Ely, Minnesota. It seems like a place where everyone is friendly. And everyone is bearded. And everyone wears plaid. And everyone drinks root beer. (I can't really say - I've never been that far north in Minnesota.)
Yesterday's selection was Dorothy's Isle of Pines Root Beer, brewed just a few hours north of the Cities.
Dorothy Molter is remembered fondly as the “Root Beer Lady.” Dorothy lived in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area (BWCA) in northern Minnesota. She lived on the Isle of Pines on Knife Lake for more than 56 years where she paddled, hiked, fished, skied and snowshoed until her death in 1986. She was visited by as many as 7,000 people a year. She was such a part of the community that there is a museum in downtown Ely devoted to her life.
The museum's website writes about her root beer: "Dorothy brewed 10-12,000 bottles of homemade root beer each year. Chilled by ice cut in the winter from Knife Lake, Dorothy’s home brew provided a welcome treat for the thousands of paddlers who visited her island home. While Dorothy’s Root Beer is no longer brewed in her 8-gallon crock, it is still the favorite beverage of travelers to the Canoe Country."
Brand: Dorothy's Isle of Pines Root Beer.
Origin: Ely, Minnesota.
Purchase Place: "Minnesota's Largest Candy Store," Jordan, MN.
Sweetener: High Fructose Corn Syrup.
Review: Smooth, strong, a bit "zesty," and a lot of flavor on the tongue. Flavor disappears quickly and doesn't stick around (which is keeping it from getting a slightly higher score).
Score: 8 out of 10.
Origin: Ely, Minnesota.
Purchase Place: "Minnesota's Largest Candy Store," Jordan, MN.
Sweetener: High Fructose Corn Syrup.
Review: Smooth, strong, a bit "zesty," and a lot of flavor on the tongue. Flavor disappears quickly and doesn't stick around (which is keeping it from getting a slightly higher score).
Score: 8 out of 10.
Steve, I just found this "other" blog of yours. I'm a root beer fanatic too! More than 100 brands tried, but prefer my own homemade. And frankly, after extolling the pleasures of 1919 or Sprecher, it's really hard to do better than A&W!
ReplyDeleteSteveQ, I did NOT know this about you! And I kinda feel the same way... A&W is great. My wife just mentioned to me last night that I need to make my own, so I might have to get your recipe (if it's not secret).
DeleteAny root beer extract you can buy will have instructions; it's a lot simpler than homebrewing. My secret is using three different brands (1 part Rainbow, 2 parts McCormick, 3 parts Gnome); if I had a source for Zatarain's, I'd try it out.
ReplyDeleteWe need to have a tasting party.
mmmm, root beer. a couple bars around here have specialty root beers on tap for the designated drivers (or the non-adventurous beer drinkers) that are really good.
ReplyDeleteif you can track it down, zuberfizz root beer (out of durango, colo.) is super tasty. :)
Zuberfizz! Great name. I'll check it out! I see you can order bottles from their website, so I'll try them when my stock runs low. Thanks T!
DeleteI am currently having some of this in a frosted mug. I checked to see if you reviewed this one and alas, you did! Not bad, I prefer 1919 on tap compared to this, and this one seems too flat for me. Anywho, you should review 1919!
ReplyDelete