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-

Summit root beer

Background information: (from the website) "In 1961, the Albrecht Family founded the world’s first discount grocery store in Germany. 16 years later in 1976, we opened our first ALDI store in Iowa. Today, with our ALDI headquarters in Batavia, Illinois, we have grown to more than 2,000 stores across 36 states with over 25,000 employees."

The root beer is a seasonally available item.

Product details: 12 fl. oz.  Dist. & sold exclusively by: Aldi, Batavia, IL 60510. 160 calories, 42g sugar. Glass bottle with twist off top. www.aldi.us

Ingredients: Carbonated water, pure cane sugar, sodium benzoate (preservative), citric acid, natural and artificial flavors.


My thoughts: I've recently discovered the cost saving grocer, Aldi. Little did I know they had their own root beer until I was browsing the aisles the other day and came across one I hadn't seen before. The great question is, will this root beer reflect its basement bargain origins, or will it punch above its grocery store weight? We shall see directly!

This one has a prominent mint flavor right out of the gate, which usually isn't something I care for, as they often seem a bit toothpasty for me. But this one manages to have a fairly strong mint without the dental care feel. This is likely helped by the strong, rooty sassafras flavor that follows right behind. There isn't a whole lot of separation of the spices, so I'm not picking out anything specific beyond vanilla. The aftertaste is pleasant, with the flavor sticking around for quite a while.

All's not totally well, as the carbonation is a bit of a letdown. It doesn't come across flat, but the CO2 is definitely subdued and the bubbles don't prickle on the tongue, so it's moderately weak. On the plus side, it seems nice and creamy, no doubt aided by the less than exuberant effervescent qualities. But the creaminess isn't just a lack of carbonation, but offers a semi-thick feel, almost like a little bit of vanilla ice cream has been mixed in. Sweetness is on point, as the thicker, creamy feel might make it prone to leaving an overly sugary coating in my mouth, but it doesn't leave that sort of feeling.

Well, color me impressed. This is a stout root beer, offering hardy flavor and a nicely creamy sensation. It isn't the most complex flavor palate, but I think it offers a good root beer experience. The main thing really holding it back is the less than stellar carbonation, which could use a bit more kick to it. I'd certainly recommend giving this one a try if you come across it.

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

Zia root beer

Background information: There's not much info on this company and their website seems to be mostly non-functional at the time I'm writing this. But from the web, what I'm able to piece together is that they are an "all natural" beverage company specializing in energy drinks.

Product details: 12 fl. oz.  Zia Vida LLC, Taos, NM 87571. 148 calories, 39g sugar. Glass bottle with twist off top. www.ziabev.com

Ingredients: Filtered carbonated water, cane sugar, anise, licorice, clove, mint, yucca root, madagascar bourbon vanilla, citric acid.


My thoughts: With the label proudly listing Yucca, licorice & vanilla on the front, I'm not sure what to expect. Looking at the ingredients, we get both anise and licorice, which have a similar taste and could result in a double whammy of the black licorice taste I don't particularly like.

I'll admit, this is a somewhat interesting flavor profile. The typical rooty sassafras taste is a lot weaker than normal, with the mint coming across super strong and drowning out a lot of the other flavors. One of the oddest things is that the main flavor slips away quickly, in a way that I can almost feel it just slide down my throat. I don't know that I've had a sensation quite like it. At first I thought the aftertaste was almost entirely mint, but as I savored the flavors, I began to make out the licorice/anise and the clove came through, with the latter providing a more complex flavor profile than I'm used to tasting. I'm happy to report that the double "black licorice" ingredient list didn't result in a very strong flavor. Throughout the whole experience there's a vanilla presence. I think this would be one stellar root beer if the mint didn't overwhelm everything else quite so thoroughly.

I hate to say it, but when it comes to carbonation this one is a complete and utter fail. There is the barest hint of carbonation, but that's it. It's almost completely flat. In spite of the absence of any effervescent qualities, the yucca root provides a slightly creamy sensation, but there's only so much it can do all by itself, as there are no bubbles to froth things up at all. But not all is lost, as this is one of the best root beers I've come across when it comes to sweetness. It leaves a cleaner feeling in my mouth than usual, but has a proper amount of sweetness to it. I attribute part of this clean feeling to not only the sugar levels, but how quickly the flavor disappears, leaving less of a trace behind.

I'm a bit conflicted on how to rate this. I like the subtle spices they're using but it's so overpowered by mint. The usual rooty flavor you expect is also a little on the weak side and dissipates way too quickly. The overall flavor, mint notwithstanding, is pretty good, but fleeting. I might be able to overlook that quirk, but the near complete absence of carbonation on top of that is a huge disappointment. If they fixed even just the carbonation aspect, I'd be much more likely to cut it some slack, as I like that they aren't just delivering a generic flavor profile, but have a bit more interesting spice mix. In its current state, however, it's very hard to recommend.

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

Soda Beers root beer

Background information: (from the website): "A German soft drink developed over a century ago by Bavarian Brewmeisters, called Fassbrause, was prepared using fruits and spices and stored in wooden kegs. When served it poured like a beer, with a thick foamy head, but without any alcohol.

We brought the Fassbrause tradition to the Rocky Mountains in the 1960’s, combined with high-quality ingredients, and Apple Beer was born!

Our family operation is focused on flavor. We bottle Apple Beer using all-natural ingredients and pure cane sugar. The result is a fruity, crisp, alcohol-free drink with a clean finish that can be consumed alone or used as a delicious base for mixed drinks.

We first expanded the Apple Beer line with the Apple Beer FIVE. This delicious 5-calorie drink is made with Acai Berry and Ginseng and delivers a refreshing guilt-free taste.

We recently launched two new flavors - in 2018 our Ginger Beer and in 2019 our Root Beer. The growing family of beverages gave birth to the SodaBeers brand, soft drinks that employ similar methods to produce a variety of unique soda beers. Along with our four current sodas, we are pleased to announce the addition of Butterscotch Beer—coming to stores in 2021."

Product details: 12 fl. oz.  Bottled Under Authority of the Apple Beer, Corp., Holladay, Utah 84117. 180 calories, 44g sugar. Glass bottle with twist off top. www.sodabeers.com

Ingredients: Carbonated Water, Pure Cane Sugar, Natural and Artificial Flavors, Caramel Color, Phosphoric Acid, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate, Quillaja Extract.


My thoughts: "Family owned" brings to mind a smaller operation, one that might be willing to take a few more risks to stand out from the corporate behemoths that flood the store shelves with their products. Hopefully this is one of those stand outs that rises above the average. I've consumed their Apple Beer before on many occasion and really like it, so am looking forward to their take on a classic.

The initial flavor is nice and strong, with a very obvious rooty sassafras taste and vanilla. It does have a minor hint of wintergreen in the main flavor which becomes more apparent in the aftertaste. I like the initial mint flavor, but am not the biggest fan of it being so overpowering, leaving little room for other subtle flavors in the aftertaste.

Carbonation is not something this one lacks, having a good kick to my tongue. The bubbles stay strong throughout the bottle. One thing I really like is that even though it's quite prickly, it foams up into a creamy, smooth feeling that nicely balances out the strong effervescence. As far as sweetness, it's just ever so slightly more sugary feeling than what I deem perfect, but certainly doesn't cross over into being syrupy.

This is a pretty good root beer with some great attributes, but it ultimately plays it safe with the formula. Where it lacks is in the more subtle flavors and a bit too much mint for my sensibilities. If you are one that loves the wintergreen aspect, then this one may be a winner for you. If a bottle came around I wouldn't have any qualms giving it a drink.

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