me that they are a viable competitor with my regular, not-at-all healthy, root beer. I had a hard enough time finishing this one can and certainly won't be consuming this again.

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

Oak Creek root beer

Background information: (from the website) "Through a decade long journey, the team of Master Soda Craftsmen at OAK CREEK cultivated a unique process in which traditional sodas can be delivered in multiple varietals through time honored barrel aging techniques. This passion project was inspired and influenced by the rise of the barrel aged culture of wine, beer, and spirits. For the soda connoisseur with an eye for innovation and a thirst for a unique drinking experience, OAK CREEK Barrel Aged Sodas represent the next evolution of craft soda.

OAK CREEK uber-premium Root Beers are hand-crafted in American Oak barrels with a medium char which increases the oak’s influence on the color, aroma, flavor, and overall style. Naturally flavored and made with real sugar, each small batch of OAK CREEK Root Beer spends no less than ONE YEAR aging in the oak so that the full benefits can be drawn out and delivered to your glass."

(from the bottle): "Barrel aged root beer is a traditional root beer turned upside down. Well, more like turned on its side and the aged in a medium-charred American Oak barrel. We're paying homage to the original soda fountains while elevating the process for the next Millenium. Share your vintage!"

Product details: 12 fl. oz.  Oak Creek Barrel Aged Sodas. 150 calories, 41g sugar. Glass bottle with pry off top. www.oakcreekbarrelagedsodas.com

Ingredients: Water, sugar, natural & artificial flavor, caramel color, phosphoric acid, sodium benzoate and potassium sorbate.


My thoughts: Oak Creek's sodas are what they call "barrel aged." I'm not sure what exactly barrel aging is supposed to do to a soda, but I imagine it's supposed to impart a woody flavor to the drink. *Or are barrels made of plastic and metal these days? I'm hoping for a woody, earthy drink and am very curious what I'll find: pure marketing hype or something new and interesting?

First off, the flavor is a little weaker than I usually like. Not terribly so, but the sensation that there could be a bit more rooty sassafras flavor was the first thought in my head. This was followed by me noticing a flavor profile that I couldn't place. Not being a drinker of other "barrel aged" beverages, perhaps this is the note that wooden barrels impart upon their contents. I like it, as it gives a subtle taste that sets it apart from the usual root beers. In a blind taste test I wouldn't note it as a wood flavor, but it does have a "natural" sort of inclination rather than the synthetic. The aftertaste is just a slow fade of the passable, but not entirely exceptional, root beer flavor. There's a very tiny hint of wintergreen and maybe a little anise.

Moving on, the carbonation is a little disappointing. It's ever so slightly on the flat side, though not too detrimentally so. This might just be because I prefer more aggressive carbonation, as others may find it perfectly serviceable. As such, it's fairly smooth to drink, but lacks a certain creaminess that the finer root beers possess. Sweetness-wise, I thought it seemed to leave a little more of a sugary coating than usual, so I was surprised to look at the nutrition facts and see that it actually has a little less sugar than the average. It's not cloyingly sweet and, like the carbonation, would likely not even register to the casual root beer drinker that it was any different than normal.

As I look at each individual trait, it seems like a fairly disappointing root beer. But somehow the parts add up to one that exceeds the sum of the parts. I liked it pretty well. Perhaps it's the illogical part of me that enjoyed the novelty of the "barrel aged" flavor that is imparted to it, causing me to forgive the shortcomings in other areas. Whatever it is, while I wouldn't heartily recommend this as a top choice, it's one that I would recommend trying and one I wouldn't mind revisiting again in the near future.

Note: after drinking the root beer I read the label which reveals that the root beer is "aged in a medium-charred American Oak barrel."

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

Red Rock root beer

Background information: (from the wikipedia) "The Red Rock Company was founded in 1885 by Lee Hagan and G. T. Dodd of Atlanta, Georgia. Dodd initially introduced ginger ale as the company's first product, which became popular in the Southern U.S. By 1938, Red Rock was an early leader in the distribution of carbonated beverages, distributing 12-ounce bottles by way of a distribution network of 200 bottlers. By 1947, Red Rock products were bottled in 45 of the 48 U.S. states but by 1958, the company's success began to decline.

Red Rock Cola was endorsed by famous baseball player Babe Ruth. Posters of his endorsement were printed in 1939."

