Frostie Root Beer

Producer: Frostie Root Beer Co. LLC, Detroit, MI
Obtained At: The Fresh Market in Avon, CT
Container: 12 ounce glass bottle
Ingredients: Carbonated water, pure cane sugar, caramel color, sodium benzoate, citric acid natural and artificial flavors
Calories: 160
Sugars: 42
Caffeine: No

I was driving in Avon when I passed The Fresh Market and thought, “I bet they have root beer there.” So on my way back I stopped in and I was right: they had root beer. In fact, they had six kinds I have yet to review. I bought all six and this is the first one. I have had Frostie Root Beer before and remember liking it. They also have a vanilla root beer, which I remember liking as well. The label is clear, which is less common than the opaque labels. And after checking the Frostie Root Beer bottle I have in my collection, this is a different label than they used to use. That means I can add it to my collection! The label has a Christmas/winter theme that goes along well with the name. The taste is really good. It is rich and creamy. It is very fizzy as well. I could drink a lot of this and I suggest you do the same.

8/10

Sky Valley Organic Root Beer

Producer: Sky Valley Foods, Danville, VA
Obtained At: Whole Foods, Port Chester, NY
Container: 12 ounce glass bottle
Ingredients: Carbonated water, organic cane sugar, organic caramel color, organic vanilla extract, natural flavor, sea salt, organic apple cider vinegar, citric acid
Calories: 110
Sugars: 26
Caffeine: No

It’s fairly difficult for me to find a root beer I haven’t tried before, since I’ve been collecting root beer bottles for almost six years. But my fiancée wanted to go shopping so I scouted out some grocery stores and liquor stores near the stores she was headed to. The liquor store had nothing for me, but the Whole Foods had this one. I haven’t heard of this one before, but it’s organic so I’m not expecting much. The label is okay. The white background is actually rare for root beer labels. The bear’s head is cool, I guess. The taste, however, is pretty bad. As my fiancée said, “I’ve had worse, but it’s not good.” For people who like organic beverages, or beverages with apple cider vinegar, this might be a good option. But for people who like good root beer, this should be at the bottom of the list.

2/10

Foxon Park Draft Style Root Beer

Producer: Foxon Park Beverages, Inc., East Haven, CT
Obtained At: Frank Pepe’s, New Haven, CT
Container: 12 ounce glass bottle
Ingredients: Carbonated water, sugar, natural and artificial flavors, caramel color, and sodium benzoate
Calories: 130
Sugars: 34
Caffeine: No

This is a Connecticut-brewed root beer, so I get to drink it all the time. I actually tried it for the first time long before I moved to Connecticut. I have always enjoyed it, but never thought it was anything amazing. But Frank Pepe’s has it so I get it with the pizza there. Let’s see how it is this time. The taste is pretty good. It’s smooth but has a unique taste to it so it’s not just like every other root beer. It is worth trying if you ever see it. But it isn’t anything fantastic.

6/10

St. John Brewers Virgin Islands Root Beer

Producer: St. John Brewers
Obtained At: Total Wine, Norwalk, CT
Container: 12 ounce glass bottle
Ingredients: Water, cane sugar, caramel coloring, natural & artificial flavors including wintergreen oil, anise, vanilla spices, herbs, citric acid, sodium benzoate as a preservative
Calories: 165
Sugars: 49
Caffeine: No

This is my first one I found after my trip to Minnesota’s Largest Candy Store and it is a good one. I found it while passing some time by perusing a liquor store. I always check out the root beer selection at liquor stores because they will usually have a couple rare kinds. Well, this store had St. John Brewers Root Beer, much to my liking. I had seen this online a couple times recently, but had never even looked into getting it yet. So I was very happy to find it. The label is unique, with a palm tree and barrels of root beer. The taste is really good. It is creamy and full. You can taste the wintergreen and the vanilla, and it makes a great combination. The head and fizz are both really good too. I highly recommend this one.

9/10

Natural Brew Draft Root Beer

Producer: Smucker Natural Foods, Inc.
Obtained At: From my mom
Container: 12 ounce glass bottle
Ingredients: Sparkling filtered water, sugar, natural flavors, bourbon vanilla extract, anise, licorice root, birch oil, wintergreen oil, caramel color, phosphoric acid
Calories: 170
Sugars: 41
Caffeine: No

On the same trip to Minnesota that led to my most recent adventure at Minnesota’s Largest Candy Store, I also got a four-pack of this root beer from my mom (thanks Mom!). I have had this root beer before, and I believe it was one of the first bottles I got for my collection. For some reason I remember it being terrible, which is why I haven’t tried it in at least four years. The label is pretty cool. It has a lot of detail and really plays up the “small batch” aspect. The taste is a lot better than I remember, which means I must have been thinking about a different root beer all these years. It’s still not that great. The flavor is definitely complex, as the label points out, but it leaves a lot to be desired and comes off as a little bland. All in all, though, this is a decent root beer that won’t result in anyone leaving disgusted. Sometimes that’s all you need.

5/10

The Pop Shoppe Root Beer

Producer: The Pop Shoppe
Obtained At: Minnesota’s Largest Candy Store
Container: 12 ounce glass bottle
Ingredients: Carbonated water, cane sugar, caramel color, citric acid, sodium benzoate, propylene glycol, natural and artificial flavors, phosphoric acid
Calories: 180
Sugars: 46g
Caffeine: No

This is the last one from my summer trip to the Big Yellow Barn, which is too bad. I have had this one before but I don’t remember it at all so it’s almost like having it for the first time. As you can see from the older picture below, the bottle has changed, which is always exciting for me. I like the design of the label. It has a retro feel to it. The taste is quite good. It has a little bit of a bite to it, not a lot, but enough to notice it. All in all, this is a good root beer that won’t disappoint you.

7/10