tGreat American Root Beer Showdown - Fun Facts control and high standards. But the throwing bales of bark or roots into texture, a full body, particularly in Finally, a Beer the Whole Virgil's and the Dominion are a brewing copper. "Deep Root" the root beers sweetened with honey unabashed root beers, proudly not works at a flavor house, a business or all cane sugar. Matt's 1888 Family Can Enjoy aimed at the widest of markets. which supplies extracts, oils, and Tavern was particularly creamy, as by Lew Bryson This new breed of premium root artificial flavors to various indus- were the Sprecher and Abita. "Deep Many of us remember our first beer is following behind and beside tries, including soft drink makers. Root" says "Cane sugar will give 'real' beer: a Guinness on St. the craft-brewed beer revolution. Their company has a vast amount you that creaminess; you don't get Patrick's Day, a friend's homebrew, There are root beers with names of expertise in how these various it from high fructose corn syrup." a pint of Samuel Adams at a club. familiar to the beer enthusiast -- flavors affect the palate, and in how Randy Sprecher uses honey because While my first great beer was Kemper, Sprecher, Abita, Dominion, the flavors blend. These are the "Honey's got a lot of complex indeed a revelation, I also clearly F.X. Matt -- and many brewpubs people to approach when you want things in it, there are changes in the remember my first 'real' encounter produce a root beer for kids and to formulate a root beer. "Deep root beer from it." with another beverage. I was at a adults alike. Like brewers, there are Root" explained how most root The flavors will come through beer store with my brothers-in-law, some old, established, 'regional' beers are created. "There are around immediately. You may taste winter- stocking up for the weekend; a six root beers -- Stewart's, IBC -- which 20 flavorings in the average root green ("That's actually from oil of of this, a bottle of that. On our way have strong followings and produce beer. We formulate a flavor for birch," says "Deep Root."), mint, to the cashier, we passed a display exceptional products. Root beers someone based on an old recipe or licorice, teaberry, cinnamon, nut- of root beer. Root beer? Why not? have appeared on store shelves sometimes by mimicking an exist- meg, eucalyptus, anise, orange. We grabbed a six of Dominion and priced at $5.00 a six-pack and up, ing root beer. There's nothing new There are some artificial flavors too, a handsome brown swingtop bottle and like their barley brethren they out there. Then we ship it out as an including vanillin. "Deep Root" says of Virgil's, loaded it all in the car sell briskly. emulsion, about 1 gallon of base to that in root beer, "the characteristics and left. The big boys have already 100 cases of root beer. The recipes you get from vanillin are not really As I wheeled the car out into noticed: Coca-Cola and Pepsi are are kept in our vault." There is a reproducible with 'genuine' vanilla." traffic, I grabbed the Virgil's, lev- gearing up to push their respective fanatical secrecy about root beer While the concoction of root beer ered the swingtop open, and took a Barq's and Mug brands (both former formulations, and very few produc- does not allow for the wide variety swig. Time slowed, and my senses regionals recently purchased). They ers were willing to provide even the of flavors and aromas you will find came into sharp focus. Expecting see root beer as The Next Big Thing. name of their flavor house. in beer, the blending of the oils and just another soda, I found a com- These developments mean trouble "Brewed" root beer means that extracts, their quality, and the plexly delicious experience: creamy for some small bottlers. For years the oils and extracts are actually method of preparation will make for texture, rich caramel sweetness, a the giants allowed their distributors cooked, rather than a simple cold distinct differences in flavor. For rush of vanilla. "You gotta try this," and bottlers to carry any root beer water infusion of flavorings. As example, a brand new root beer in I said reverently, handing it to Curt. they liked. Now substantial finan- homebrewers know, this makes for a the Philadelphia market, Hank's, His eyes lit up as he swallowed the cial muscle is being exercised to better marriage of the flavors. was developed by Philly beer brew, and I gunned the wagon back ensure that Barq's or Mug are the According