An article from 1998 about the company: https://www.bizjournals.com/atlanta/stories/1998/07/27/smallb1.html

Product details: 12 fl. oz.  Produced under the authority of Red Rock Licensees by Clayton Dist. Co., Inc. Austell, Georgia 30168. 170 calories, 47g sugar. Glass bottle with twist off top. www.rocketfizz.com

Ingredients: carbonated water, sugar, caramel color, sodium benzoate (as a preservative), phosphoric acid, natural and artificial flavors.


My thoughts: I've only recently visited Atlanta for the first time. I had a great time there and met a bunch of really cool people. So I have a positive impression of the town. The television series Atlanta is visionary, so another win for "Atlanta" in my book. So will this root beer (I found it in a completely non-Atlanta related gas station in Texas) achieve the triple Atlanta crown, propelling that namesake to it's third victory (I guess fourth if you, unlike me, care about baseball)? Well, it's the bottom of the 9th and the bases are loaded with Atlanta is down by three, read on to see if Red Rock strikes out or manages the grand slam to bring home the prize (there, that metaphor should satisfy you baseball fans and hopefully redeem me somewhat in your eyes).

Well, I like what they are doing here. While there is a strong rooty flavor, I like that there is also a very strong vanilla and caramel taste. It reminds me of the homemade caramels my mother used to make. This makes for a very nice combination with the regular root beer flavor. The aftertaste that follows is just a mellowing of the flavor, with the caramel sticking around the longest. And, while I don't taste any mint flavor, I'm pretty certain it's in the mix as this drink leaves the telltale cooling signs. No mint flavor but with the cooling aftermath!?!? Give me more like this!

Following up the great flavor is some great carbonation. The CO2 bubbles are nice and prickly without being too aggressive, dancing across my tastebuds with delight. It settles down to a decently creamy sensation as I swallow it, giving it a nice, smooth finish. Like most sodas, it's sugar derived and you have to expect the usual sugary coating they leave behind, but this one works fairly well, not seeming too overly syrupy. It could probably be a tiny bit less thick feeling, but I'm just nitpicking at this point. (note: Now that I look at the nutrition facts, I see it has more sugar than the usual, so that might be why it feels a little sugar-thick.)

To be honest, I was just expecting this drink to hit a double, putting in a solid effort but not winning the game. Little did I expect it would smash my expectations out of the field, just skimming over the outstretched hand of the left fielder for a grand slam win! I don't know that it's necessarily the very best root beer I've had (it doesn't have the complex notes of different spices that truly separate those select few), but I would be remiss if I didn't give it winning score. It's been a while since I've had a root beer that I would immediately want in my fridge again, but this is one of those. Highly recommended.

Edit: I usually don't read other reviews before drinking root beers so they don't influence my perception. So after completing my review I was surprised to discover that the first search result that came up for this root beer also uses a baseball analogy. This was a surprising coincidence, but I'm not going to rewrite my review just to avoid it. I swear, I didn't copy their idea. So sorry if this root beer has too many baseball references in conjunction with it.

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

Labrador butterscotch root beer

Background information: (from the website) "The Rocket Fizz Soda Pop and Candy Shops, LLC was founded in 2007 by Robert (Rob) Powells and Ryan Morgan and in 2012 Rich Shane became the company CEO. The original store opened in 2009. The Ventura, CA and Portland OR locations are company-owned. The Rocket Fizz Soda Pop and Candy Shop is the largest and fastest growing soda pop and candy shop franchise brand in America. Besides the two company owned stores all of the other Rocket Fizz Soda Pop and Candy Shop locations throughout the U.S.A. and Canada are franchised and are independently owned and operated. As the creators and co-owners of the entire Rocket Fizz system, Rob and Ryan carefully select each Rocket Fizz franchise store operator. Any questions or comments regarding the Rocket Fizz Soda Pop and Candy Shops company, its history, its future, or its founders and owners Rob and Ryan, must be directed to the Rocket Fizz company at info@rocketfizz.com."

Product details: 12 fl. oz.  Bottled by the Rocket Fizz Soda Pop and Candy Shoppes, LLC., PO Box 3663. Camarillo, CA 93011. 170 calories, 42g sugar. Glass bottle with pry off top. www.rocketfizz.com

Ingredients: Spring water, pure cane sugar, citric acid, caramel color & natural flavors. No preservatives. Flash pasteurized for safety.


