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Not Your Father's Root Beer in MI

Discussion in 'Great Lakes' started by apendecto, May 20, 2015.

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  1. Lazhal

    Lazhal Pooh-Bah (1,804) Mar 13, 2011 Michigan
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    Any Oakland county sightings yet?
     
    #41 Lazhal, May 21, 2015
  2. hardysf

    hardysf Initiate (0) Mar 17, 2015 Michigan
    Trader

    I haven't seen it. My beer store said next week probably.
     
    #42 hardysf, May 21, 2015
  3. brightcloud

    brightcloud Initiate (0) Feb 17, 2015 Michigan

    "Next week" lol
     
    #43 brightcloud, May 21, 2015
  4. Dactrius

    Dactrius Pooh-Bah (2,427) Apr 23, 2012 Netherlands Antilles
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    I keep seeing it said that it's not beer because it doesn't include hops. I find this highly confusing because I'm pretty sure gruit is considered beer (it has a category on BA but I'm too lazy to look up anything more official). I don't see anyone making fun of people on here for drinking malt beverages when they drink gruit or other ancient styles.
     
    #44 Dactrius, May 22, 2015
  5. Screechweasel

    Screechweasel Initiate (0) Feb 15, 2015 Michigan

    I asked the PBR rep when it will be available in the Lansing Area on Friday. According to him, there will be meetings soon with Henry Fox with the goal of getting it here around mid to late June.
     
    #45 Screechweasel, May 22, 2015
  6. Jaycase

    Jaycase Grand Pooh-Bah (3,302) Jan 13, 2007 Illinois
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    It's soda with alcohol as far as I'm concerned. When is the diet/sugar free version going to be available?
     
    #46 Jaycase, May 22, 2015
    Fargrow likes this.
  7. BEERschlitz

    BEERschlitz Initiate (0) Oct 13, 2013 Michigan

    It already is!
    5 parts diet root beer
    1 part vodka
     
    #47 BEERschlitz, May 22, 2015
    Fargrow likes this.
  8. apendecto

    apendecto Initiate (0) Mar 31, 2009 Michigan

    Whatever it is, I find it tasty. And I appreciate their process which is similar to the quote below.

    One traditional recipe for making root beer involves cooking a syrup from molasses and water, letting the syrup cool for three hours, combining the root ingredients (including sassafras root, sassafras bark, and wintergreen). Yeast was added, and the beverage was left to ferment after 12 hours, after which it was strained and rebottled for secondary fermentation. This recipe would usually result in a beverage of 2% alcohol or less, although the recipe could be modified to produce a more alcoholic beverage.
     
    #48 apendecto, May 22, 2015
  9. Jplachy

    Jplachy Pooh-Bah (1,602) Feb 12, 2012 Illinois
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    Not Your Fathers Gruit
     
    #49 Jplachy, May 22, 2015
  10. Zaphog

    Zaphog Grand Pooh-Bah (4,452) Sep 23, 2011 Michigan
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    I had the 5.9%.
     
    #50 Zaphog, May 22, 2015
    PapaGoose03 likes this.
  11. core42

    core42 Pooh-Bah (1,766) May 5, 2010 Michigan
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    This. I don't detect alcohol at all
    To me it doesn't taste like a root beer that is sold nowadays that is sugar on sugar on sugar but tastes like an old timey sasparilla
     
    #51 core42, May 22, 2015
    steebo777 and apendecto like this.
  12. ChicagoNick

    ChicagoNick Savant (1,000) Nov 16, 2012 Illinois
    Trader

    The only version that most people will see is the 5.9% 6pack version. The bomber 10% version is a ghost at this point. However, the 10% is available on tap literally everywhere in the Chicagoland area. There's definitely a notable difference between the two. I think they're both enjoyable... but they both give me a bad stomach ache if I drink more than 12oz.

    As for the rootbeer-beer floats: I made them for New Year's Eve and am not a fan. It doesn't mesh with the ice cream in the same way that regular rootbeer does. The texture is different and the alcohol comes to the front when you mix the two. Just my opinion, though.
     
    #52 ChicagoNick, May 22, 2015
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  13. Jmorey

    Jmorey Initiate (0) Feb 10, 2015 Michigan

    at the dark horse brew off someone made a rootbeer beer and was serving it in cups with little bits of ice cream. it placed really high, and i think the ice cream was why.

    it didn't do it for me. and sprecher didn't do it for me either. but i would probably try this one as a float too. I think the 10.7% version would have been great as a float.
     
