GourmetRootBeer

Bubby’s Homemade Root Beer

Old Fashioned Fountain Root Beers No Responses »

Jul 022025

Last month I went to New York City for the first time ever. Well technically I’ve flown into JFK Airport for stuff in Long Island but I that doesn’t really count, driving through Queens to outside the city limits, but I digress. I was there for, can you guess? Did you guess DERMS? Well you’re wrong, I was taking my teenage daughter to a concert for her favorite JPop artist, LiSA. Aren’t I a great father or something? Since we got there the day before we were able to see some of the iconic Manhattan sites like Wall Street, Brooklyn Bridge, Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island and eat some great food. I also had learned from correspondence with anthony that a place called Bubby’s makes their own root beer. So after dinner we went walking to it and found ourselves walking past the Ghost Buster’s building so that was a cool bonus. Categorizing this was a bit difficult for me, but ultimately they make all of their house sodas Old Fashioned Fountain style, using their homemade syrups to mix to order at the bar. I have that category for such root beers after all.

The Bite is the first thing you notice when you drink this. It’s spicy with clove and some other spices mixed in. The carbonation gives it good fizz for an all around excellent Bite. The Body comes in afterwards, sweet and complex with an aged sarsaparilla flavor and hints of vanilla and wintergreen complementing the spices. The Aftertaste is that sarsaparilla with a bitter finish from the wintergreen, I wish it weren’t quite so bitter. The Head is the biggest drawback, it doesn’t really foam much at all despite their attempts and what is made goes quickly.

This is actually quite good. It’s unique and complex while hitting the right notes. It does end a little too bitter and it’s foaminess is a little too weak, but it’s definitely worth trying if you’re in the area, especially since there are some iconic landmarks nearby. Bubby’s also makes their own ice cream for some of their other desserts and I bet their food would be great too, so this place won’t disappoint.

*Bubby’s as seen from one of the streets.*

Swell Riptide Root Beer

Bottled Root Beers No Responses »

Jun 042025

Another trade with anthony. This brew comes from San Diego and is made by 6th generation San Diegans, which is what you call people from San Diego. Who knew? I have some of my own family roots from San Diego area, on my mother’s side. They are also surfers like this root beer depicts. Surfer themed root beers are a favorite of mine so I have high hopes. This is also brewed in small batches, if the text on the label is to be believed. I like a double entendre on the title as well. A swell in the waves or a swell root beer. Though a riptide is a pretty dangerous thing so I don’t know about having a riptide being swell. It is a beach thing so I guess that fits, or maybe they’re just going for alliteration.

The Body is sweet and rich with a lot of vanilla and caramel with a tinge of fruity sarsaparilla. It’s pretty good. The Bite is mild on spice with some prickly carbonation. That said, it isn’t the smoothest. The Head is medium tall but fizzes down too fast. The Aftertaste is vanilla. There’s a hint of that sarsaparilla as well. Overall it’s pretty good,

I’d say it’s pretty swell. Not Seal of Approval but swell. This brings an interesting question of how good is swell, is it better than good, slightly worse than excellent? I feel it’s somewhat better than good but not the best. Maybe I’ve been using swell wrong my whole life? Maybe this root beer makes me rethink everything on the word swell, a word I’ve just sort of used without too much thought. Anyways, swell brew. See how it rates against other root beers.

Chautauqua Beverages Root Beer

Bottled Root Beers 1 Response »

May 072025

I don’t know how I’m supposed to say this name. Thankfully this is a written post and not a video, or I’d be in deep trouble. For a root beer that’s supposedly been established in 1938, they sure have done a good job keeping it a secret from me. I got this in a trade from anthony, I think he got it in either New York or Pennsylvania, because those are the two addresses on the label. Also, in small print, it says it was produced by Mobilia Farms, so maybe he got it there? Also did you know there’s a town in Pennsylvania called North East? I thought they were just being general in the area, but nope, it’s a real place. On Lake Erie, by the town of Erie, but you guessed it, a little North and East. Anyways The one other part is that they are “Manufacturers of high grade beverages” which evidently means they put propylene glycol in their root beer, because they did. Anyways.

The Body is sweet and mild. There’s an aged sarsaparilla flavor which is good, but there isn’t a lot of other flavors. The Bite is sharp and prickly but light on spices. The Head is very tall and foamy, but fizzes down a bit two quickly. The Aftertaste is mild sarsaparilla.

This should probably be labeled as a sarsaparilla and not a root beer. Though that gets into the whole is a sarsaparilla a root beer which I’ve gone over my stance many times, but incase you’re new, I’ll summarize by saying if you call it a root beer but serve me a sarsaparilla, it can be decent, which this is. It’s drinkable. See how it rates against other root beers.

Older Entries