IBC is the best, but will get you stopped by a cop when driving.
Barq’s is the best of the commonly availabe ones.
A&W is way too sweet and foamy, and tries to crawl out of your stomach and up your throat.
Those little candies are horrible and taste nothing life Root Beer.
Vernor’s is The only choice for Ginger drinks.
A&W is good if you get it straight from the tap, but canned it’s nasty. Fitz’s is the one I like best. As a kid, I was also fond of the Flavor-Aid (cheapo Kool-Aid) rootbeer flavor. Now, I just buy some Pappy’s Sassafras concentrate during summer or winter, or dig some sassafras root during spring and fall and drink sassafras tea.
I once participated in a root beer taste test party. We all contributed a few options – about 25 or 30 brands in all, IIRC. The host gave us a numbered sheet with spaces for grading and comments.
The variety of flavors was really surprising. Some were sweet and tasted like, well, like basic childhood-memory root beer – think A&W and Mug. Some were quite spicy with a strong herb flavor, mostly anise. Some had distinct non-root beer overtones, like maple or vanilla. There was one that everyone agreed was absolutely vile (I think it was organic).
Strangely enough, the one that seemed to get the most positive votes was the Target brand. That was followed by A&W, IIRC. It was a fun and interesting party.
So to answer to OP’s question – depends on which brand you pick up, here in the states anyway.
[QUOTE=NajaNivea]
Try horehound candies, with maybe a little wintergreen or vanilla in the mix.
[/QUOTE]
Not at all. Horehound candies taste like iced tea.
Nobody else even in the US gets Blenheim ginger ale (the stronger “ginger beer” sort of thing for the Aussies?) Comes in regular and hot?
ETA - Well, I’ll be hornswoggled - it’s local! (Well, it’s from northern SC.) It’s made by the same people who own South of the Border!
[QUOTE=Zsofia]
ETA - Well, I’ll be hornswoggled - it’s local! (Well, it’s from northern SC.) It’s made by the same people who own South of the Border!
[/QUOTE]
I hope the ginger beer line is less moribund than the roadside attraction…
You’re making it harder, and more disgusting, than it has to be. 2 ounces of Kahlua coffee liqueur, mixed with about 6 ounces of club soda makes a very close facsimile of root beer.
[QUOTE=MJinks]
You can get Bundaberg Root Beer in glass bottles from Waitrose.
[/quote]
I can state rather categorically that, the label on the bottle notwithstanding, Bundaberg is not root beer. I have no idea why the manufacturer chooses to refer to it as such, as it tastes nothing like any root beer I’ve ever tried. And I’m speaking as someone who used to own, and sampled, a large collection (70+ brands). They can probably get away with it in Australia, since the drink is pretty much unheard of down there, but they can’t fool even the least discerning North American palette.
Root beer in London (or for that matter in any decent-sized British or Australian city) can be found in Chinatown, as it seems to be popular among people from Hong Kong and Singapore. Pretty much every Chinese grocery I’ve been to in London will stock cans and 2L bottles of A&W, usually imported from Singapore. Some American restaurants in London also serve it, such as Bodean’s (a southern barbecue chain with locations in, among other places, Clapham) and some gourmet hamburger joint in Petticoat Lane Market whose name eludes me for the moment, even though I dined there this very afternoon.
[QUOTE=AskNott]
You’re making it harder, and more disgusting, than it has to be. 2 ounces of Kahlua coffee liqueur, mixed with about 6 ounces of club soda makes a very close facsimile of root beer.
[/QUOTE]
Hmmm…I don’t have either ingredient available at the moment, but I’m having difficulty imagining how this would work.
I’m coming in late, but I would describe it as tasting like copper pipe.
Root beer and Dr. Pepper/Mr. Pibb are my two favorite soft drinks. I really dislike most carbonated beverages but I make an exception from time to time for those, because they’re so yummy. It was weird to me the first time I heard that they were largely US taste, and the rest of the world didn’t like them. :eek:
Perhaps it’s worth mentioning that of all “mint” flavors, wintergreen is my favorite–though I’d never made the connection before. I just had one of my wintergreen candies and wow! It DOES taste like root beer!!
[QUOTE=Aesiron]
Yeah. It’s one of the biggest brands, if not the biggest. We even have a fast food restaraunt with the name and one of its selling points is that you can get it “on tap” in frosty mugs.
[/QUOTE]
IIRC, A&W started as a roadside stand that became a fast-food restaurant chain that was known for their home-brewed root beer. A&W then started bottling its root beer to sell in stores, and now are the dominant root beer brand in the U.S., while the restaurants kind of faded away (although they’ve been having a resurgence of late.)
[QUOTE=AskNott]
You’re making it harder, and more disgusting, than it has to be. 2 ounces of Kahlua coffee liqueur, mixed with about 6 ounces of club soda makes a very close facsimile of root beer.
[/QUOTE]
IMO, Jägermeister & soda is a much closer approximation. I used to sometimes drink that, when I went to bars.
There may be other herbal liqueurs that are even closer… what does Pimm’s taste like?
Root Beer Schnapps is close 
Several observations to make;
First, I’m rather suprised no one has linked to this column on the topic - The Master Speaks.
Second,
I must say I agree with your assesment and would also heartily recommend the Ginger Ale from these folks as well. Plenty of bite and much more like ginger beer honestly.
Finally,
and
The next time you are in Chicago you need to check out The Violet Hour. Either Michael or Toby will be happy to make you a fantastic Dark and Stormy, provided they are working. Or next time you are in NYC you can probably get one at Death & Company or Milk & Honey (provided someone gives you the address and ph #. Shhhh, it’s a secret. :rolleyes: )
[QUOTE=OpalCat]
Root beer and Dr. Pepper/Mr. Pibb are my two favorite soft drinks. I really dislike most carbonated beverages but I make an exception from time to time for those, because they’re so yummy.
[/QUOTE]
Hey! I could’ve written this. I seldom even try other pop flavors and when I do I’m always disappointed.
<bonding with OpalCat>
[QUOTE=jayjay]
I hope the ginger beer line is less moribund than the roadside attraction…
[/QUOTE]
Definitely. I want some now so bad you don’t even know. (Blenheim’s Ginger Ale, not South of the Border. Weather Report: Chili today, hot tamale!)
[QUOTE=Lust4Life]
I’m a Brit and I’ve had it once.
It tasted disgusting,never again.
[/QUOTE]
Yeah me to.
Tasted like car polish smells, fuckin 'orrid
[QUOTE=chowder]
Yeah me to.
Tasted like car polish smells, fuckin 'orrid
[/QUOTE]
This from a people who willingly eat marmite…
[QUOTE=vison]
We used to make ginger beer and root beer at home. Ginger beer we made “from scratch” but root beer, we bought a little bottle of Hire’s Root Beer mix. You added this mix to water and sugar, added a tiny bit of yeast, let it sit for a day or so (can’t recall how long), then you bottled it.
Sometimes the bottles exploded, either ginger beer or root beer, which was pretty exciting.
I looked recently for the mix, but I guess it’s no longer available. My grandsons were quite excited about making pop at home.
[/QUOTE]
It’s still available. Any homebrewing store has the supplies, and the knowledge on how to make this.
If you don’t have a homebrew store near you, it is sold online as well. Northern Brewer has several varieties, including ginger beer and birch beer, among others.