NEWS – 2017 U.S. Open Beer Championship Winners Announced

2017 U.S. Open Beer Championship Winners Announced

The 2017 U.S. Open Beer Championship winners were announced on July 10, 2017.  In 2016, the winners in the non alcoholic root beer category were as follows: 

Gold – Sprecher Root Beer – Sprecher Brewing – Wisconsin
Silver – Saranac Root Beer – F.X. Matt Brewing – New York
Bronze – Red Hare Root Beer – Red Hare Brewing – Georgia

Those results were somewhat confusing, seeing that Sprecher Root Beer garnered a modest score of 6 on this site, while Saranac Root Beer earned an impressive 9, cementing itself as an elite brew, and one of the best root beers reviewed on this site.  Apparently recognizing the absurdity of their 2016 results, the U.S Open Beer Championship changed course in 2017 issuing the following medals:

Gold – Saranac Root Beer – Saranac Brewing – New York
Silver –  Sprecher Root Beer – Sprecher Brewing – Wisconsin
Bronze – Bear Wizz Root Beer – Adirondack Brewery – New York

Congratulations to all three root beers.  I look forward to reviewing Bear Wizz Root Beer in the future, but I can attest that Saranac Root Beer is worthy of its gold medal. All of the 2017 U.S. Open Beer Championship results can be found here.

 

Sprecher Root Beer

Sprecher Root Beer

Website: https://www.sprecherbrewery.com/soda.php

Sweetener: Glucose Syrup, Raw Wisconsin Honey

Bottled at: Glendale, Wisconsin

Purchase Location: Galco’s Soda Pop Stop

Sprecher Root Beer is one root beer I have really been looking forward to tasting.  After much anticipation, we reviewed Sprecher’s 30th Anniversary Honey Root Beer, but were left less than impressed.  However, I still had high hopes for the original Sprecher Root Beer.

Sprecher Root Beer has a good root beer look.  From the root beer barrel look of the label, to the embossed bottle, to the German font displaying the title of the company, to the Sprecher crow mascot holding a root beer mug and a root beer bottle, Sprecher Root Beer gets high marks for its presentation.  That’s without even mentioning that Sprecher Root beer comes in a robust 16 oz. bottle, delivering 4 oz. more than the typical bottled root beer.

I was more than pleased upon downing my first mouthful of Sprecher Root Beer.  It had just the rich mixture of root goodness and caramel and vanilla smoothness.  I was immediately ready to declare Sprecher an elite root beer.  My next sip was more of the same, smooth and satisfying; near perfection.  However, after this sip I noted a slight aftertaste.  Each subsequent sip brought a more pronounced aftertaste.  Unfortunately, the aftertaste was the same disagreeable soapy flavor that  pervaded Sprecher Honey Root Beer.  In the end, all I could taste was the offensive aftertaste.  In a spirit of fairness, we decided to step back from the root beer and revisit it with a fresh pair of eyes (actually taste buds).  On our return several day later, the first few sips were splendid.  Unfortunately, it could not last.  The soapy flavor returned.

This soda went from great to bad.  I suppose if you are only interested in drinking two sips at a time, this might be the perfect soda for you.  I am probably being too generous, but because Sprecher Root Beer did show a short glimpse of greatness, I give it a 6.

Overall Score: 6 of 10.