My thoughts: Here comes another root beer from the fairly decent Rocket Fizz lineup of drinks. While I've yet to find a top tier root beer from them, they haven't totally failed me yet. And, as I do enjoy the root beer and butterscotch flavor combination, I'm looking forward to seeing if this one is Best in Show worthy, or if it should be sent out to the dog house.

Like a bloodhound, my first impression is the scent. And this scent has a very strong smell of mint. So diving into the flavor, I'm not at all surprised to find a very minty taste. But what is surprising is that there isn't a very rooty flavor to it, as the mint completely overpowers it. But even more surprising is that I can't detect the butterscotch at all. If it wasn't on the bottle label, I would never know there was any butterscotch at all. As for the aftertaste, more mint. If I let the aftertaste flavor sit long enough and fade away, I *think* there might be the tiniest of hints of butterscotch, but maybe that's just my tastebuds playing mind tricks on my butterscotch expectations. As anybody who has read my reviews of other minty root beers knows, while I like a tiny bit of cooling mint, I don't like the toothpaste, in-your-face assault of strong mint flavor. So this isn't doing this one any favors.

So what does this one get right? Carbonation. It is strong, with a nice bite to it that stings my tongue just a little. While the actual bubbles aren't very large, it has a nice balance for those who like a strong carbonation without being overly aggressive. Unexpectedly, this one also follows through with a fairly creamy smoothness, leaving a contrastingly calm texture after the carbonation dissipates. It is slightly more sugary feeling in my mouth than some of my top root beers, so could probably benefit from a very minor reduction in sweetness. While not syrupy, it does leave a little more sugary coating than usual.

Let's get this out of the way: the "butterscotch" on the bottle is entirely misleading. As far as I can tell, this flavor just isn't there. Sorry to keep hounding on this, but what we have is an overabundance of mint. Root beers should have a variety of flavors from various spices, but everything is pushed aside by the mintiness. It's not a disgusting beverage (keep that in mind when looking at my ratings), but it's not really a good root beer. What I do like about this drink is the texture, with excellent carbonation and a pleasing creaminess. If they'd keep those attributes and work on the flavor balance, this could be a great root beer. As it is, I'm sending this one to the kennel.

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

Sprecher maple root beer

Background information: (from the website) "Sprecher Brewing Co. has a long history as the oldest Craft Brewery in Milwaukee, and our story is one of devotion to craft, commitment to the community, and a drive to share our fire-brewed sodas and beers with customers nationwide. We grew from an idea in the mind of Randy Sprecher to a Milwaukee craft brewing institution proudly owned by a small group of local investors. This is our story.

Before Randy Sprecher, there were no craft breweries in Milwaukee—only Miller, Pabst, and Schlitz. Randy himself was not in Milwaukee until 1980. Randy grew up on the west coast. He was drafted into the army during the Vietnam war, but due to colorblindness he was sent to work for a general in Augsburg, Germany instead of going to Vietnam.

Randy fell in love with German beers, and he was not able to find anything that compared when he moved back to the U.S. So, he began making his own German beers at home. Homebrewing quickly turned into an obsession for Randy. He was taking classes in Oceanography at Humboldt State when he returned from the service, but he switched to courses that helped him become a better brewer.

In 1972, Randy applied to study fermentation science at UC-Davis and refined his brewing skills to the point of expertise. Then, he perplexed the State of California by applying to establish a licensed brewery—a concept that the state did not understand. Down but not out, Randy secured a post as Supervisor of Brewing Operations at Pabst’s Milwaukee brewery. He packed up everything he owned into a VW Van and moved to Milwaukee.

While he worked at Pabst from 1980 to 1984, Randy held onto his dream of opening his own brewery. He continued homebrewing and saving money. When he lost his job in a big round of layoffs in 1984, Randy took the opportunity to begin building Sprecher Brewing Co. In 1985 Randy opened our first location at 701 W. Oregon St. in Walker’s Point. He hand-built much of the brewery equipment with friends, including the original gas-fired brew kettle. Milwaukeeans have always appreciated a good beer, and Randy’s flagship award-winning beers—the Black Bavarian and Special Amber, quickly became popular.

