Back in September I was in Albuquerque again, doing DERMS and eating green chilies. For dinner the second night we decided to find a new root beer, knowing there were several in the area. This time we picked Canteen Brewhouse. Canteen claims to be Albuquerque’s longest standing brewery, operating since 1994, though, originally, it was Il Vicino Brewing Company. Not sure why they changed their name, I didn’t ask. Neither did they offer to tell me. Interestingly Il Vicino Pizza still exists and has a house root beer, though I think it’s probably the same? Maybe a great schism occurred. Either way, I went to give their brew a try.
The Body features black licorice and some vanilla. It’s neither too sweet nor too strong. In fact it’s a little on the mild side which makes me happy because I don’t like strong black licorice flavor. There’s a little wintergreen but much less than expected for the amount of licorice. The Bite is spicy, with clove and some others I can’t quite place. It finishes smooth and reminds me of a licorice spice gum drop. The Head is medium short and fizzes down too quickly but not two second head style. The Aftertaste is some light licorice and vanilla.
It’s okay. Not great, not terrible. A decent drinkable. Their food is quite interesting, sandwiches and starters. I had their New Mexiterrainian sandwich, which had salami, prosciutto, and a green chili slaw on it. I never knew I needed New Mexican fusion cuisine before this trip, but wow, it’s good. This place is worth a visit if you’re in the area.
