Baumeister

Who Made This Stuff? Lakeshore Bottling, Inc. Green Bay, WI

Website: www.baumeistersoda.com

Where’d It Come From? Grocery store in Green Bay, WI

Review Date: 8/05/09

Commentary: Ahhh, Baumeister. This is the one that started it all for me – the root beer that got my attention. I still remember the first time I heard of it. Just hearing the name…..”Baumeister”….made me want to try some. It was the early 80s. I was probably around 12 years old, and my family was having dinner at the home of our friends, the Klasks. Mrs. Klask told us about this great root beer a neighbor had told her about. She said it was really good, and her kids seemed to like it. That was it. I tried one shortly thereafter. That’s when I discovered that I really liked good root beer, and the rest is history. The bottles have changed a bit over the years, and the label seems to have finally changed just in the last year or so. Okay, enough of this stroll down memory lane

I picked up that classic root beer smell when opening the bottle. It showed the promise of a good head while pouring, but it disappointingly dissipated almost as fast as I could set the frosty glass down. The first taste was very creamy, with a bit of bite. Second taste leads me to think some of the bite may be from the carbonation. I can pick up some wintergreen in here. I don’t normally like a strong wintergreen taste, but it’s not overdone here. The carbonation, while strong at first, lasts for a good while which is definitely appreciated. This is a good root beer, but I’m not picking up anything in here that is going to really set this one a part. I’d say it’s a good mid-pack brew. It is certainly a solid performer, but probably not one that will grab a lot of headlines. You know the type – trustworthy, unassuming, dependable, always there for you, won’t leave you hanging…but at the same time it’s not going to change your life. As I continue drinking it, the wintergreen taste has started to taper off. It’s still nice and creamy and that carbonation is still there in just the right amount. So, in the end, I’d say this is a good root beer. I’d gladly serve it at my table. I’ll give it a score of ………… 82

Berghoff

Who Made This Stuff? Clover Club Bottling Co., Chicago, IL

Where’d It Come From? Somewhere in WI

Review Date: 8/1/09

Commentary:

“Chicago’s Famous Root Beer” -- it says so right there on the label, so it must be true! Being a Packer fan, I’m willing to set aside the whole “Chicago” thing and give this root beer a fair evaluation…here goes.

When poured, it produced a small head which dissipated quickly (evidenced by the photo taken as soon as I could stop pouring and pick up the camera). It has a pleasant aroma, but nothing strong. Detected a little bit of licorice, but not too much.

First taste was good. Not too creamy, little bit of bite. Second sip confirms that this is a really good root beer. Definitely one I would recommend (and serve) to friends. Carbonation is good, bubbles in the glass are medium sized. Yup, just checked the label between swigs and my suspicions were confirmed. Pure cane sugar in this one, and it shows! This particular bottle has been sitting on a shelf out in the garage for about two months now. I’m embarrassed to admit that I had forgotten about it. I was concerned that it might have lost a little somethin' somethin' sitting for so long. I’m glad I found it again, because I sure am enjoying it. It’s not too filling either. I think I could down a couple of these with a meal.

The bottle itself is pretty nice. I really like the old school script. I guess they’ve honed their label design skills over the years with their line of beers. The label states “Founded 1898”, but I don’t know how long they’ve actually been making root beer there. I know that this good stuff comes in a big 32 oz. bottle as well. I know, because I once had one in my possession but alas, it was not meant to be. The bottle was broken before I could chill and enjoy it. I need to get my hands on one of those again.

I’m down to the last few sips now, and there is still an adequate amount of carbonation left, which makes those final sips oh so enjoyable. Unfortunately, this is my last bottle of the stuff, so I’ll have to wait for my friendly traveling supplier to bring some down on her next trip south from WI.

Bottom line, I really enjoyed this one. I will definitely buy some anytime I see it in a store. When you try one it probably won’t knock your socks off, but you will definitely enjoy it, I’m sure. I’m going to give this one …………..a 90 (the first one of my reviews to crack into 90s!).

Seymour Beverages

Who Made This Stuff? Seymour Beverages, Seymour, WI

Where’d It Come From? Purchased at the source, Seymour Beverages

Review Date: 3/8/09

Commentary: I really like this root beer for a couple reasons. The first reason has to be that this stuff is bottled the old fashioned way – in returnable/refillable glass bottles. The cool thing about the case I got was that of the 12 bottles in the box, I think there were probably six or seven different bottle types in there, all from old time soda bottlers that have apparently gone out of business over the years. None of the bottles bear the Seymour Beverages name. The picture at right shows a sampling of the different bottles. Check out this write-up on the soda company. Second, this root beer is made with real sugar. It is evident in its nice, clean taste. I don’t feel a syrupy coating on my tongue after taking a big swig of this stuff. Finally, of course, is that it tastes good. It has a nice, simple, sweet and creamy taste. There’s no hard bite, no overpowering licorice or wintergreen. Just a nice basic root beer. When poured in my glass, it produced a decent head of the soft, frothy kind that hung around for a little while. The carbonation was just right, too. Bottom line – it tastes good, and goes down smooth.

I hope I can get my hands on another case while this place is still in business. I’m down to just one last bottle in the fridge, and then it will all be gone. So sad. The bottles are 7 ounces, so they’re just right for a quick root beer refresher or for nice little dessert after dinner.

This isn’t the greatest root beer on the face of the planet, but it’s not trying to be. This is a good root beer, in just the right size and just the right taste to please a lot of the folks a lot of the time. I’ll score it as…………..84.