Mar 282018
 

Zia Root Beer Bottle Imagine a root beer that’s more than just a root beer. It’s a root beer with a mission. A mission to enrich the state of New Mexico, through local economic support. A mission to achieve a sustainable earth for the next seven generations. And a mission to benefit the Native Tribe of Zia Pueblo. Congratulations, you’ve imagined ZIA Root Beer. The company name, ZIA Energia means sun energy. And the symbol on the bottle is the sun, with rays in four directions, symbolizing many sets of four things like North, South, East, and West; Earth, Water, Air, Fire; and even Clear Mind, Strong Body, Pure Spirit, and Devotion to the Well-Being of Others. The design and the font are all very Pueblo-y, if that’s a style. I think it’s a style. I’m saying it’s a style. Feel free to correct me in the comments about what the real style is. My rudimentary Googling fell short. My only comment on their mission is what about the poor eighth generation?

The Body is rich and complex with lots of spice and some licorice. There’s also a hint of malted barley. The Bite is strong and spicy with a lot of clove. The Head is decent. It’s tall and frothy enough but I’ve seen much better. The Aftertaste is wintergreen and vanilla with clove accents and licorice.

This is a solid and complex brew, but there’s just a little too much licorice in it for my tastes. I was on the fence of where to put this one and thankfully I had more than two bottles so I could try it again. Ultimately it didn’t quite make the Seal cut, but it’s still worth trying as it is pretty unique. See how it rates against other root beers.

Three and a half kegs