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