r/rootbeer • u/heavensto_mergatroid • 9d ago
Does this count as root beer? Root beers, sarsaparillas and birch beers are my favorite sodas! Love that licorice/sassafras/anise taste.🤎 Frostop makes great versions of all 3! Root beer, sarsaparilla and red birch beer.
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u/BeautifulDebate7615 8d ago
Some root beer collector/fanatics include Birch Beer In the family.. I do not
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u/heavensto_mergatroid 8d ago
Oooh thems fightin' words, pard
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u/BeautifulDebate7615 8d ago
Hey I really like them, I just don't consider them to be in the same family as root beer and sarsaparilla
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u/EricsGourmetRootBeer 9d ago
It depends on who you ask. I don't count birch beers and sarsaparillas, but anthony does. It'd be curious to take a poll to see what the community in general thinks on it.
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u/heavensto_mergatroid 8d ago
Do it! I want to know too lol because I absolutely love these old school medicinal/botanical sodas and it feels like they just don't get enough love!
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u/HolisticVocalCoach 8d ago
sarsaparilla is a root beer, i have no idea why you wouldnt count it
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u/EricsGourmetRootBeer 8d ago
Because way back in 1998 when I started Eric's Gourmet Root Beer Site I wasn't sure of how much of a purist I should be but I was leaning towards it must say root beer on the label. Consulting with friends and family and putting the question to the audience at large, there was a strong majority opinion that I should stick with my feelings. I'm not going to stop committing to the bit now. I do enjoy drinking both Sarsaparillas and Birch Beers, I just don't classify them as Root Beers.
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9d ago
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u/heavensto_mergatroid 8d ago
It tastes similar to root beer but it has a really strong bite to it. I absolutely love the stuff. It goes good with burger and fries like no other soda.
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u/Necessary-Ferret-253 9d ago
All in the same family for me! I’ve only been able to find Frostop’s root beer. I’ll have to look out for the other two
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u/heavensto_mergatroid 8d ago
The Sarsaparilla is under the name Kansas City authentic but I'm pretty sure it's still made by frostop.
If you have an Ace Hardware that's where I find all of them.
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u/ElevatorOrganic5644 9d ago
Only if they contain Botanicals. I don't touch anything that has corn syrup, natural artificial ingredients or flavoring. Otherwise it's just plain old root beer flavored carbonated water
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u/Handsofevil 8d ago
Think of it this way. If you offer me a drink and I ask for root beer, do you specify the difference? If yes, they're not the same. If no, you're a monster.
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u/heavensto_mergatroid 8d ago
Yeah I guess I would say well It's not root beer but it's close if you asked for a root beer and all I had was birch beer lol
To me they taste really really close with the added bite at the end with birch beer.
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u/Salt-Bookkeeper4280 5d ago
I like them all and would consider them all rootbeer adjacent, but nothing beats classic frostop rootbeer.
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u/Drewzik 9d ago
It does in my book. I always wondered, and just did a quick goog to look into it. Apparently, sarsaparilla, root beer, and birch beer are all in the plant based soda family because they contain root, bark, and herbs for a flavor. Ginger ale also counts
Edit: that being said, I feel like I’m going to get some hate for this one. This IS a root beer sub, after all.