    #53 Jmorey, May 22, 2015
  14. sarcastro

    sarcastro Savant (1,097) Sep 20, 2006 Michigan

    Dark Horse has made a root beer stout and a ba rootbeer stout in the past. The were supposed to release the 666 at the past 4Elf but it got pulled late for quality reasons. Kudos for them for pulling it late instead of releasing it.

    http://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/1471/77256/?ba=Knapp85
    http://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/1471/75846/
     
    #54 sarcastro, May 22, 2015
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  15. Andonato

    Andonato Initiate (0) Nov 27, 2012 Michigan

    anyone know if Ann Arbor is getting some? Just moved here and would love to pick some up
     
    #55 Andonato, May 25, 2015
  16. TheGoof

    TheGoof Initiate (0) Apr 10, 2013 Michigan

    Drinking one right now finally. Sorry I doubted you. This is like Barqs with a shot of vanilla Stoli. Very artificial tasting. Above average for a root beer though I guess, but I won't be buying any more.
     
    #56 TheGoof, May 27, 2015
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  17. apendecto

    apendecto Initiate (0) Mar 31, 2009 Michigan

    I find it funny that it is brewed with natural ingredients, not flavoring, yet it tastes artificial to people.
     
    #57 apendecto, May 29, 2015
  18. westlaunboy

    westlaunboy Pundit (846) Mar 31, 2010 Washington
    Trader

    Sounds like they don't have a distributor here yet, but I imagine it won't be too much longer. Our distributors aren't exactly on their game, as I'm sure you've noticed.
     
    #58 westlaunboy, May 29, 2015
  19. HugePrnceFan1999

    HugePrnceFan1999 Initiate (0) Nov 30, 2011 Indiana

    "Natural ingredients" means nothing.

    "Mike's is dedicated to crafting the best-tasting hard lemonades using natural ingredients " (Mike's Hard Lemonade)
     
    #59 HugePrnceFan1999, May 29, 2015
  20. BEERschlitz

    BEERschlitz Initiate (0) Oct 13, 2013 Michigan

    Hard lemons? So like lemon candies?
     
    #60 BEERschlitz, May 29, 2015
  21. ypsifly

    ypsifly Initiate (0) Sep 22, 2004 Michigan

    The distributor for western Wayne CO is out of it and won't have back for a minimum of two weeks. I was told by a rep that they were caught totally by surprise and have never had anything move so fast.
     
    #61 ypsifly, May 29, 2015
  22. Andonato

    Andonato Initiate (0) Nov 27, 2012 Michigan

    Went to Tippins market yesterday and they had a sign that said it was coming soon, however, my guy wasnt there and no one seemed to have any kind of estimate on when. But, thats still promising
     
    #62 Andonato, May 29, 2015
  23. ryanschimmele

    ryanschimmele Initiate (0) Apr 3, 2014 Michigan

    When I asked the guy at my local shop he says "it doesn't distribute to michigan so who knows if we will ever get it" uggggg hate it when the guys that should be in the know are out of the loop.
     
    #63 ryanschimmele, May 29, 2015
  24. apendecto

    apendecto Initiate (0) Mar 31, 2009 Michigan

    I knew this comment would bite me in the ass the second I sent it.
    This Root Beer is made the Old Fashion Way and is brewed like a Beer - We get all the sugars from the grains and we ferment it as well. Once done we cook it again to burn off all the alcohol and to make it into a syrup for us to add water and C02 which still takes about 40 to 60 hours of charging the root beer and we also role the kegs every 3 days to make sure everything stays mixed and has a great head…

    Actually, now that I re-read that, I feel I might have been fooled into thinking I read something much more descriptive...
     
    #64 apendecto, May 29, 2015
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  25. apendecto

    apendecto Initiate (0) Mar 31, 2009 Michigan

    They have a shitload of it at Discount Drinks in Wyandotte.
     
    #65 apendecto, May 29, 2015
  26. thewineselleraa

    thewineselleraa Initiate (0) Feb 24, 2010 Michigan

    It's something that is JUST starting to come to Michigan so cut them a break!
     
    #66 thewineselleraa, May 30, 2015
  27. 98green

    98green Initiate (0) Jun 13, 2014 Michigan

    They have several cases at Canton Market (cherry hill and Lilly)
     
    #67 98green, May 30, 2015
  28. HugePrnceFan1999

    HugePrnceFan1999 Initiate (0) Nov 30, 2011 Indiana

    Going Nationwide! What a great story from a wonderful craft brewery making delicious craft beer!!!
     
    #68 HugePrnceFan1999, Jun 19, 2015
    TheGoof and BrewlsRules like this.
  29. chicagogooner

    chicagogooner Initiate (0) Feb 5, 2014 Illinois

    Saw it at Barneys in New Buffalo last weekend.
     
    #69 chicagogooner, Jun 19, 2015
  30. BEERschlitz

    BEERschlitz Initiate (0) Oct 13, 2013 Michigan

    Sicilianos listed it in their beer blog. It's in GR.
     
    #70 BEERschlitz, Jun 19, 2015
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