welcome to anthony's root beer barrel! here anthony reviews root beers, birch beers & sarsaparillas, randomly rambles about the topic and probably some more stuff. so check it all out, feel free to comment on reviews or rate brews yourself.

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Shoprite Root Beer

February 20, 1997
Filed under: root beer reviews — anthony @ 3:58 pm
Type: Root Beer Comes In: 12 oz can, 2L plastic bottle, 3L plastic bottle
Available: CT, DE, NJ, NY, PA Obtained in: Stirling, NJ
Head: Large Sweetener: high fructose corn syrup
Caffeine: No
Website: http://www.shoprite.com

i’d say this is the best store brand root beer i have ever had. creamy as a good float, smooth, a nice head and not too biting or really in your face. just a solid taste that makes you want to keep drinking even after it is gone. great deal at 5 for $1.
Anthony’s Rating: 66
Your Rating: 63
# of ratings:39

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Hires Root Beer

February 19, 1997
Filed under: root beer reviews — anthony @ 5:44 pm
Type: Root Beer Comes In: 12oz glass bottle, 12 oz can, 20 oz plastic bottle, 1L plastic bottle, 2L plastic bottle
Available: AL, AK, AZ, AR, CA, CO, CT, DE, FL, GA, HI, ID, IL, IN, IA, KS, KY, LA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MS, MO, MT, NE, NV, NH, NJ, NM, NY, NC, ND, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, UT, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY, online, everywhere Obtained in: Edison, NJ
Head: Medium Sweetener: high fructose corn syrup, sugar
Caffeine: No
Website: http://www.brandspeoplelove.com/csab/?TabId=126

Hires. they invented root beer, what can you really say? among the big brands, they are still one of the best out there. creamy, bubbly, just a bit too sweet at times though. you can get some great bottles and some ones that are too syrupy. seems a bit hard to find anymore in the northeast especially. hope they are not slowly dieing or anything. a nice bottle design also, simply yet classic.
Anthony’s Rating: 68
Your Rating: 76
# of ratings:656

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Briar’s Six Gun Sarsaparilla

February 11, 1997
Filed under: sarsaparilla reviews — anthony @ 9:16 pm
Type: Sarsaparilla Comes In: 12oz glass bottle, 12 oz can, 2L plastic bottle
Available: NJ, online Obtained in: Shoprite, Stirling, NJ
Head: Small Sweetener: corn sweetener
Caffeine: No
Website: http://www.briars.com/

i could barely finish this, it was so nasty. well, that is not necessarily true, it just has a huge bite / kick and a weird after taste, but once you got used to it, it was not really awful, just bad. i’ve had some good sarsaparillas in my day and this isn’t one of them. very disappointing after a great root beer and birch beer. furthers my theory that they don’t understand flavours…
Anthony’s Rating: 28
Your Rating: 61
# of ratings:27

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Briar’s Premium Root Beer

February 10, 1997
Filed under: root beer reviews — anthony @ 9:36 pm
Type: Root Beer Comes In: 12oz glass bottle, 12 oz can, 2L plastic bottle
Available: NJ, OK, online Obtained in: Shoprite, Stirling, NJ
Head: Large Sweetener: corn sweetener
Caffeine: No
Website: http://www.briars.com/

now, this tastes almost like a cream soda. it has mad vanilla in it. that doesn’t kick in until a second after you have swallowed so it is a bit tricky. a very solid and distinct flavour, this sure is not a guzzling root beer in my book, it is too rich or something. that rad smoke when you open it makes me smile. =)
Anthony’s Rating: 84
Your Rating: 66
# of ratings:86

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Briar’s Premium Birch Beer

February 10, 1997
Filed under: birch beers reviews — anthony @ 9:28 pm
Type: Brown Birch Beer Comes In: 12oz glass bottle, 12 oz can, 2L plastic bottle
Available: NJ, online Obtained in: Shoprite, Stirling, NJ
Head: Large Sweetener: corn sweetener
Caffeine: No
Website: http://www.briars.com/

well, this tastes like a root beer, strangely. a darn good one at that though so i am not complaining. a hint of wintergreen i guess could give away that it is a birch beer. but otherwise, a nice little kick to get you going and wanting more more MORE! ya gotta love a soda that smokes when you open it.
Anthony’s Rating: 88
Your Rating: 75
# of ratings:43

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A & W Root Beer

February 10, 1997
Filed under: root beer reviews — anthony @ 7:57 pm
Type: Root Beer Comes In: 12oz glass bottle, 12 oz can, 20 oz plastic bottle, 1L plastic bottle, 2L plastic bottle, 3L plastic bottle, fountain
Available: AL, AK, AZ, AR, CA, CO, CT, DE, FL, GA, HI, ID, IL, IN, IA, KS, KY, LA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MS, MO, MT, NE, NV, NH, NJ, NM, NY, NC, ND, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, UT, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY, online, everywhere Obtained in: random convenience store, edison, NJ
Head: Large Sweetener: high fructose corn syrup, sugar
Caffeine: No
Website: http://www.rootbeer.com/

there is a distinctly different taste difference in buying this in the store and at their restaurants. perhaps because you get it in a rad mug at the restaurant or perhaps it is that fountain / bottled difference. in any case, they are both good. sweet without being syrupy, creamy so it goes down like silk. i think it is the best of the huge brands.
Anthony’s Rating: 71
Your Rating: 74
# of ratings:1539

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Skeleteen’s Rat Bastard Root Beer

February 2, 1997
Filed under: root beer reviews — anthony @ 4:10 pm
Type: Root Beer Comes In: 12oz glass bottle
Available: CA, OK, WA, online Obtained in: Seattle, WA
Head: Small Sweetener: fructose
Caffeine: Yes

3rd on the list of worst beverages of all time is this one. it seems that is what they want though, with a name like that, plus it seems to only be in specialty stores. i thought it was some joke drink at first. which it just may be. cuz it sucks as an actual root beer. it has lots of crud like ginseng, golden seal, skull cap, kava kava, ginkobiloba, gotu kola, echinecea, jasmine, and stuff in it. maybe it is better cold cuz i had it warm but i am not sure i really care enough to buy another bottle, especially since it was like $3 for this one. expensive root beer seems to suck, lesson one from anthony. some cool labels, but otherwise not something i’d ever want.
Anthony’s Rating: 16
Your Rating: 51
# of ratings:44

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