Virgi'ls Zero Root Beer

Stevia is my sweetener of choice whenever possible.  It is a naturally growing herb and it seems to have minimal effect on blood sugar.  It is significantly sweeter than sugar so you use much less of it.  I feel better when I use it over other sweeteners.

Of course, there are pesky issues like bitter aftertaste, so it is tricky to work with.  It is generally most successful either paired with another sweetener or used in moderation - too much will definitely give you a bad aftertaste, but just enough is perfect.  

I tried Virgil's "microbrewed" root beer at a health food store eons ago, and it wasn't really to my taste.  It didn't really taste like root beer, the flavors didn't meld and I could taste wintergreen but none of the traditional richness of a root beer.  All the wonderful ingredients in the world just didn't add up to a great beverage for me.

So it was with  trepidation I tried Virgil's Zero.  I was attracted by the ingredients once again, but not really expecting much.

I was pleasantly surprised.  It tasted like a very sweet root beer, similar to Blue Sky or Zevia.  I generally prefer a little more of the darker flavors in my root beer but this is one of the few occasions I can say the diet is a distinct improvement over the full sugar version.  It also had a milder carbonation than Blue Sky or Zevia, without being flat.  

One thing I did find interesting is the store did not refrigerate this.  As there are no preservatives I usually see Virgil's in the refrigerated section.   It didn't taste "off" at all but it is something to pay attention to, and I would absolutely refrigerate at home.  

Ingredients: Purified Carbonated Water, GMO-Free Caramel Color, Stevia Rebaudiana Leaf Extract, Natural Flavors, Citric Acid, Spices. Gluten Free. 

Cock'n Bull Diet Ginger Beer

On a road trip with an upset tummy, I came across Cock'n Bull Ginger Beer, reviewed here.  So while in Spring Lake Park I was delighted to discover they make a diet version!

It has just as much zip as the original Cock'n Bull Ginger Beer, and if you're not a diet soda lover, I think this is a good one to try as the ginger really masks any "diet" aftertaste.   The only real difference is the soda is a little less viscous than the sugar version, which is normal with any diet soda.  I actually prefer this, as sodas with sugar often leave me thirstier than before I drank it!

Lovely amount of carbonation, really tickles the nose combined with the bite of the ginger.  Will repurchase, and soon.  Can't wait to try it in a Moscow Mule.  (Fun Fact, Cock'n Bull claims to be the originator of the Mule!)

Ingredients: carbonated water, citric acid, potassium citrate, natural ginger flavor, caramel color, acesulfame potassium, sucralose and potassium benzoate to preserve freshness 

Always Ask for Avery's Mystery soda

Out in Spring Lake Park a new soda shop has sprung up, called Blue Sun Soda Shop.  Check it out, they have a huge selection.  The owners aren't diet drinkers so the selection of sodas in the diet section is a bit chancy.  I kind of had to take Always Ask for Avery's on faith that it is actually diet.  There is nothing on the label to suggest so.   In fact, I had what flavor it was supposed to be, other than a guess from the light amber color.  Was it ginger beer?  Birch beer?  Cream soda? 

After tasting the bottle, I still have no idea what flavor it is supposed to be.  I'm really not sure if I got a bad bottle, it was mildly carbonated, a little sweet, and...that's it.  No real flavor at all.

Ingredients?  No idea.

My husband finished the bottle for me as this would have likely been a drain pour.  I'm not willing to drink a pop without knowing if I'm drinking saccharine or sugar or who knows what, and there was no flavor to it.  I moved on to a delicious ginger ale I'll be reviewing soon.

O-So Butterscotch Root Beer

On the same trip to Fizzy Waters where I picked up the god-awful Dog N Suds Root Beer I picked up a bottle of O-So Butterscotch Root Beer.  O-So is a vintage brand, one of those our parents grew up with but ceased production at some point during the Pepsi/Coke years.  At first I assumed it was brewed by O'so Brewing Co, which makes tasty beers, you should try them, but although they seem to have some gourmet sodas in their tap room they are a completely different entity.  A little more research tells me that O-So is actually now being bottled by Orca Beverage Soda Works, along with many other beloved favorites like Cock'N'Bull Ginger Beer and Dad's.  Whether or not it is the same, original recipe, I can't tell you, but O-So Butterscotch Root Beer is delicious.  Nice, foamy head and a candy-like flavor.  This is really a butterscotch soda, not a root beer, but why quibble over terminology when you have a soda this yummy?  This is definitely a dessert soda, it is very, VERY sweet and would make an amazing float that would make Harry Potter jealous.  (butterbeer reference, in case you didn't pick up on that)

Ingredients: CARBONATED WATER, CANE SUGAR, NATURAL & ARTIFICIAL FLAVORS, CARAMEL COLOR, VANILLA EXTRACT, CITRIC ACID, SODIUM BENZOATE (A PRESERVATIVE).

