Root Beer

[Ceezer]

A gas station near us has the unbleached cane sugar A&W in glass bottles. I love the after-taste it provides!

We also found some good hand-brewed root beer at Earth Fare that was really smooth. It was really subtle, and I usually like the bite of root beer, but it was delicious. It was also expensive at $6 for 4 bottles, but worth trying.

 

[Bluestaco]

This thread has me thinking more of foamy brown frosted mugs of heaven, which made me forget about my all-time favorite (and I guess you'd consider it root beer, wouldn't you?): Ol' Bob Miller's Premium Red Sarsaparilla.

I haven't seen the stuff in years and years, but it came in a bottle that looked for all the world like the old short-necked Budweiser bottles, which caused no end of problems for us on one particular church picnic.

 

[northpaw]

Mug was my favorite for many years, but later I got hooked on Barq's.

Man, this thread is killing me - no root beer in this country.

 

[sparkchaser]

Man, this thread is killing me - no root beer in this country.

Make some!

http://www.northernbrewer.com/soda.html

 

[blackfoot]

At least you have happy memories about IBC root beer.

On my way to Maryland from Michigan, I got pulled over because I was drinking IBC in the car. Granted it was probably not the best idea, but at the time I didn't think anything of it. The officer was convinced I was intoxicated and asked me to take a few coordination tests. Finally, I said, "Officer, with all due respect, I am not under the influence of any drugs or alcohol. If you look at the bottle, it clearly says IBC root beer." I then proceeded to give a bottle to the officer, so he could enjoy it too (it was a very hot day).

He let me off with a warning.

Note to self: Don't drink IBC in the car, even if you think it's harmless. Well, at least don't drink out of the bottle

Definitely love IBC, A&W (preferably draft) and Big Buck micro brewery.

What in the devil was the warning for? Making a fool of a trooper?

I chuckled loud enough to confused my flatmates.

I had a friend of mine get arrested recently for not being able to pass a sobriety test, while sober.

 

[blackfoot]

Alright, I have to get in on this one. I love root beer and my wife hates it. At a lot of restaurants, she gets water and steals some of my soda. I love the look on her face when she realizes it was root beer. It is cute and hilarious at the same time.

I like ICB and A&W. I am shocked to see no one has mentioned B&K. This is the best commercial stuff IMHO. These places are getting to be more rare, however. My first job was at a B&K root beer stand. They made the best coneys around here too. I used to be the one who made the root beer because I was the strongest. It took five gallons of syrup and 110 pounds of sugar. I have no idea how many gallons it made, but the vat was about 2' by 3'.

One of my hobbies takes me to the 1812 War Reenactment at Mississinewa every year. One of the vendors makes old fashioned root beer. It is liquid candy. If you have ever had Brach's root beer candy, that is exactly what it taste like.

 

[michael.scheller]

I am shocked to see no one has mentioned B&K. This is the best commercial stuff IMHO. These places are getting to be more rare, however. My first job was at a B&K root beer stand. They made the best coneys around here too. I used to be the one who made the root beer because I was the strongest. It took five gallons of syrup and 110 pounds of sugar. I have no idea how many gallons it made, but the vat was about 2' by 3'.

I thought I had posted a reply about B-K. I agree that B-K is the BEST but I will admit that it's a matter of taste. B-K is sharper flavored with more bark bite than any other root beer and not as sweet as the others.

My family owned the B-K in Medaryville, IN for 36 years; we bought the place when I was 3 so I literally grew up on the taste of that root beer and whenever I'd go to an Arf'n'Barf or an A&W I'd always ask Dad, "what's wrong with their root beer?" He always laughed... I was serious.

If the setup at the B-K you worked at was similar to ours, the batch you're describing would make 20 gallons of syrup (you were talking about gallons of "concentrate" by the way. (The concentrate contained only the rootbeer flavorings.) Once we made the syrup, that stayed in the syrup holding tank until needed. You would then dilute that again 5:1 with water so that would make 100 gallons of Root Beer into the RB holding tank which went to the carbonator and the tap.

We sold that place a few years after my Mom and Dad died. I went and visited 5 years after and inside the walk-in cooler was the hand-written, and very explicit instructions that I had transcribed from the gobbley-gook shorthand that my Dad had used. When I was 13 or so, I had written those and hung them with that thumbtack nearly 25 years earlier. The new owner laughed.

 

[blackfoot]

That is very cool! And yes, I stand corrected. I meant concentrate. Don was the name of the owner and it was in Huntington, IN. He said that he did not know who still owned the franchise but he still used it. We grew up going there at least once a week. My dad loves the place. When I was on the fire department, we set up a stand to raise money at the town's Fall Festival every year. We always get our sauce from the B&K in Huntington. It is still in business too. The house my wife and I owned in Huntington burned down about six years ago. A year or two later, I stopped by the B&K. Don was there and introduced me to the guy who had bought the place from him. Turns out, it was the guy that bought my house-less property a few blocks away! Small world.

 

[michael.scheller]

B-K's are definitely a midwest phenomenom and lots of them are vanishing. The coporate home was in Michigan City, Indiana as I remember but I cannot find anything online about them. Lot's of websites showing the individual Drive-Ins but nothing about the corporate home.

