Root Beer Reviews – Page 90 – Eric’s Gourmet Root Beer Blog

Frankie’s Root Bier

Dec 022015

Bottle of Frankie's Root Bier For some reason the folks at Frankenmuth Brewery decided that they’d spell beer the German way for their root beer. Interestingly they didn’t use any other German words. I guess they’re just a little bit German. There’s a wiener dog on the label and supposedly the brewery was also originally known for its purebred Dachshunds. But the brewmeister grew tired of the walking sausages and needed to get rid of them. He convinced a local boy to take them in exchange for the fresh root beer. I’m wondering just what the exact terms of the contract was. Hopefully the boy was getting more than a case, like maybe a 6 pack a week or a free frosty mug every time he showed up or something for as long as the dogs were alive. Then the name Frankie is either from the boy, the dogs, or hot dogs (franks), at least according to the bottle. They were probably very disappointed that III Dachsunds Root Beer was already taken, and they had to come up with another name. This is another brew that boasts “Michigan Beet Sugar” Those Michiganders must really love their beets.

The Body is fruity, really fruity, with a decent amount of vanilla. It’s also kind of sour and not very strong. It’s a very smooth brew without a lot of Bite to it. The Head has a good height but lacks the staying power to really be great. It’s alright. The Aftertaste is more fruity vanilla.

I never was a fan of sour fruity root beers. That boy must have been or the whole trade deal wouldn’t have made much sense. To each their own I suppose. See how it rates against other root beers.

Olde No. 43 Root Beer

Bottled Root Beers No Responses »

Nov 252015

Olde No 43 Root Beer Bottle This comes from some restaurant in Massachusetts called The Edge. I didn’t go there though, anthony did. They make Kayem Hot Dogs, Fresh Burgers, Fried Clams and Fries. That’s it. Do you want something else? No. Do you need anything at your restaurant other than burgers, dogs, fried clams, and fries? Definitely not. According to the bottle this is “Homemade” and by homemade they mean made at the Empire Bottling Works in Rhode Island. Interestingly Empire does quite a few custom root beers. They aren’t just vanity labels either. Each has its own unique recipe usually catered to the taste of the restaurant owner. That’s good because I don’t really like Empire Root Beer at all. I have no idea why it is called Olde No. 43. There is no explanation given anywhere on their site. But somewhere, a long time ago, in the olde days, the 43rd something made such an impression that a root beer was named after it.

The Body is rich and spicy with a nice sassafras flavor. It’s dark but not from licorice, but molasses. There’s an excellent Bite from the spices and a good carbonation level. The Head is, sadly, pathetic, gone in seconds, short while it’s there; a travesty really. The Aftertaste is slight wintergreen and molasses with just a hint of spice wafting away.

This tastes amazing. It’s like those dark and spicy types but without the licorice and molasses instead. I knew if they got rid of the licorice everything would taste better, and now I have the proof. But that whole, “two second Head” sorry, no Seal of Approval for you. See how it rates against other root beers.

Flathead Lake Monster Root Beer

Bottled Root Beers No Responses »

Nov 182015

Flathead Lake Monster Root Beer Bottle Shortly after my mission I took a road trip to southern Alberta to visit one of my favorite mission companions for a week. I left home at 3 am on a summer morning and after 10 minutes of driving I noticed the aurora borealis in the sky above me. Wow, in the summer in Washington State? I pulled over and looked at them for awhile. I swear they make noise. Then off again. Near Spokane I saw thunder storms in the distance with the clouds lit up by the lightning. The sky was certainly putting on a show for me. I was sure that it was a good omen. Along the way I also made a point to keep my eyes open for new root beers to try. While I was gassing up in Kalispell Montana I found this root beer in the mini mart. I knew that good things were coming, and finding a new root beer is always a good thing. I bought three bottles and continued on my journey. I had loads of fun and when I got back home a week later I got down to business of reviewing this brew.

The Body is weak, hollow and fruity which I attribute to the citric acid. The Bite is medium. The Head lives up to its name. The Aftertaste is fruity as well.

Yuk. I am not a fan. It says on the bottle that the root beer is fresh. If this is true I wonder why they needed two preservatives (Citric Acid and Sodium Benzoate). It also says “Fight Corporate Root beer.” My suggestion to them is that if this is their objective a good battle plan would be to make a better root beer. Finally, the bottle says “Root beer we make from the bottom of the lake.” I must say that the taste of the brew validates this claim. See how it rates against other root beers.

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