Dog N Suds Root Beer

We decided to take a drive up the North Shore in the middle of October.  For Minnesota, it wasn't a bad October day at all, it was warm enough to lose the extra sweater up by Gooseberry Falls.  We brought our GIANT WHITE DOG along, and he got thirsty enough to try to drink Lake Superior.  We got thirsty too, and decided to stop by Fizzy Waters in Duluth on our way home.  Fizzy Waters is a great soda shop located in Canal Park, and part of the fun is mixing and matching your own six pack.  I'm absolutely loving the craft soda shops popping up in Minnesota.

One of the root beers I picked up that day was Dog N Suds.  I'll admit the name drew me in, the big fluffy dog in the back seat may have swayed me a bit.

DO NOT BUY THIS ROOT BEER.  Honestly, I'm hoping I just got a bad bottle.  It actually tasted a little alcoholic, but in the wrong way, as though it had started to ferment, and it was so overly carbonated you couldn't even pour it into a glass.  After one sip the rest went down the drain.  If I ever find it on tap, I might give it another try, but this was undrinkable.

INGREDIENTS: Carbonated Water, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Natural Flavor, Caramel Color, Phosphoric Acid, Sodium Benzoate (as preservative), Natural and Artificial Flavor.

Reed's Extra Ginger Brew

I'm  a big believer in the healing properties of ginger.  Not only does it soothe nausea, prevent motion sickness better than Dramamine, it is an anti-inflamatory that can help rheumatoid arthritis and menstrual cramps.  It is also yummy.

After several days of Paschal celebrations my belly was definitely in need of some soothing, and I picked up some Reed's Extra Ginger Brew.  Because if some ginger is good, extra ginger is better.

To start with, I like my ginger beers quite spicy.  This ginger isn't terribly strong, it is there but it won't leave your mouth burning.  It is sweeter rather than bite-y.  There is also a strong fruity aftertaste, probably from the pineapple juice as again, it is sweet rather than sour.  Nice amount of carbonation.

This is not my favorite ginger beer, but good in a pinch.

From the label:



Reed’s Extra Ginger Brew is the same recipe as Original Ginger Brew, but has 26 grams of fresh ginger root for a stronger bite.

Ingredients: Sparkling Filtered Water (Sweetened by a blend of raw cane sugar, pineapple juice from concentrate and honey), Fresh Ginger Root, Lemon and Lime Juices from concentrate and spices. Non Alcoholic. Free of Preservatives, Caffeine, Gluten & GMO’s.

Thums Up

On a slightly chilly April afternoon we decided to check out the one-year anniversary party of a gluten-free brewery called Burning Brothers.  Don't let the gluten-free part scare you, this is beer the glutenous and the gluten-free can enjoy. But you can't have the Orange-Blossom Honey- that stuff's mine.  And better yet,  they are dog-friendly (PSA- don't give your dog beer.)

Of course, drinking on an empty stomach is a recipe for disaster whether or not it has gluten or not, and, being the well-prepared sorts of folk they are, a food-truck set up shop right outside, filled with tasty Indian offerings (also gluten-free).

I noticed they had Thum's Up, an Indian soda I have heard of but never had the chance to try.  Nowadays, Thum's Up is distributed by Hindustan Coca-Cola, but it was originally introduced and produced in India when Coca Cola pulled out of the market.  When Coca-Cola returned to India, they bought out Thum's Up thinking to discontinue it in favor of Coke.  But Thum's Up is far, far more popular than they realized, and decided if you can't beat 'em, profit off of 'em, and thusly Coca-Cola produces it.  Fortunately, they didn't Americanize it, so Thum's Up is still made with real cane sugar.  And alot of sugar it is!

Taste wise, it is definitely a Cola, but with a little hint of something cinnamon. Sweet, but considering the amount of sugar it isn't overpowering.  I recommend it!

Ingredients:  Carbonated Water, Sugar, Acidity Regulators (330, 331), Preservative (211). Contains Added Flavours (Natural Flavouring Substances). Contains no Fruit.