The Pop's B-K Drive In in Lafayette was always busy when I drove by and it closed anyway when the original owner died. It's now a used car lot.

 

[blackfoot]

B-K's are definitely a midwest phenomenom and lots of them are vanishing. The coporate home was in Michigan City, Indiana as I remember but I cannot find anything online about them. Lot's of websites showing the individual Drive-Ins but nothing about the corporate home.

The Pop's B-K Drive In in Lafayette was always busy when I drove by and it closed anyway when the original owner died. It's now a used car lot.

Too bad. It was a bit of a family tradition to go to B-K (not B&B, thank you) on Sunday after church. Opening day of the season was a big event for my family. My mom wasn't as huge of a fan but humored dad.

 

[Ceezer]

We had a B&K in my hometown of Marietta, OH when I was young. I don't remember much because they closed it down in '80-81, but what I do remember of it is the fresh root beer in the big paper cups and their onion rings. There are still several poles sticking up from the pavement in that lot from the B&K drive-in speakers.

 

[dallas251]

I really like Abita's root beer. Their beer's not bad either.

 

[michael.scheller]

View attachment 50597


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/B&K_Rootbeer

B&K Rootbeer is an independent chain of drive-in fast-food restaurants, distinguished by their draft root beer and root beer floats. A midwestern chain, B&K restaurants are located in Indiana, Michigan, and Ohio. B&K stands for "Bergerson & Kenefick".

At one time, there were 238 B&K drive-ins around Indiana and surrounding states. It was founded by Melvin and Mary Bergerson in the mid 1940s in Michigan City, Indiana.

B&K Rootbeer stands opened in the 1950s and served hamburgers, milk shakes, ice cream cones, hot dogs and other foods.

There are a couple of pages on Facebook dedicated to B-K in general and a couple of independent drive-ins in particular.

 

[blackfoot]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/B&K_Rootbeer

B&K Rootbeer is an independent chain of drive-in fast-food restaurants, distinguished by their draft root beer and root beer floats. A midwestern chain, B&K restaurants are located in Indiana, Michigan, and Ohio. B&K stands for "Bergerson & Kenefick".

At one time, there were 238 B&K drive-ins around Indiana and surrounding states. It was founded by Melvin and Mary Bergerson in the mid 1940s in Michigan City, Indiana.

B&K Rootbeer stands opened in the 1950s and served hamburgers, milk shakes, ice cream cones, hot dogs and other foods.

There are a couple of pages on Facebook dedicated to B-K in general and a couple of independent drive-ins in particular.

Wow, you came up with a lot of information, didn't you? I kept meaning to try and research it, but forgot because of a trip I am planning. Thank you.

 

[grimlad]

Real root beer is one of my favorite drinks ! I have been drinking Virgil's Microbrewed Root Beer lately and really like it.

Virgil's Ingredients List
Virgil's Microbrewed Root Beer contains these key all-natural ingredients:
carbonated water
unbleached cane sugar
Along with these natural herbs and spices (including point of origin):
anise from Spain
licorice from France
vanilla (bourbon) from Madagascar
cinnamon from Ceylon
clove from Indonesia
wintergreen from China
sweet birch from the southern US
molasses from the US
nutmeg from Indonesia
pimento berry oil from Jamaica
balsam oil from Peru
cassia oil from China

You can get it in most natural/health food stores. The search is still on for a good ginger beer!

 

[ogopogo]

Real root beer is one of my favorite drinks ! I have been drinking Virgil's Microbrewed Root Beer lately and really like it.

Had a Virgil's last night to wash down a Philly cheese steak sandwich. It's a very tasty root beer with good ingredients. I love that is made with unbleached cane sugar.

Trader Joe's carries it, so for those of you with one in your area, I highly recommend that you stop by and give it a try.

 

[tsmba]

I've never tried any of the smaller, niche root beers, but have seen some of the blogs, etc. I have fond memories of A&W when I was a kid. When visiting my cousins in IL, we'd have Hires. Whenever I buy it now, I get IBC out of St Louis.

 

[Alacrity59]

Excuse my ignorance (i come from a far away place)but, what exactly is root beer and what does it taste like. Now I know I'm sitting on the Internet so I did a quick Wiki search and it says it's made from sassafras and is really only known in North America. Ok so what does sassafras taste like and is the root beer you guys are talking about have alcohol?

Cheers,

Adam

This is sooooo sad. No Aqua Velva and no Root Beer . . . Clearly Australia should be the land of opportunity for someone.

 

[sparkchaser]

Excuse my ignorance (i come from a far away place)but, what exactly is root beer and what does it taste like. Now I know I'm sitting on the Internet so I did a quick Wiki search and it says it's made from sassafras and is really only known in North America. Ok so what does sassafras taste like and is the root beer you guys are talking about have alcohol?

Cheers,

Adam

I was at Whole Foods last month and saw some Root Beer that was made in Australia and I bought it. Not too bad but didn't have enough of a bite. Sadly, the brand name escapes me but I'll be sure to write it down next time I am there.

 

[Sluggo]

I love a A&W car hop root beer!! Nothing better IMO.