I find it a happy coincidence that after doing my old post on Dad’s Root Beer the next brew for me to review was Mom’s. It’s clear from the label that they are going for exactly the same thing like some cheap knockoff. The logo is in the same angle and while the letters themselves are different colors, the whole logo sports the same blue, red, and yellow scheme. Also there’s the “The Better Half” quote on the bottle, as if to say that it’s the better half of the Mom and Dad parentage. And why not? We’re all for feminism and equality these days. Why should the fathers be the only ones with their own root beer? We’re about empowerment and #yesallwomen and whatnot now so of course we need a Mom’s Root Beer if we have a Dad’s. They even have their own website, which at the time of this writing, is one of those Godaddy free one-page sites. Talk about a missed opportunity to really support the cause there Mom’s. It is, of course, is still better than the non-existent websites of some companies so there’s that.
The Body is sweet and rich and a little creamy. It has a generic creamy root beer taste that could be a little stronger. The Bite is okay. There’s a bit of spice and fizz. It’s on the smooth side. The Head is average; nothing special but not bad. The Aftertaste is a light caramel vanilla flavor.
This is quite pleasant but nothing special, much like Dad’s root beer. I think that this has a more premium root beer feel (though I didn’t drink them side-by-side) whereas Dad’s is more mass market. Which means … Mom’s rates a little higher. “The Better Half” indeed. See how it rates against other root beers.
Another iconic brand that is seldom found it glass bottles though commonly found in cans and plastic two-liter bottles. This was one that I had enjoyed as better than the average back in my pre-connoisseur days during the occasional pizza night or barbecue. And by average I mean Cragmont, the precursor to Safeway Select which was the precursor to whatever they have now, Refreshe or something like that. Who cares, they don’t properly bottle it. Anyways. I was traveling up in the Mystic Land of the North on a quest to see The Arrogant Worms, the same quest in which I found the Pirate’s Keg Root Beer. I can’t remember the store where I found this, probably a gas station, but I do remember finding it there. It is the exact same as in the US except with the Racinette on the label. I got three bottles and waited until I had returned to give it a proper review.
I discovered the Ice Harbor Brewing Company several years ago when my younger sister returned from her mission. She flew into Pasco, WA and we all went to meet her. I did a google search and found that they had root beer but we didn’t have time to go there. I swore that the next time I was in the Tri-Cities, I would get that brew. And then my little brothers went off on their missions, and I didn’t have the brau. But then last week they came back, and I went to meet them at the airport, and finally we could all go out to eat and celebrate with my parents and my aunt and uncle. Ice Harbor Brewing Company has two locations in Kennewick, and they are only about five blocks apart. We went to their location at the marina on Clover Island in the Columbia River, which is more family friendly with better food. They don’t do any of the brewing there though, sadly. We all ordered root beer and they asked if we just wanted pitchers, to which I responded that I was a reviewer and I’d like my pint freshly filled from the tap with lots of foam if possible. They first brought it in a plastic soda cup which I said was unacceptable and to bring me a proper pint. Obviously they don’t get too many root beer snobs in there.