to Randy Sprecher of wholesalers L&M Beverage when to the store, where we bought up only root beers available from fran- Sprecher Brewing in Milwaukee, they moved into the soda market the entire stock of Virgil's chised distributors. “Deep Root", my brewing also allows fine-tuning: and decided to do their own root Why was that root beer so arrest- anonymous source at an established "You can drive off some of the fla- beer. John Salvatore, of the family ing? Most national-market food and ‘flavor house' outside Philadelphia, vors you don't want [from the which owns L&M ('Hank' is John's drink has been subject to the same told me not to worry: “The big guys extracts] by brewing." dad), says "We took a 100 year old 'blandification' process as main- want it all, but they've been But root beer, like the old gray recipe and tuned it up with some stream pilsner beer. Inevitably, as a remarkably unsuccessful at every- mare, ain't what it used to be. There anise and a more creamy texture, producer tries to expand a market, a thing but colas." Mark Clough at was a scramble in the industry in and did a low carbonation. product gets 'rounded off' in order Kemper isn't worried at all about the early 60's, when the FDA decid- Formulating it took over four to be acceptable to more customers. the big root beer push: “We intend ed that sassafras root bark was car- months of trial and tasting." The large overtake the small, and we to grab their horse as it goes flying cinogenic. Extract-makers strove to I asked "Deep Root" what made a wind up with white bread, Velveeta, by and ride it ourselves!" find a palatable substitute. Most root beer a root beer: "Tradition, and Coors Light. Mark Clough, head What is root beer, anyway? people agree that while the artificial mostly, a mimicking of the flavors of Kemper's Soda, relates it to the Folks seem to think it's a whole- substitutes are close, and the refor- of roots, berries, and plant extracts. same 'marketing pyramid' that some beverage brewed by our mulated brews are good, genuine I mean, root beer's only dark drives beer styles and sales in Colonial ancestors, but root beer sassafras made a better root beer. because of tradition, it's actually a America: "The blander the product, was invented by Charles W. Hires Once you've gone out and found kind of clear, cloudy mix until you the more people you can sell it to. (you may recognize that name). His your prized root beer, you'll want to color it." "Root beer is one of the As you increase the character, make concoction was introduced at the sit down and take it a little bit seri- most ill-defined products out there," the flavor more extreme, fewer peo- Philadelphia Centennial Exposition ously. Pour a fresh glass and focus Randy Sprecher laughs. The won- ple will like it. But those who do like in 1876. Mr. Hires mixed up his your beer- or whisky-honed senses derful thing about root beer is that it it, really like it!" Clough should drink using a number of natural oils upon it. You'll notice things imme- is a pleasure your entire family can know: his microbrewed root beer and plant extracts, chief among diately: wintergreen aroma, vanilla, share, including the toddlers and the (and other sodas) sell more than a them being sassafras root bark the minty-berry sassafras smell, and teetotalers. It makes for an excep- lot of microbrewed beers. extract, oil of birch, and vanilla perhaps some teaberry.Individual tional training tool to show less A number of small root beer bot- extract. "Deep Root" guessed that brands may have ‘signature' aromas experienced people a way to tease tlers have managed to evade these "We wouldn't really like Charles such as coffee (Stewart's), cinnamon out flavors in food and drink. It still economics, but many Americans Hires' original recipe, it was pretty (Barq's), or licorice (Dad's). makes a great float with a good only know the top four brands: harsh. There's less bite today." But Take a sip. Note the carbonation. vanilla ice cream. And it's just a lot A&W, Barq's, Mug, and Hires. As the same types of extracts and oils Like real ale, low-carbonation root of fun to drink. Re-visit your youth, with mass-market beer, these are are used by brewers of root beer beers like Kemper allow more of the try some high-falutin' root beer! certainly not poorly-made products. today as well, from the large to the true flavor of the drink to come Source: www.digitalironworks.com/spike/ They are made with careful quality small.