Museum of Root Beer

 Root Beer Pilgrimages  No Responses »
Jun 162021
 

The Museum of Root Beer

Memorial Day weekend I found myself road tripping to Wisconsin Dells for the grand opening of the Museum of Root Beer. If you remember, I posted about their Kickstarter, which was successful, and May 29th was the grand opening party.

The museum is paired with Root Beer Revelry, a soda shop featuring about 150 different kinds of soda with a bar and 4 types of draft root beer on tap. A couple dozen Kickstarter supporters and root beer enthusiasts from all over the US, though mostly the Midwest had gathered to celebrate. Several people brought local brews to share, I brought a case of Glewwe’s Castle Brewery cause it’s amazing. After some remarks, the ribbon was cut and the party began. The brews flowed like water, the snacks were plentiful, many online friends were met, and a young virtuoso enthralled us by an impressive rendition of Root Beer Rag. It was a truly unforgettable experience. I probably drank close to half a gallon by the end of the evening.

The museum itself is largely the combination of several people’s private collections of paraphernalia and is organized is several exhibits, such as root beer media, root beer bottles, root beer mascots, root beer advertisements, and root beer products. It’s a wonderful look at the cultural history and significance of America’s unique beverage. Add to it the tasty brews on tap and for purchase, and you have a must visit destination for every root beer lover. I’m grateful for all who worked together to make it happen and glad I could play a small part of it all. I definitely plan on dropping by whenever I’m in town.




Opening remarks in Root Beer Revelry before the ribbon cutting.

The root beer mugs and kegs exhibit

The bottles and cans exhibit

Todd Bosley’s World Famous Root Beer

 Bottled Root Beers  No Responses »
Jun 022021
 

Todd Bosley's World Famous Root Beer Barrel I take issue with the name of this root beer. I know it’s cliche to call your product world famous, but if the people who’s primary reason for existence have a hard time learning about your product, it isn’t world famous. Small gripe I know, but of all the “world famous” type products I’ve ever heard of, this is probably the most obscure. I heard about it from anthony who found it trawling Amazon. The label also screams private label, but anthony assures me that when he reached out to the Great and Glorious Todd he said they have their own special recipe. I will believe him, GinsengUp does do custom recipes. I have another gripe about this brew. It came mailed to me using USPS Flat Rate padded envelopes as the padding in the box they used to package it. Seriously? They were too cheap to buy bubble wrap? Decided to raid the local post office after hours for the “free” envelopes whose cost is baked into the packaging and just use it to stuff your root beer mailing box. It rather sours me on them as a company. They can of course redeem themselves completely with a good brew.

The Body is sweet with a bit of vanilla, some sarsaparilla and a bit of sour. It’s rather generic other than that and the sour doesn’t help. The Bite is prickly from carbonation with a sudsy mouthfeel. There’s but little spice. The Head is tall and frothy, full points there. The Aftertaste is faint sour and sarsaparilla.

Meh. It’s okay, nothing special. That sour in the brew ruins it like their behavior sours my opinion of them overall. So yeah, skip this, if for no other reason than to support your local post office. But I must admit, in a pinch, it’s drinkable. See how it rates against other root beers.

Three kegs




Old Mill Root Beer Barrels

 Root Beer Candy  No Responses »
May 192021
 

Old Mill Root Beer Barrels

I was at Menard’s the other day, trying to get Sprecher Caffeinated Root Beer, which supposedly could be found there, I had just grabbed some Hank’s from Hardware Hank … what is it with hardware stores and root beer? Anyways, I couldn’t find it but I did find this so the trip was not all in vain. Old Mill is candy company I’ve not heard of before. These candies are, according to the label are packaged by LMH Quality Products in Makato, MN. So local. But reading further on the label says its a product of Mexico. Wait they make root beer barrels in Mexico? Since when? Mexico doesn’t really even do root beer. But there’s more! “May be produced with genetic engineering”. What? How does one genetically engineer something whose ingredients are sugar, corn syrup, artificial flavors and artificial colors? So many questions. So few answers. My head cannon is that they’ve genetically engineered a tree down there in Mexico, which oozes root beer barrel sap, and all they have to do is mold it and dry it to make these candies. Truly a marvel and horror of our modern age. Anyways. How are these genetically engineered abominations?

It has a sweet balanced root beer flavor. Unlike some root beer barrels, there isn’t a super strong wintergreen flavor. It reminds me more of a root beer stand type brew. It’s spicy and sweet and yummy and really hits the spot if you have a root beer candy craving.

They’re actually some of the better root beer barrels I’ve ever had. You can tell these are truly the product of a multinational mad science experiment into the forbidden realms of root beer candy creation.




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