Draft and Keg Root Beers – Page 29 – Eric’s Gourmet Root Beer Blog

Eleven City Diner Classic Root Beer

Apr 232014

ElevenCityClassic I was in Chicago for the IEEE T&D Conference and Expo and needed to find some new root beer. Since Chicago probably has more brands of gourmet root beer coming out of it than any other city I can think of, I was sure there had to be at least something. I was looking for 1919 but I couldn’t seem to find anyplace close by. I asked the hotel concierge and he began to search after learning that Goose Island was something I could get bottled. He searched and called places and finally found Eleven City Diner, which is one of their recommended spots anyways and found that they had not one, but two house root beers, a classic and a blonde. I immediately set on foot to get my root beer. And it started to snow, and I was only wearing a very flimsy jacket because it had been sunny and warm in Seattle the day I left. Soon it was snowing and blowing and I still had 15 minutes to walk. But root beer is worth the pain. Eleven City Diner itself is an old Jewish Deli that specializes in cured meats – corned beef and pastrami. They barrel age their root beer extracts and use real cane sugar and Madagascar vanilla. They have an awesome root beer soda mixer/dispenser that’s ice cube chilled and dispenses both flavors. I decided to start with the classic.

This has a medium strength, standard creamy root beer Body. It’s got a very nice flavor but it needs a little more of it. The Bite is a little spicy and bubbly. The Head is medium-tall and foamy. The Aftertaste is a nice vanilla and caramelized cane sugar flavor that lasts not quite enough.

This is a solid brew that just needs to be a little stronger. Not sweeter, just stronger. It’s still plenty good to go with the meal, especially since it’s a bottomless mug. I give it a solid 3.5 kegs. For dinner I had their open faced Rubin’s Reuben that has both corned been and pastrami. It was amazing. I couldn’t wait to come back and try the blonde root beer. Stay tuned for that review next week.

Three and a half kegs

Rubin’s Reuben and a mug of root beer. A truly epic meal

My server pouring my mug of root beer from their root beer tap. The classic this time.

The Eleven City Diner

Bluebird Brewing Batch 002 Root Beer

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Mar 262014

A pint of Bluebird Brewing Batch 002 Root Beer My 200th Root Beer Review!!! After nearly a year of waiting, Bluebird Microcreamery contacted me to let me know that they finally rotated a new root beer into the store and to come and try it. I dutifully complied the next available opportunity and brought my buddy old Zombie Tag buddy with me. Bluebird has imaginatively named this brew Batch 002 Root Beer which saves a ton of money on their menu. For instance the chalkboard that had the menu on it only erased the ‘1’ and replaced it with a ‘2’ leaving their original ‘Batch 00’ … ‘Root Beer’ intact. That’s the sort of efficiency I applaud for a small company. They need to focus all of their energies on brewing instead of naming. Since it’s Batch 002 instead of Batch 2, it begs the question of whether they have over 100 different batches they’re willing to try. That could get interesting for sure and definitely help me keep my weekly reviews coming.

The Body is sweet but not overly sweet. It’s dark but not spicy and there’s no vanilla flavor but rather, a slightly fruity licorice one. The Bite is very mild as well without much fizz or spice. The Head is super tall and frothy and all over the place, just like with Batch 001. The Aftertaste is a sort of fruity licorice caramel that isn’t really my favorite.

So I’m not liking this one near as much as Batch 001. This has got more of the generic ‘stout’ root beer flavor rather than the more complex and spicy flavor of their first. Unfortunately I’m not the biggest fan of those types of brews. It’ll still go great in a float and their ice cream allows for some interesting combinations, but I’m gonna have to say it’s only drinkable on its own. I give it a high 3, almost 3 1/2 but not quite. Rumor has it that they even have a Batch 003 so I’ll have to see if that one ever pops up.

Three kegs

Schilo’s Root Beer

Draft and Keg Root Beers 1 Response »

Feb 122014

A Mug of Schilo's Root Beer A few weeks ago I was down in San Antonio for DistribuTECH where I was making a presentation on Cold Load Pickup. My usual Google search of “root beer ” turned up Schilo’s Delicatessen which boasts their own homemade root beer, and it was only two blocks away from my hotel. My first afternoon in San Antonio found me at Schilo’s for lunch and brew. The deli itself is about 100 years old and has been in its current location for around 70. It was started by a German family and is still run by a German family, though not the same one. The root beer was introduced during prohibition and they’ve kept the same original recipe ever since. They make it fresh every day in kegs, which are they then tap out from underneath a sweet wooden barrel arrangement.

The Body is sweet and rich and caramely. There’s tons of creamy vanilla complementing a spicy sassafras flavor. So, so good. The Bite is nearly perfect with loads of spice and the right amount of carbonation. It finishes very smooth. The Head is nice and foamy, though it could be a little taller and foamier. It’s good enough, but not quite perfect like the rest. The Aftertaste is lovely spiced vanilla.

Wow, wow, WOW! Every few years a root beer comes along that totally blows me away and this is one of them. I went back every day to get a mug and a free refill. The more I had, the more I loved it. It’s so rich and creamy and delicious. If the Head had been perfect, this would be a 5, but it was just slightly less than, so it only gets a 4.5. I’d say this is one of the top 5 brews I’ve ever had. It’s definitely worth making a trip to San Antonio for. It’s a shame they don’t bottle it. They said they were working on it, but since they use egg whites as a foaming agent (original recipe), they can’t let it get room temperature. That’s a shame, but I’d rather they stay true to that amazing recipe. Their food is delicious as well. My lunch was Wienerschnitzel with a side of the best split pea soup I’ve ever had. There’s a reason this place has stayed strong for over 70 years.

4.5 Kegs

My lunch at Schilo’s

The root beer barrel on top of the keg with a pitcher of root beer getting a refill.

The San Antonio River Walk. Schilo’s is just above the River Walk, though not at this particular spot.

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