Lakefront Brewery Golden Maple Root Beer

If you're ever in Milwaukee, a really fun city, you have to take the Lakefront Brewery Tour.  It is about as "Milwaukee" you can get without a real German pedigree.  They give you tons of samples on the tour, you get to see some great Brewers memorabilia, and you even get to sing the Laverne and Shirley theme song.  Make sure you go on a Friday and stay for the real Milwaukee Fish Fry (accept no imitations that will serve you French Fries- this is the real deal with potato pancakes, rye bread, and live polka music.)

It was on this tour I was first given Lakefront's Golden Maple Root Beer.  At the time I wasn't much of a beer drinker, and was delighted to get something I would actually enjoy!  Since I was such an enthusiast, they generously gave me several bottles.

Alas, my first sampling was not good.  Slightly flat, there was almost no root beer flavor at all.  You couldn't really taste much of anything other than a hint of vanilla.

Fast forward several years, I was at a beer festival and had hit my limit for that day.  Lo and behold, the lovely folks at the Lakefront booth had a whole cooler full of Golden Maple Root Beer!  Desperate times called for desperate measures.  With shaky hands, I opened my bottle, prepared for the worst...and it was good!

The first time I had the root beer must have been a fluke bad batch.  To test it again, I had another bottle completely sober, and it was still good!    Nicely carbonated, good rich mouthfeel, it has a hint of rootbeer/wintergreen more dominated by vanilla and the sweet tanginess of the maple.

Ingredients:carbonated water, pure cane sugar, pure Wisconsin maple syrup, caramel color, natural root beer flavor, gum acacia, preservatives – sodium benzoate, potassium sulfate

Goose Island Spicy Ginger

This fall we, like the good Midwesterners we pretend we are, spent a brisk Friday afternoon visiting a few orchards.   One of my favorites is in Jordan, as they have a lovely orchard that you can ride horses through.  But alas, they no longer offer horseback rides. But at least we scored on some caramel apples, at least until the indigestion set in.

Like a mirage out of the desert, lo and behold, we came across Minnesota's Largest Candy Store.  Don't let the name fool you, it isn't just candy.  They have over 150 types of root beer in their coolers, and other tasty sodas, too.  Clearly, I have found my people.

My poor abused stomach immediately found Goose Island's WBC Spicy Ginger.  Having previously fallen in love with Goose Island's Orange Cream, I grabbed it with two hands and didn't look back.

Ingredients:  Triple filtered carbonated water, sugar, natural flavor, citric acid, sodum benzoate as a preservative and caramel color.

This is a quite sweet soda, the cane sugar gives it an almost sticky mouth feel.  The ginger is definitely present.  It isn't the strongest bite, but it is there.  I wouldn't quite call it "spicy,"since I didn't get that lovely tingling mouth after drinking it.  It did, however, settle my stomach, and some days that's all you can ask.

It is tasty enough, and definitely a step up from Canada Dry.  If you aren't used to the truly bitey ginger beers out there this would be a great beverage to start with.

And visit Minnesota's Largest Candy Store, which also seems to go by the name of Jim's Apple Farm.  Worth the drive.

Ely Soda Works

It is truly a rare treat to find a microbrew soda, and Ely Sodas are so local I can't find ANY information on them, beyond this ad from the local Ely gazette, the Ely Echo.

The bottle in my possession doesn't give me any clues, either.  There is no contact information, no phone number, no website.  It is a mystery, indeed.

We tried two varieties, the Minnesota Bear Blueberry Soda and the Minnesota Voyageur ButterScotch Root Beer.

I wasn't able to save the bottle of the blueberry soda (we had smuggled our own pop in and carrying out the empties was inconvenient.)  So I don't have an ingredient list for you.  I can tell you that it was moderately carbonated, not too sweet, and the blueberry flavor reminded me of what I thought was Frankenberry, but my cereal-loving husband corrected me was actually Booberry.  It was pretty much lukewarm by this point, so the carbonation may be a bit more bitey when cold.

I do still have the bottle of the butterscotch root beer.   Ingredients are: Carbonated water, sugar and/or corn sweetener, caramel color, natural & artificial flavors, sodium benzoate (as a preservative)  

The ingredient list didn't fill me with a lot of confidence, but I forged on ahead.  Again, this wasn't as cold as I would have preferred, but I don't think it hurt the flavor.  Nice carbonation, good mouthfeel- not too syrupy, not too thin.  But the flavor!  Have you ever read Harry Potter.  No? Liars.  Of course you've read Harry Potter.  Remember butterbeer?  I'm pretty sure this is exactly what they were talking about.  The strongest notes are the butterscotch.  The root beer is far more subtle, just enough to keep the butterscotch from being too cloying- just a tiny bit of the sassafras.  My favorite of the two.

