Reading Draft Birch Beer

Reading Draft Birch Beer

Website: http://www.readingdraft.com/

Sweetener: Pure Cane Sugar

Bottled at: Reading, Pennsylvania

Purchase Location: Rocket Fizz

I finished writing my review for Reading Draft Birch Beer several days ago, and that review has disappeared to the land of lost work product.  This is my best attempt to recreate what was likely an award winning review.

Many birch beers are one trick ponies.  They show off the splendor of wintergreen, but have no depth, no other flavors.  Reading Draft Birch Beer is no one trick pony.  It does have that fresh wintergreen taste, but the wintergreen is just part of a rich and complex soda.  Sweet caramel tones and and a deep and creamy herbal base enshroud the wintergreen, which peaks out from time to time.  This is a soda with substance.  It leaves you satisfied with a nice taste in your mouth.  The flavor is similar to that of Reading Draft White Birch, but White Birch has a much stronger wintergreen flavor.  Both are quality drinks.  I might give the slight edge to Reading Draft Birch Beer.

Overall Score: 8 of 10.

Judge Wapner Root Beer

Judge Wapner Root Beer

Website: http://rocketfizz.com/

Sweetener: Cane Sugar

Bottled at: Camarillo, California

Purchase Location: Rocket Fizz

Before there was Judge Judy, before there was Judge Joe Brown, there was Judge Wapner on The People’s Court.  Judge Wapner was the original The People’s Court judge and the original reality courtroom show judge.  From 1981 to 1993 Judge Wapner presided over 2, 340 half-hour segments.  In my youth, I watched more than a few of those segments.  If anyone deserves a root beer, it is Judge Wapner who, at the time of this review, is 96 years old.  But how did he get a root beer?  The unconfirmed rumor on the internet is that one of the Rocket Fizz big wigs is Judge Wapner’s nephew.

A root beer bearing Judge Wapner’s name should also bear his likeness.   Judge Wapner Root Beer does just that.  The label shows the Judge pointing at all potential root beer drinkers and declaring “I Sentence You to Drink my Root Beer!”  I get that Judge Wapner wants to use legal lingo, but maybe the Judge could have used different wording.  Rarely, if ever, is being sentenced to do something  a good thing.  If he has to use his judicial authority to sentence people to drink his root beer, how good can it be?

As it turns out, I would drink Judge Wapner Root Beer even if I hadn’t been sentenced to do so.  Judge Wapner must love frothy, becasue his soda has a substantial head.  The root beer is heavy on the molasses, piloncillo/panela/brown sugar loaf taste.  From that, a nice creaminess briefly manifests itself.  Then the taste turns slightly bitter.  In the end, Judge Wapner Root Beer is worth a try, but I’m glad I haven’t been sentenced to drink it exclusively.

Overall Score: 5 of 10.

Rocket Fizz Root Beer Float

Rocket Fizz Root Beer Float

Website: http://rocketfizz.com/

Sweetener: Sugar

Bottled at: Camarillo, California

Purchase Location: Rocket Fizz

Rocket Fizz Soda Pop and Candy Shops, LLC was founded in 2007.  Within five years, Rocket Fizz had become the largest and fastest growing soda and candy shop franchise brand in the U.S.  Its stores, which are now found all across the country, carry thousands of bottled sodas and a large variety candy.  A visit to a Rocket Fizz store is a treat for your sweet tooth.

The label for Rocket Fizz Root Beer Float walks a fine line between looking slightly cheap and generic but at the same time, really cool.  The label has an over-sized version of the Rocket Fizz logo, which shows a young boy riding a rocket that has circled the earth, holding a bottle of soda.  Unfortunately, it appear s the boy is holding a grape soda instead of a root beer or birch beer.  Without question, however, the best part of the label is its shimmering metallic look.

I had a little trepidation about downing Rocket Fizz Root Beer Float.  A root beer float soda sounded gimmicky.  Sure, root beer floats are great, but how do you harness that creamy, frothy goodness in a bottled soda.  I expected the soda to be a total miss.  Had I been blindfolded, I don’t think I would have guessed this was root beer float flavored soda.  However, the flavor is good.  Rocket Fizz Root Beer Float has a typical root beer feel with an added kick of sweetness.  It tastes almost like bubble gum, which does not sound appetizing, but works well.  As a result, even if the soda doesn’t succeed in replicating a root beer float, it is successful as a soda.

Overall Score: 7 of 10.