However, in 1993, a canal retainer wall fell into the Menominee river, and the brewery’s parking lot went down with it. It became difficult to access the brewery after that, so Sprecher began relocating to a renovated elevator cab factory in Glendale, a process that finished in 1995.

Today Sprecher is one of the only breweries in the U.S. that still uses a unique fire-brewing process that caramelizes the flavors to give Sprecher’s craft sodas and beers big bold flavor. The popularity of Sprecher’s unique craft beverages has led to continued expansion of the Glendale, Wisconsin facilities. Sprecher has gone from serving the Milwaukee and Wisconsin area to being distributed to retailers in over twenty states. In February of 2020, Randy Sprecher retired having achieved his dreams. He wanted the company to stay in competent local hands, so he sold it to a small team of Milwaukee investors."

Product details: 12 fl. oz.  Sprecher Brewing Co., Glendale, WI 53209. 200 calories, 44g sugar. Glass bottle with twist off top. www.sprecherbrewery.com

Ingredients: Carbonated water, cane sugar, natural flavors, maple syrup, natural caramel color, citric acid.


My thoughts: Fall is in the air. The temperatures are dropping. Flowers are withering away. The maple leaves on the trees are changing color...errr, wait. I'm in Los Angeles, so the only leaves I see are palm tree leaves and they are decidedly green. But you get the picture. This root beer bring so mind the fall season, with it's subdued yellow, brown and red label and maple leaf theme, so it's an appropriate that I give it a try at this time of the year. The last time I had Sprecher (their regularly flavored version), it was barely better than average. This time, I'm hoping it'll be a flavor I'm more thankful for. So let's get on with it!

It does have a good, rooty sassafras flavor to it, though knowing it's flavored with maple syrup leaves me searching for the hints of that aspect. Part of what makes this difficult is the strong wintergreen flavor. It's not extremely overpowering, but does overwhelm the other flavors that may be more subtle, including the maple, though I do detect slight hints of vanilla. As I let the initial flavor fade away, the mintiness stays behind, but wait long enough and a vague maple flavor eventually works its way to the surface, though if I didn't know this was "maple" root beer I might not notice it at all as the flavor takes long enough to get noticed that I would probably have stopped paying attention at that point and missed it completely.

The carbonation is a major disappointment, as it's fairly weak and quickly dissipates. I prefer vigorous carbonation where it almost hurts my tongue, and this one is a below average score. Perhaps partly helped by the lower amounts of carbonation, this unsurprisingly is a fairly smooth root beer, but falls short of the creaminess offered by some of the competition. As for sweetness, the combination of cane sugar and maple syrup works out fine, as I was a bit worried it would come off too syrupy, as there is literally syrup in the bottle. But they struck a good balance and it's only slightly more sugary feeling than usual.

So, when it comes to this season, this one doesn't fall flat on it's face though it does fall flat on carbonation. It's a decent effort, slightly surpassing their regular root beer offering, but a little more minty than I would prefer. I'd be curious to see if, in a blind taste test, anybody would detect the maple aspect of this? Perhaps I should do a taste test comparison with some of my root beer friends.

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

Towne Club root beer

Background information: (from the website) "Towne Club first entered the market in the mid-1960s, debuting its well-loved “Pop Shops” in Detroit. The Pop Shops offered an incredible number of soda flavors, much more than what was typically seen in grocery stores. The assortment of flavors was known to inspire curiosity and enjoyment among patrons. At Pop Shops, visitors entered the store, grabbed a sturdy wooden crate, and walked around the various stacks of pop—creating a memorable in-store experience. Customers would be encouraged to bring back empty bottles as well as cases, creating a virtuous cycle of experiences.

Towne Club is owned and bottled in Detroit by Intrastate Distributors, Inc. (IDI). IDI owns other beverages, including Frostie and Kist.

Towne Club is made for all Michiganders and bottled with love in Detroit."

Product details: 16 fl. oz.  Bottled by: Towne Club Bev. Corp., Detroit, Michigan 48234. 215 calories, 42g sugar. Glass bottle with twist off top. www.towneclub.com

Ingredients: Carbonated Water, Pure Cane Sugar, Sodium Benzoate (preservative), Citric Acid, Natural and Artificial Flavors.