Definitely worth a trip up to the Boundary Waters.  Between Ely Soda Works and Dorothy Molter Root Beer, Ely might just be on its way to becoming the soda pop mecca of the Great Lakes.

AJ Stephan's Wild Strawberry

AJ Stephan's calls their wild strawberry soda an "elixer."  While this draws up pictures of men with curly mustaches selling patent cures, what you get instead is an old-fashioned soda like your grandma used to make. 

Or didn't make.  My grandma spent more time studying political science than making cookies, but surely, someone's grandma made soda at home.  And it probably tasted like this.

The wonderful thing about AJ Stephan's Wild Strawberry is it isn't too sweet, even though the second ingredient is sugar.  (real sugar, not that HFCS garbage).

The taste is somewhere between a summery wine and strawberry jam, with a nice amount of carbonation.  A good choice for a lazy Sunday afternoon in a hammock.  Wear gingham.

INGREDIENTS: Made with Pure Carbonated New England Water, Cane Sugar, Flavoring, Color & Sodium Benzoate.

Abita Root Beer

 When I came across Abita Root Beer I knew I had to try it.  My husband is familiar with Abita's beer, which is name checked alot in television any time you have a show set in Louisiana (True Blood, I'm looking at you).

Now, Abita has a fairly normal list of ingredients, right up until you hit yucca root.  What is yucca root?

From their website:  Abita Root Beer is made with a hot mix process using spring water, herbs, vanilla and yucca (which creates foam). Unlike most soft drink manufacturers, Abita sweetens its root beer with pure Louisiana cane sugar. The resulting taste is reminiscent of soft drinks made in the 1940s and 1950s, before bottlers turned to corn sugar and fructose. Some soft drink makers add caffeine to their product, but Abita is naturally caffeine-free.

So, there's that.  The rest of the ingredients are:   Carbonated water, cane sugar, caramel color, root beer flavor, phosphoric acid

It comes in a squat little brown bottle which is very nice to hold in your hand.  Nicely carbonated, with a good, yet clean mouthfeel.  Not too sweet.  Fairly standard "root beer" flavor- none of the notes stand out particularly, just a nice root beer flavor.  I would recommend this if you like your rootbeer to be very balanced flavor without being sugary.

Sprecher Bootleggers Bourbon Barrel Hard Root Beer

I love Root Beer.  I love alcohol.  So this seemed to be a match made in heaven.  Like puppies and rainbows, peanut butter and chocolate.  Or fish fingers and custard.

Friends, run, do not walk, away from this brew.

I had the opportunity to try this at the Sprecher Restaurant in the Wisconsin Dells, and was super excited to try it- not only was it Hard Root Beer, they offered a Hard Root Beer Float!  How could I be expected to resist that?

It tastes neither like beer or root beer.  You get a little bit of licorice on your initial taste, and an odd, oak-y aftertaste (possibly from the bourbon barrels)?  Yet it doesn't really taste like bourbon, either.  There's a bit of a grainy taste, too, more barley than malt.

I really can't recommend this.  If you want to get buzzed with your Root Beer, order a shot of the hard stuff on the side.

Couldn't find an ingredient list, as I got this on tap, but it has a 5% ABV.

Strawberry Zevia

First off, Zevia is a stevia-sweetened pop.  It is not going to taste like sugar.  It does not taste like splenda or saccharine or aspartame.  You need to know this going into it because you will not be happy with this soda if you expect it to taste like a regular, sugar based soda. 

Zevia is an aquired taste. 

Yet when you can't have artificial sweeteners or sugar on a daily basis, it suddenly tastes like the most awesome soda EVER.

The best way to get used to a stevia-sweetened pop is by tasting an unusual flavor.  You'll notice the "off" taste more if you're drinking cola than if you're drinking something that you don't typically drink.

I give you Strawberry Zevia.

The ingredients are simple:  CARBONATED WATER, ERYTHRITOL, NATURAL FLAVORS, CITRIC ACID, REB A (STEVIA EXTRACT).

None of these are scary ingredients, and they won't spike your blood sugar.  Stevia is an herb that is naturally many times sweeter than sugar.  Erythritol is a sugar alchohol that is used to improve the flavor of stevia, it has far less side effects than other sugar alcohols like malitol. (Your mileage may vary)

So...what does it taste like?  Bubble gum.  In a good way.  It has a great amount of carbonation and no sugary mouth feel.  I highly recommend it if you can't drink traditional diet sodas.

