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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Market Basket Diet Root Beer

July 24, 2004
Filed under: diet root beer reviews — anthony @ 3:51 pm
Type: Diet Root Beer Comes In: 12 oz can, 2L plastic bottle, 3L plastic bottle
Available: MA, NH Obtained in: Northern MA
Head: Small Sweetener: aspartame (NutraSweet)
Caffeine: No

i really should just not review diet sodas maybe. it is just not fair, i don’t like any of them. for a second i thought this was ok, but then that awful aftertaste came and it is bad. it is probably not the best idea to have this now anyhow as i was feeling a bit sick to my stomach earlier in the day. oh well, too late now, huh? i am trying to minimize how much of this i actually have to drink anyhow. like i said, it tastes alright at first, root beer-ish even, not bad at all. things with no calories that are not water scare me.
Anthony’s Rating: 30
Your Rating: 99
# of ratings:1

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Market Basket Sarsaparilla

July 24, 2004
Filed under: sarsaparilla reviews — anthony @ 3:50 pm
Type: Sarsaparilla Comes In: 12 oz can, 2L plastic bottle, 3L plastic bottle
Available: MA, NH Obtained in: Northern MA
Head: Medium Sweetener: high fructose corn syrup
Caffeine: No

you don’t see many store brand sarsaparillas for whatever reason. well, really you don’t see many sarsaparillas, period! although this supermarket had no root beer, just a diet root beer which will be reviewed shortly, and no diet sarsaparilla. so that is weird too. but this beverage is much better than their birch. it actually has a bit of a birch zing to it, that whole wintergreen thing which is complimented by a more traditional root beer taste. rather tasty. but still, the metal can does not exactly enhance the taste so it does not stack up to a glass bottle.
Anthony’s Rating: 73
Your Rating: 57
# of ratings:4

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Syracuse Suds Factory Root Beer

July 23, 2004
Filed under: root beer reviews — anthony @ 3:43 pm
Type: Root Beer Comes In: 64 oz glass growler, On Tap
Available: NY Obtained in: brewery in Syracuse
Head: Large Sweetener: unknown
Caffeine: No
Website: http://www.sudsfactory.com/

so i was on a journey around NY state, getting root beers and photographing Muffler Men. I tried to plan my journey quite well, timing and all of that. I knew this place had their own root beer and there were a couple of other root beers that i could get in syracuse. their website said they opened at 11 so i got there at 11:02. they tell me they don’t open until noon on sunday. i explain i am in a rush and could i just get a growler of root beer to go? they say no, maybe in 1/2 hour. so i leave and drive to a couple other places that should have had new sodas but didn’t. came back at 11:35, they won’t help me. i wait until 11:45 and finally they do get me some. was it worth it? i suppose. it did not ruin the rest of my journey as i suspected it might. i wish i had reviewed this sooner, growlers lose their fizz so quickly. so yeh, this has a unique flavor, subtly herbal without being overpowering. i like this. it is a soda to be enjoyed while just sitting or whatever. no so much one to just drink down.
Anthony’s Rating: 93
Your Rating: 82
# of ratings:7

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Market Basket Birch Beer

July 23, 2004
Filed under: birch beers reviews — anthony @ 3:42 pm
Type: White Birch Beer Comes In: 12 oz can, 2L plastic bottle, 3L plastic bottle
Available: MA, NH Obtained in: Northern MA
Head: Tiny Sweetener: high fructose corn syrup
Caffeine: No

a clear birch beer in a can? interesting indeed. not to say it is actually very good though. if anything it is rather dull and watery. a touch of birch flavor but not in that good way that some other people do it so that it comes off as refrshing. no, here it is more just cheap tasting. perhaps because it was cheap in price, but i have had many a cheap soda that was tasty. alas fair readers, i say alas! this company is mysterios, i mean what self respcting company has no website in 2004?! weird. maybe it is poison i am injesting here. i hope not, i have a race in the morning i’d like to do.
Anthony’s Rating: 43
Your Rating: 58
# of ratings:4

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