My thoughts: You're at the club. You see a hottie across the way. Your eyes meet. They walk over, the pulse of the music pounding in rhythm to your heartbeat as the rest of the people and the sounds fade away into a background haze. Is this the one you take home, or is it the one you "I gotta run to the bathroom" and ditch? Just what kind of party in your mouth is happening with this Towne Club?

This root beer is the life of the party, with it's strong, rooty sassafrass taste that root beer is known for. It's got some fancy dance moves, ones that seem familiar. It's entertaining, though not entirely innovative. Behind the strong initial impression, there are little hints of vanilla and wintergreen. And as the song ends, the impressions slowly and pleasantly fade, leaving a good taste behind. This root beer may not have mastered the complexity of salsa dancing, or the technical prowess of a master break dancer, but its club party style is fun nonetheless.

Speaking of sweet dance moves, this one has solid sugar levels. Not too syrupy, with just the right amount of sugar. While I prefer my carbonation to bump, grind and twerk energetically over my tongue, this is a little classier, with a little more controlled roiling and jumping effervescence and only moderate amounts of carbonation twerking. While some pickup lines can be terribly grating, this one is fairly smooth. Maybe not the smoothest, but good enough that I'd say "yes."

Well, if this root beer is a night out at the Towne Club, then maybe I've been missing out on this clubbing thing. It's a lot of fun, something I'd be up for doing again, though it wouldn't be my nightly routine. This root beer is good for a hookup, but if you're looking for a long term situation, there are other fish in the sea that would serve you better.

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

Bawls Guarana root beer

Background information: (from the website) "BAWLS Guarana all started as a class project to provide college students with a great tasting alternative to coffee. Keep in mind this was a time before the term “energy drink” was around. The idea: in addition to caffeine, use the natural power of the Guarana Berry, not yet known to the US, to fuel the drink. 

In 1996, BAWLS Guarana was released upon the world in the signature cobalt blue glass bottle making it one of the first drinks in the USA to use a natural energy supplement.

Turns out, BAWLS’ great taste, long lasting energy, bumpy non-slip glass bottle, and fun name, just so happened to be a perfect concoction. The blue bottle fuel soon became the go-to energy source. 25 years later we still have the best fans around! "

Product details: 10 fl. oz.  Manufactured for BAWLS, Twinsburg, OH 44087. 140 calories, 36g sugar. Glass bottle with pry off top. www.bawls.com

Ingredients: Carbonated Water, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Caramel Color, Citric Acid, Natural Guarana Extract, Sodium Benzoate (as a preservative), Caffeine, Natural and Artificial Flavors. Warning: This product contains high levels of Caffeine.


My thoughts: I have to admit, I like root beer. I'm sure that comes as a surprise to many of you. Having lived in Brazil for a couple years, I also am a big fan of Guaraná. I had never considered combining the two into a single beverage, as the flavors don't seem like they'd really go together. So, will this drink result in a "goooooooooooooolaso!" or "perna de pau"? Read on to see who takes home the cup!

Well, I'm a bit surprised. There is no hint of guaraná flavor to be found. This one tastes like a straight up root beer, with a strong rooty flavor bolstered by vanilla and decent level of wintergreen, not coming across too minty while providing the cooling effect. It's not the most complex flavor profile, but a bit heartier than your average root beer. The aftertaste provides a nice roll off of the main flavor as it fades, but no other subtle spices make themselves known. I enjoy the cooling sensation that lingers from the mint.

One of the first things I noticed upon trying this is that the carbonation level is excellent. When it comes to my effervescence, I prefer the kind of large, biting bubbles that prickle the tongue, and that's exactly what I get with this. Considering how the carbonation attacked my tongue, it's actually a fairly smooth root beer, with a subtle creaminess following the bubbles as they dance down my throat. It's not the creamiest, or smoothest, but strikes a pretty nice balance. Sugar levels are adequate, though my mouth felt a bit more syrupy than I prefer. Perhaps it would be better served by using cane sugar instead of high fructose corn syrup, but whatever it is, there's some room for improvement there.

So, does Bawls score a 6:1 blowout win? No. But there's no need to go down to penalty shots, as it manages to secure a decent win against the rival team. It's taking home the regional cup, but isn't quite ready to take home the world cup of root beers. It scores a gol instead of a golaso, putting the bawl into the back of the net in a convincing manner, but not worthy of the "goal of the week" award.