Killebrew Root Beer

I really wanted to like Killebrew Root Beer.  I've tried it for the first time at a Saint Paul Saints game and was excited to try it- a local, baseball themed beer at a baseball game!  Sadly, it did not live up to the hype.

It comes in a strange aluminum bottle.  I'm wondering if that is part of the problem, as I've tried several bottles and they are all so lightly carbonated to the point of being flat.

It is very sweet.  It is sweetened both with my nemesis, high fructose corn syrup and honey.  I tend not to be a fan of honey sweetened root beers as they tend to have a surprisingly bland taste, and this is no exception.  It also has a very sugary feel on your mouth, and I was looking for a glass of water after drinking this to get the sticky feeling to go away.

I do not recommend this root beer, other than for the novelty of the aluminum bottle.

Ingredients:  Pure natural spring water, high fructose corn syrup, pure Minnesota honey, caramel color, natural and artificial flavors, and citric acid.

Cock 'n Bull Ginger Beer

I found this ginger beer in a truckstop on our way home from our vacation- after 3 hours of driving I was ready for a little something.  Sadly a sharp left turn out of the parking lot left me wearing more of this ginger beer than I got to drink, but what I had gave me a good idea of what this brew is all about.

First of all, it has a nice, sharp ginger taste.  You'd think that would be obvious, but I've had quite a few ginger beers and ales that had a weird fruity taste, either from their sweeteners or something else.  This one has real sugar, and it really makes a difference in the taste and mouth feel.  This was a nice mix of spicy ginger with just enough sweetness to make it drinkable, it'll warm your tummy and tickle your sinuses.  Good carbonation, and the label makes me giggle.  I would buy this one again, I like it on its own and it would be great in a mixed drink. 

Ingredients:  Carbonated Water, Real Sugar, Citric Acid, Caramel Color, Natural Flavors, and less than 1/10 of 1% Sodium Benzoate as a preservative.

A & W Diet Root Beer

My first job ever was at a waitress in a tiny town at the local A&W.  I lasted a whole 3 months - clearly waitressing was not my thing.  I developed amazing biceps that summer from hoisting trays of the frosty glass mugs out to the cars- we had both indoor seating and carhop service.  I never drank the root beer there, though, after seeing how the open vats were stored down in the basement.  Ick.  (Note, if you enjoy a restaurant, never, EVER tour the kitchen or you'll never eat there again.)

Of course, the stuff you buy in the store is a far cry from the draft root beer you get at the restaurant. I've pretty much given up all diet soda's since I can't handle aspartame anymore, but this was left by a guest in my fridge and I got desperate.  And...it's alright.  They bill it as "vanilla root beer" and it is as good a description as any.  A very mild root beer flavor, nothing outstanding, typical mass-market carbonation and, since it is a diet soda, very light mouth feel.  I grew up drinking diet so I don't notice much of an aftertaste from the aspartame.  

The ingredients are somewhat scary:

Ingredients: Carbonated water, caramel color, sodium benzoate (preservative), natural and artificial flavors, aspartame, malic acid, Phenylketonurics: contains phenylalanine.

If you have to drink a mass market pop, this isn't a bad choice, but if A&W is your only choice, I'd probably go for the cream soda over the root beer which has a more intense flavor.  If you're looking for something that won't compete with your food choice, this is a good pick.

Dorothy's Isle of Pines Root Beer

What better way to start this blog than with the doyenne of Root Beer herself, Dorothy Molter?  Dorothy was a bad-ass nurse who lived by herself in the Boundary Waters for many years, who became known for her homemade root beer.  We discovered her museum on a recent trip to Ely, MN, which consists of her cabin (moved to the city after her death) and gift shop.  Yes, I bought the T-shirt.

Onto the root beer.  I wish I could have tried her homemade version, but all that's available these days is the mass-produced bottles.  Which are pretty good.  There is a nice blend of flavors, with an initial vanilla taste followed by the deeper licorice "root beer" taste.  No one ingredient really stands out, just a good, basic root beer, nice with dinner.  Not flat, but not super-carbonated, with a lighter mouth feel.  Sadly contains high fructose corn syrup.

Ingredients: Carbonated water, high fructose corn sweetener, natural and artificial flavor, caramel color, sodium benzoate (preservative), citric acid, acacia and quillaia extract

Order your own, and learn more about bad-ass Dorothy Molter here.  Better yet, plan a trip up to the Boundary Waters, visit the International Wolf Center, and have a root beer float made with Dorothy Molter root beer at the Chocolate Moose.  You'll thank me later.