Dr. Brown’s Root Beer

 Bottled Root Beers  1 Response »
Dec 302015
 

Dr. Brown's Root Beer Bottle Shortly after I started my undergrad at the University of Washington, before my mission and the transfer to BYU, I was in a QFC (Quality Food Center) to buy some groceries with some friends from my dorm. I of course went searching for root beer and found these little bottles of in the ethnic foods section, you know, because it’s Jewish and that’s ethnic evidently or at least it was in the year 2000, even though root beer is America’s Beverage. Also, what strange little stubby glass bottles, they’re only 10 ounces and have plastic caps from two liter bottles. Also the label says it’s “Blended for Full-Bodied Flavors”.The brand itself is from New York (so ethnic) and is one of several flavors that Dr. Brown’s (such a Jewish name) makes. It’s Kosher and has no sodium. They also make a celery soda which sounds frightening but I hear it goes well with deli sandwiches.

The Body is sweet but is not full. The overall flavor is wonderful but incomplete. The Head is weak. The Bite is ok but the Aftertaste actually leaves you quite disappointed.

So this isn’t really that stellar, but also not bad. I’ll put it at a solid Drinkable, as it’s probably good with that New York Jewish food or something like that. If I’m ever in a New York deli, in New York, New York, I’ll have to try it with my pastrami on rye to see how well they mix. See how it rates against other root beers.

Three kegs




Ben’s Old Fashioned Root Beer

 Bottled Root Beers  No Responses »
Oct 242012
 

Another root beer sent my way by that Sage of Sassafras, anthony. This one hails from New York and can only be found at Ben’s Kosher Delicatessen Restaurant. There are five of said restaurants in New York and one in Boca Rotan, FL. No doubt to serve to all of the rich snowbirds that winter down there. Why give up your delicious kosher deli just because your over a thousand miles away from New York after all. The label is rather plain with the flavor text “More Than Just Your Neighborhood Kosher Deli”. I’m not sure why every word needed the first letter capitalized but I wholeheartedly agree with the statement, if for no other reason than my neighborhood kosher deli doesn’t have their own brand of bottled root beer, or even exists for that matter (Wait there is a kosher deli in my neighborhood, Blazin’ Bagels, still no root beer though).

It has a sweet generic tasting Body that isn’t quite full. There is a slight vanilla hint to it that is sort of a candy vanilla flavor, like a vanilla tootsie roll. Maybe they use artificial vanilla. It is really smooth without much Bite at all. There’s a bit of a fizz to it but that’s all. The Head is a modest height and fizzes down quickly. The Aftertaste is more of that candy vanilla flavor.

Overall it’s kind of refreshing and pretty generic. Nothing bad, but overall, just ok. I’m not sure what’s old fashioned about this though. I can imagine the lighter flavor would go better with certain sandwiches at the deli or something, but probably not a whole lot of effort went into it’s creation. Just some off-the-shelf extract, chuck in some vanillin and call it a day. So while they do offer their own root beer to distinguish themselves from other neighborhood kosher delis, it’s not a root beer worth its own dedicated trip. See how it rates against other root beers.