Eric’s Gourmet Root Beer Blog – The blog of the gourmet root beer site.

Oasis Diner Root Beer

Apr 012026

The very next day after visiting the Mug and Bun, I was searching casually just to see if there was any other Indianapolis brews to be had because why not, I had another day. I found Oasis diner, in Plainfield, very close to the airport. The perfect place to go for lunch before I flew out. The original diner was made in New Jersey in 1954 and shipped via rail to Plainfield where it operated continuously until 2008. The iconic landmark was moved 4 miles in in 2010 and reopened in 2014. It definitely has that 1950s diner vibe with an impressive menu of what you’d expect and cakes and pies under cloches. I ordered their signature Oasis Burger and a frosty mug of root beer.

The Body is mild and isn’t overly sweet. There’s licorice notes and some vanilla over a sassafras core that is pleasant enough. The Bite is rather mild as well with no notable spices and a below average fizziness. The Head builds to a medium height and medium foaminess, coalescing into big bubbles as it dissipates. The Aftertaste is light, sweet vanilla that is gone quickly.

This stuff is okay. Nothing special but very drinkable. The food is next level, however. That Oasis burger has 2 beef patties, bacon, pulled pork, and coleslaw. That’s quite the burger. I also had a slice of German chocolate cake because I know no restraint when the company picks up the tab. Great place, okay root beer. Worth a visit for vibes and food. They also bottle their root beer so I intend to review that to see if there’s any difference.

***The Oasis Burger and fries with root beer.***

***Just look at this cake, could you blame me?***

Mug-n-Bun Root Beer

Root Beer Stand Root Beers No Responses »

Mar 042026

My crazy fall travel continued and I found myself back in Indianapolis. Less than a week after returning from the Netherlands. This was only the second week of November and I’d been there on my birthday late September. My searching this time led me to Mug-n-Bun, the oldest drive-in in Indy, supposedly. I really can’t say, honestly, so I believe them. They have 3 different ways to eat there, in the car, a picnic area, and even an indoor seating area across the parking lot. I love that they’re accommodating. Despite it being November, it was in the 50s so I opted for picnic area and ordered some mugs and way too much food (my sense of self restraint is greatly lacking when I can expense the meal).

The Body is sweet and rich and smooth and creamy. It’s got that classic root beer stand flavor with lots of vanilla and caramely sassafras. The Bite is quite prickly from the carbonation with a fair amount of spice. There’s a smoothness to its finish but the prickly texture endures in a good way. The Head is medium short with an okay staying power. You have to ask for it but they’ll bring out the heady root beer if you want. The Aftertaste is sweet, smooth vanilla with a bit of spice and caramel notes.

Oh yum! This is a delicious, fine brew. Just what you’d expect from a drive-in like this. The vibe of the place is great and so is the food, they had a special on hot dogs so I got 2, and a “small” order of onion rings, and a pork tenderloin sandwich … yeah, I really overdid it. But it was so good. I do hope to return there. This place is definitely a must visit if you can.

***My dinner. Yes, I ate it all, also yes, I probably shouldn’t have.***

Brew Lab 101 Root Beer

Draft and Keg Root Beers No Responses »

Feb 042026

This past fall I had a crazy travel schedule of 6 different trips in 5 weeks. It was intense and most weeks I went two different places. I was always flying out on a Sunday or even staying over the weekend. The life of DERMS amirite? So expect a few more reviews from different places. The Delaware trip was part of this. In fact, the very next week I was in Albuquerque for the first time in a few years. I only had 2 days, but I called around and found Brew Lab 101 at the recommendation of one of my customers. Brew Lab 101 has actually been there since 2019, so not sure how I missed it last time I was in Albuquerque. They are dedicated to the science of good beer and cider. So they have probably got some good math formulas and molecular equations and stuff like that. Probably. The decor is science themed. Anyways, they have a root beer so I brought my coworkers after a long day so we could relax and have a nice brew.

The Body is weak and watered down. There’s some quintessential creamy root beer flavors in there, but their hard to fully pick out. The Bite is also light and mild. Hardly any spice and or even fizz. The Head is decently tall but fizzes away quickly. The Aftertaste is weak herbal flavor that vanishes.

Huh, that, is not good. I’ll note their webpage mentions nothing about being dedicated to the science of good root beer, and it shows. This was disappointing to say the least. Nothing really unique, just weak flavors. I’d avoid this one if I were you.

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