GourmetRootBeer

Pucker Powder Sweet Root Beer

Dec 252019

Pucker Powder Sweet Root Beer

Last time I was at Blue Sun Soda I noticed this in their candy section. They had little plastic tubes of various sizes where you could fill from the various flavors, including this “Sweet Root Beer”. Pucker powder itself is the creation of Creative Concepts, Inc. Their start was actually dispensers for colored sand in order to make tube art. They expanded the idea to make “interactive candy art”. The idea is the station will have multiple flavors, each of a different color, which you can dispense into your tube to make colorful designs. Then you can eat it because that’s way more fun than mere sand. I think it’s a very cool concept, yet I was only interested in their root beer, so I only got the smallest tube possible and filled it with nothing but that.

It has a chalky texture and is sweet, though not as sweet as I’d expected. It’s a little tart and the root beer flavor is mild and generic and you can’t really make out any specific flavors. It reminds me of my memory of the root beer Bottle Caps I would eat as a child.

This isn’t very good to be honest. I don’t really like the flavor, nor the texture. Maybe some of the other flavors are better, but I didn’t try them. It reminds me of pixie sticks, though a less sweet version of them, which I think actually makes it a bit worse. If you’re the sort of person who loves to consume flavored sugar powder in large quantities though, you may love these. Or if you love to make edible art, you’ll probably not care as much about the flavor and when you need that sort of tan color, you’ll get some of this. I’m not really in either camp so I’ll pass on the whole thing in the future.

Kenny’s Candy A&W Root Beer Licorice Twists

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Dec 182019

A&W Licorice

I am still burning through my Minnesota’s Largest Candy Store stock, though I’m almost done. These root beer licorice twists are also made by Kenny’s Candy, makers of the other, not-so-good licorice twists. These ones I assume are their premium variety, as they are actually packaged for sale outside of dedicated candy stores and they are sporting the flavor and branding of the most recognizable root beer brand on the planet. They also really hide who makes these, as you have to search deep in the fine print on the packaging to find out. I’m sure they’d want these to just be known as A&W Root Beer Licorice but I’m a stickler for calling them by who makes them. Anyways, I still like licorice and I quite enjoy A&W, so hopefully this time they will pull it off?

There’s a sweet, spiced root beer flavor that is not unlike A&W though the vanilla is missing. The flavor is still pretty mild but it is distinct enough that you don’t question you’re eating something There’s a waxy texture almost, so they are slipperier than other licorice I’m used to.

All in all they’re not bad, and far better then the other Kenny’s root beer licorice. I’m not sure I’d go so far as to seek them out, but they are enjoyable enough if they’re around. So, really, a step in the right direction, but I’m still searching for a better root beer licorice.

Burly Beverages Real Deal Root Beer

Old Fashioned Fountain Root Beers No Responses »

Dec 112019

A cup of Burly Beverages Real Deal Root Beer This past week I was back in Sacramento doing DERMS things cause that’s what I do, but I was also looking for some root beer cause that’s the other thing I do. My sites were set on Burly Beverages. They make craft from scratch sodas and mixers and only really sell syrups. However, they also have a tasting room with an old fashioned soda fountain where you can come in and get a cup or a growler fill. They close at 6 so I usually would miss them, but not this time! I called ahead, as they request, since sometimes they close early, but the owner, Gabriel was there and told me to come on down. He has a fine establishment and a great mission, to create quality sodas as they used to be, pre-prohibition, when they were more tonics with health benefits. He got his start making a smooth ginger beer and then added more flavors afterwards. After I explained my mission, he got into soda jerk mode and got me a nice cup of the Real Deal Root Beer to try while we talked about various root beer ingredients. In addition to the more traditional sarsaparilla, sassafras, vanilla, cinnamon, he also uses orange peel. I’ve only seen that before in Lockdown Brewing Company Rainbow Root Beer, which is also from the same area. Maybe it’s a Sacramento thing? But I digress. He gave me cup of brew, as well as the sarsaparilla, and a few other flavors to try.

The Body is mild and isn’t overly sweet, yet is very complex with flavors of birch, sassafras, vanilla, sarsaparilla and others mingling together to give a tangy, herbal drink that’s clean and refreshing. It isn’t your typical root beer flavor profile, though. The Bite is rather mild too, though there is some spices in there, they don’t feature prominently. The Head is rather small, which is typical for a soda fountain root beer. The Aftertaste is mild, herbal, sarsaparilla.

This I would classify as one of those carbonated herb tea type root beers. It’s one of the better ones and is a crisp, clean, refreshing drink. I’m sure it gives rosy cheeks even. However, it’s a little too far outside of the standard root beer flavor for me to rate any higher than a 2.5, sadly. The sarsaparilla, on the other hand, which has more molasses, sassafras, and some other spices, nails root beer rather well. It’s got a fuller body and a spicier bite, and tastes more like what you’d expect. If I’d done a blind taste test, I’d probably have said that the sarsaparilla was the root beer and vice versa. I’d probably give the sarsaparilla a 3.5 if it were marketed as a root beer, I still like sweeter brews but that’s me. Maybe Burly should just switch the labeling? Either way, they make some quality products and they’re some cool people. Especially if you like the more herbal, less sweet brews. And if you live in the Sacramento area, dropping by is a must as you need to experience true, raw craft sodas.

2.5/5 Root Beer Kegs

The Burly Beverages Soda Fountain.

Some of the Burly Beverages store. I love the old school apothecary vibe.

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