Root beer: Boylan

Vancouver, BC

Funny how things don’t always turn out as you expect. I didn’t really expect that this root beer would be all that great, but it is by far one of the better ones I’ve had in a while.

It has a nice aroma, not too heavy on the licorice, with a little something that lingers in the background. I want to say honey and cinnamon. It is a tad lighter than some other root beers, but that isn’t a problem. The only complaint is that it has a bit of a medicinal aftertaste. I think that is the wintergreen, which they could dial down a notch or two and it might improve the recipe, but what do I know about making root beer, I just drink it. A lot.

Of course the one I like is bound to be the one that costs the most. This bottle weighed in at $1.69. That is the only reason I don’t drink more of this particular brew. That and you can only get it at one place in the city that I’ve found. It isn’t terribly far from my place–walking distance–but I’m not down that way too often. When Chris was visiting I bought another bottle of this one and still enjoyed it. I also tried their Black Cherry drink, as I’m a fan of all fountain pop/soda, but that isn’t root beer, so that is all I’m going to say about it. This is the best non-mass market root beer I’ve had in Canada.

Written by Colin Bate