9 out of 10
Would recommend if you enjoy peace and kittens
5.5% alcohol, based in St. Louis, MO
Comes in 12 ounce bottles, ~10$ for a 6-pack.
So, now adult root beer is on the rise. This a trend I can really get behind. In my youth, I guzzled soda like a fiend whenever I could get my hands on it. In my adulthood, I have grown away from that, EXCLUDING ROOT BEER. I can never get enough of it’s sweet, nutty goodness. I have been to this shop to try all the different brands I can.
They also have Ale-8-One which is a drink my entire family can get behind. It has become a present in all my Christmas shopping. But I digress.
Best Damn is a company that takes Root Beer and completely tilts it on it’s head. As a kid, I found root beer to the sweetest of sodas, making up for the tingly carbonation with the smoothness of the vanilla. I thought of it as a definite KID drink. And simultaneously decided I would drink it until I died of old age.
Best Damn set out on a mission to help me drink Root Beer to my heart’s content. Plus I can get drunk at the same time! Root Beer: Not just for kids anymore.
Best Damn never reveals on it’s website how the Root Beer is brewed, but it’s pretty clear to me that it’s brew like normal, boring, kid root beer with yeast added somewhere. It’s distinctly possible that the yeast is added with a little hops to create the wonderful drink that is Best Damn Root Beer. It truly is a throwback to the days of my youth.
However, it’s not all great.
Because of the sugar added in the brewing, I get a wicked hangover from Best Damn in a way that regular beer does not induce. I delightedly drank about four of these one night, on an empty stomach. So I was really in my prime to get a buzz from this. That buzz turned into a gentle drunk, and I went to sleep with a fuzzy head. The next morning, I woke up and felt awful. I do not mean physically awful. I woke up with a larger depressive episode than I really thought possible. I barely made it into work that day, and I spent a good amount of time talking to my best friend about why life is hard.
I realize that this does not happen to everyone, but my body chemistry makes hangovers with sugar a real problem. I should really avoid getting drunk on exclusively sugary drinks, which is common in many carbon-based humans.
There is also an aftertaste of hops in the drink. Every sip reminds me that this is an alcoholic drink, not to be messed with. It may go down smooth, but my buzz tonight and hangover tomorrow will make me regret drinking a whole six pack.
In short, this drink is really a nice break from today’s market of IPAs and Strong Stouts. I’d happily use this for a sipping drink (or hair of the dog)!
Bonus: Best Damn has ALL THESE RECIPES FOR IT. I haven’t tried them, but they look delicious!