This root beer more unique origins than most. I mean most do have some back story, but this root beer was developed by the students of Theodore Roosevelt High School in Des Moines, IA. The science department developed the brew itself, since getting the right flavor is a delicate science. The label was created by the art department and I really like it. A high school and a moose and a a big ‘R’. It’s classy and fun. Their entrepreneurship students came up with the business plan and marketing. Then they just needed someone to make it for them. So they went to the local brewery, Confluence Brewing Company, which brewed and bottled in these quart growler things that my parents say look like the old hydrogen peroxide bottles. I think this whole story is awesome and I wish my high school had done something like that. They only made around 800 bottles which were sold for $10 each with $5 going back to the school. I tried getting some directly from the brewery but it didn’t happen. Luckily Vince saved the day by getting me one (since he lives in Des Moines).
The Body isn’t very sweet. There’s sarsaparilla and molasses as the prominent flavors with some cinnamon as well, but it they don’t find the proper confluence to create a beautiful harmony. Rather a shrill off-key mess. The Bite is sour with decent cinnamon burn. Half there. The Head is good. It’s medium height with decent staying power. The Aftertaste is some molasses and sour.
Ugh, what did they do? This tries to tread a fine line between being a herb tea brew and a normal root beer, and ends up doing the splits and landing on its groin. I don’t want to be mean to the poor students but, seriously, this is bad. Didn’t they do any research on what good root beer tastes like before they made it? Maybe it’s like how too many chefs spoil the soup, too many students spoil the root beer. I’d like to give them an A for effort, but really, this is more like a D-. Except the art department, they get an A. See how it rates against other root beers.
