Natural Brew Draft Root Beer

When I began reviewing root beers about ten years ago this was one of the first root beers I officially reviewed. At the time, I had accepted a professorship at a small school in Virginia.  Looking back it was really only the beginning of the root beer revolution.   Although a “Professor of Root Beer” sounds prestigious, it was originally met with much derision and skepticism.  As a society, we have certainly come a long way.

Enough with the trip down memory lane . . . for now anyway.

When I think of an all-natural root beer, Natural Brew is the gold standard!  This has been a part of the root beer curriculum for quite some time now – “Natural Root Beers – 101.”  Too many root beers end up tasting the same, but this has a unique flavor that sets it apart. I know that some people think it is nasty, but I could drink a lot of this brew. It is a very creamy beer which stems from the bourbon vanilla extract – and to me the wintergreen and the birch oil really stand out – but not in offensive “in your face” kind of way.

Other special ingredients include anise, sarsaparilla, and licorice root. It has a light root beer color, a small head, and a really (I mean really) light carbonation. It also keeps below the 40 g of sugar threshold (it weighs in at 39 g of sugar).

My youngest little professor said that she loves it and that it tastes super!! And I have to agree.  I really don’t know why I don’t rate this a little higher because I really like this brew.

The Professor’s Grade:  B