The Pooj is feeling just a tiny bit terrible.Pittsburg, according to a 1992 New York Times article, is the root beer drinking capital of the world – perhaps fitting, as many historians attribute the creation of what we know today as root beer to a pharmacist from Pennsylvania (more on that bit of trivia when I get my hands on a can of it – it’s still out there, but hard to find on the West Coast). Red Ribbon Root Beer owes its existence to the Natrona Bottling Company and is still actually made near Pittsburg, as Natrona only operates out of a single facility in neighboring Harrison Township where it has been since 1904. Though Natrona has changed hands a handful of times during its first several decades, the family that now owns and operates the company has done so since 1939.
Red Ribbon Root Beer has a good blend of flavors, though nothing dominates. There’s a vanilla-ish flavor and smell, with a root-y aftertaste that leaves a menthol-like feel in the mouth. While the flavors are not particularly strong, slightly overpowered by the sweetness, the sweetness also adds a very smooth texture. You’ve got to give the initially hard carbonation a few minutes to dissipate before you get to the smoothness, but it’s nice when you get there. It’s also got a slight bitterness in the aftertaste, not unlike that of a strong tea, but I don’t really mind that, since it’s more of an herb-y bite that I generally like.
I wouldn’t necessarily call Red Ribbon Root Beer an every-day root beer for me (considering my previous posting about shying away from root beer every day…), but if all root beers in Pennsylvania are at least this good, I can understand why people drink so much of it there. Like I said, not really one of my favorites, but I can understand why other people might like it – that’ll get you a 3.5.
No comments:
Post a Comment