Beehive root beer

Background information: (from the website) "The Beehive Pub & Grill is proud to serve Logan with crave-worthy comfort food, signature cocktails, and a place to gather. Come hungry, leave happy — Always Good Eats."

Product details: 24 fl. oz.  Made by The Beehive Pub and Grill, Logan, UT 84321. On tap. Paper fountain cup and plastic lid (as reviewed). https://thebeehivegrill.com/

Ingredients: N/A

My thoughts: This is another less traditional root beer review from me, as this is one only available at a small pub and sold as a fountain style drink, though you can buy an unsealed 64oz glass bottled "growler" and get it filled/refilled. Either way, I was excited to see a new root beer to try while out of town, so here are my thoughts.

The initial flavor is excellent, with a very strong rooty sassafras taste that is one of the boldest root beer flavors I've tried. It's not especially complex, with the usual vanilla notes and a very subtle wintergreen, but it is a really good one. The aftertaste didn't reveal any additional spices or flavors I was detecting in my initial impression, but it's such a pleasing taste that I don't mind.

Carbonation is decent, with bubbles that stick around through the whole 24 oz cup (a decent chunk of that was ice, as most fountain drinks tend to be). The bubbles aren't especially strong and I would have liked a little more aggressiveness from them, but it never felt flat. I thought the sweetness was dialed in and didn't leave me felling overly syrupy feeling. It does have a heavy creaminess to it, so felt smooth going down.

Overall, I'm pretty happy with this. The bold, up front flavor was very pleasing, even if it did lack some complexity. The carbonation was only a moderate letdown, though was never outright disappointing. It's too bad they don't offer this bottled for people to take home and enjoy at their leisure (though you can get it in that large, unsealed bottle I mentioned earlier) and they do also offer it in kegs. If you ever find yourself in Logan, UT, I think it's worth a stop to try out.

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

carbonation: C+

Rocky Mountain root beer (2026)

Background information: (from the website): "Rocky Mountain Root Beer was the idea that started it all.  We wanted to make the best flavored, all natural root beer available. We set out to create a flavor that evokes memories of the old West.  Think warm vanilla and caramel notes that glide along a creamy cloud of delicious sassafras flavor.  We also add a touch of cinnamon and nutmeg to give a grounded earthiness that ends with a spicy finish.  We hope you enjoy the end result of our quest to create the best root beer made.

Rocky Mountain Soda Company was created with one goal in mind, quality. We strive to make the most unique, best tasting, highest quality, all natural soda available. We achieve our goal by using only the finest all natural ingredients.

We custom craft each of our flavors in small batches and package every bottle by hand.  The benefit of our efforts is realized in every sip you take. We thank you for the opportunity to present our soda for your drinking pleasure. We hope you enjoy them as much as we do…Cheers!"

Product details: 12 fl. oz.  Rocky Mountain Soda Co, 4420 Glencoe Street, Denver, Colorado 80216.  140 calories, 36g sugar. Glass bottle with twist off top. http://www.rockymountainsoda.com


Ingredients: Sparkling water, organic cane sugar, natural flavor extracts, non-GMO citric acid.


My thoughts: I initially reviewed this root beer brand back in 2015, about ten and a half years ago. I recently picked up another bottle and noticed that the ingredients list has changed, so figured I should give the new formulation a try and a new rating to reflect the current offering.

Wow, this stuff is minty! There is so much wintergreen that it overwhelms the other flavors, barely tasting like a root beer at first. A little further into the bottle and the rootiness starts to surface, but the flavor is still dominated by mint. The aftertaste tastes of sassafras, vanilla, and I feel like the slightest hint of anise. Unfortunately, the mint continues to be the strongest flavor rather than just a supporting one.

My very first swig had a nice, fizzy effervescence that was delightful. My second swig, less so. By the fourth, it was basically flat, with hardly any carbonation. Very disappointing. Sweetness is great, with this being sweetened with cane sugar rather than corn syrup. Zero complaints there. It's hard to say if this drink is inherently smooth since there is no carbonation to speak of.

Overall, two things really kill the score for me: over the top wintergreen and dead carbonation. I think the flavors and spices they use are great and that this would be a far better root beer if they dialed back the mint. I shouldn't feel like I'm drinking toothpaste. The total lack of carbonation only a few swigs into the bottle is a total fail. I almost never have one go so flat that fast. This is a bummer, as Rocky Mountain was a pretty solid root beer before, but now I can't recommend it any longer.

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