Rating old-fashioned root beers

Back in the 19th century, root beer was considered a medicinal tonic, said the editors of Imbibe. Later it evolved into an overly sweet, mass-market soda. But some modern versions are getting back to root beer

Back in the 19th century, root beer was considered a medicinal tonic, said the editors of Imbibe. Later it evolved into an overly sweet, mass-market soda. But some modern versions are getting back to root beer’s roots, “combining flavors of sassafras root, wintergreen, and other herbs.” We recently blind-tasted seven old-fashioned root beers. Our three criteria were flavor (authentic “rooty” taste), mouthfeel (initial carbonation and creaminess), and finish (lingering flavors). The winners were:

Sprecher

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