Root Beer Heaven

And now back to being a soda critic:

Root beer could have its own blog, there are so many different varieties. The first one, by the way, was Hires Root Beer. Invented a few decades later was Barq’s. These two are gods among drinks, let alone root beers. I’m not trying to take away from A&W or IBC, of course. I’m going to try to work my way around this one and give you guys some good advice for your root beer drinking. First things first, I think that root beer is a cold weather drink. It is very filling and warms you up. The only true warm weather root beers would be Barq’s and IBC.

Hires is a good smooth drink with a great head on it like a Guinness. I would recommend this one with a good comfort food. Its flavor isn’t overwhelming and reminds you how a good root beer is supposed to taste. It’s a very filling drink that should be savored. I wish I had more to say about this one, but I honestly barely drink it.

Barq’s is not good with spicy foods! Their claim that “Barq’s Has Bite” is absolutely true! Eat some curry, buffalo wings, or anything with peppers or onions and your mouth will understand what the devil has in store for you in the afterlife! Don’t fret, there is a root beer that goes well with these foods- just keep reading. The flavor of this root beer can be overpowering and takes on its own life when you try to wash food down with it. I suggest just drinking this as sodas were originally intended: as a treat in itself.

A&W is best with hot dogs or burgers- much like the pairing at its restaurant chain. I recommend only getting the minimum amount of food and savoring every drop of this one. If you have a local A&W restaurant, their food stinks. But if you want to truly enjoy a fresh root beer, go in there and sit down with a glass mug filled straight from the tap. It’s the only reason I go to this place.

And the cheese curds.

IBC should have its own religion, it’s so good. Plus, it’s ONLY in glass bottles! They recognize rule #1 of sodas! This goes brilliantly with so many things, but especially warm foods- which is truly my generalization for most root beers. If you go to Potbelly Sandwich Works (I love that place, in case you couldn’t tell by now), pick one up from the freezer. It’s so damn perfect for a warm sandwich. Barq’s is at Firehouse Subs and just doesn’t go well with their sandwiches as the flavor can be overpowering.

MUG is still good, but it doesn’t have anything to make it unique. Nothing to really make it feel like there’s a party in your mouth and everyone’s invited. I still highly recommend this as it is still a great root beer.

Living in the DC Metro area, I’ve come to enjoy a local brew from the Old Dominion Brewing Company, which specializes in actual beer. Their root beer, however, has a taste of honey to it that I’ve never encountered before. It’s so smooth and is anti-bite! So, if you want to have those buffalo wings or something spicy, this drink is the absolute best! It’s sold in many bars around here and the ever amazing Wegman’s grocery store. I checked out their website and couldn’t find anything for ordering some online- so, I apologize if I got your hopes up.

However, something that I’ve found all over the east coast, not sure about you guys in California, is a great generic root beer named Main Street! It’ll be in the soda section with your Dr. Perky’s and Mountain Thunders. Pick it up, and you may find your new fave. Main Street is very similar to MUG root beer. This one is almost just right when it comes to flavor.