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

HEB Old Fashioned root beer

Background information: (from the website) "You don’t have to be from Texas to know that nothing beats the taste of a refreshing, ice‑cold sip of H‑E‑B Old Fashioned Root Beer Soda! This uniquely flavored drink delivers seriously delicious taste, and is perfect with home style BBQ, poured over ice cream, or just straight from the fridge."

Product details: 20 fl. oz.  Made with pride and care for H-E-B, San Antonio, TX 78204. 270 calories, 74g sugar.  Plastic bottle with twist off top. www.heb.com

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


My thoughts: Continuing with my branching out to non-glass-bottled root beers, here's the in-house HEB brand. HEB is a Texas grocery store chain, so this one can't be found in other states. We'll see if that means you're missing out or not. I also have to admit that this one sat around for quite a while and I only noticed the "best by" date was almost a year ago, something I looked at after taking the first swig and finding no fizz at all.

As far as flavor is concerned, this is a run of the mill root beer. It has the generic rooty flavor with wintergreen. It's not what I'd consider a "minty" root beer, but is a little more noticeable than some of the others. I don't mind it at all, and I generally try to steer clear of the overly minty, toothpasty flavor of the stronger mints. There isn't much to be discovered in the aftertaste, as they seem to have eschewed any other notes of spices.

The 74g of sugar is right in line with the proportionality of the usual 12oz bottles I drink and it has an appropriately sugary feel to it.  As I mentioned at the top of my thoughts, this one is past the "best by" date and I assume the total lack of carbonation is due to that, so I can't offer a fair evaluation at this time (I'll update if I find myself in Texas again). Smoothness is also nearly impossible to judge, as it's typically intertwined with the level of carbonation, though this one lacks the creamy sensation even when flat, so it's not a top-tier creaminess contender.

Well, with what information I have, this is a perfectly adequate root beer that is more or less the same as any other big grocery store chain generic branded drink. Nothing worth getting excited about, but perfectly serviceable in a pinch.

Rating: C-
flavor: C-
aftertaste: C-
sweetness: B
smoothness: n/a
carbonation: n/a

1927 Soda Co. root beer

Background information: The 7-Eleven website makes no mention of this drink. The 1927 Soda Co. brand name comes from 7-11 originally starting up in 1927 as an ice house storefront before becoming Tote'm Stores from 1928-1946. This is likely a rebadged third party produced beverage.

Product details: 20 fl. oz.  Distributed by 7-Eleven, Inc. Irving, TX 75063. 290 calories, 72g sugar.  Plastic bottle with twist off top.


Ingredients: Carbonated water, sugar, caramel color, sodium benzoate (preservative), natural and artificial flavor.


My thoughts: Well, I've been having a tough time finding glass bottled root beers I haven't tried before, so I'm branching out a bit. This one is a root beer made for 7-11 convenience stores and comes in a regular plastic bottle. I'm keeping my expectations in check, as I don't expect a convenience store chain to really push the envelope of root beer flavor.

Okay, they definitely went with a wintergreen vibe. The root beer flavor is a bit flat and so the minty dominates. It's not bad, but it's not exactly what I look for in a root beer. The wintergreen isn't too intense so much as it's noticeable due to the weakness of the rooty taste. The aftertaste lets some vanilla show through, so I actually find it to have a very pleasant aftertaste.

The 72g of sugar may seem extremely high compared to the other root beers I've tested, but keep in mind that this is a 20oz bottle rather than the usual 12oz, so proportionally the sugar levels are right in line with the others. As such, it isn't too overly syrupy and at least uses real sugar. Carbonation, on the other hand, is abysmal. The first swig after opening was promising, but all the subsequent ones were almost completely flat. Where did all the carbonation go? It's hard to gauge smoothness with a complete absence of carbonation, but it does seem to have a decently creamy feel to it.

Consider me unimpressed. A mediocre flavor combined with terrible carbonation levels leave this one off my list. In spite of the good aftertaste, it's not one I'll drink again. Hopefully some of the upcoming plastic bottled and canned root beers can compete at least a little bit.
Rating: D
flavor: C-
aftertaste: B
sweetness: B
smoothness: C
carbonation: F-