Monday, September 20, 2021

Olipop Classic Root Beer

 

I'm in the stage of my life where my weight yo-yo's in about a 10 lb range, and sadly i'm not about to just love and accept myself just the way i am so i am frequently trying fad diets and starting and subsequently abandoning exercise regimens. Well i'm currently in one of those phases. I recently (like, a couple days ago) decided i am going to cut sugar and carbs out of my diet to try and shed a few lbs. So when it comes to root beer reviews, i selected one that doesn't have sugar (or at least not much sugar). And as we all know, root beers in that category are often considered "natural" sodas, which translated means flavorless and/or gross. Well this is one of those kinds of root beers. My wife fittingly discovered this at our local Sprouts grocery store and picked up a can for me cuz she's a nice lady and supports this stupid hobby of mine. Olipop is the latest to jump on the trend of "healthy" sodas with a lineup of 6 different flavors. Also, you'll notice that Olipop spelled backward is Popilo. This has absolutely no significance that i am aware of but it seems like it should, doesn't it? The can says this was manufactured in Oakland, CA but i don't know how long Olipop has been around. The website states the mission of this soda is not only to get away from overloading your diet with sugar but also promoting a healthy gut biome, which is why these sodas have probiotics, botanicals and plant fibers to help promote good digestive health. So where will i steer this review you ask? Exactly where you think i will. But first...

My wife found this in a 12 oz can. I don't know if they have any other vessels of commerce that they distribute this soda in but the design is simple, somewhat neo-retro, and clean. It's typical of the aesthetic of most home renovation Instagram posts these days. It's certainly not the worst design i've seen. Very cute and inviting. But just like all the other natural, healthy root beers i have tried, this stuff is barely a root beer. I was actually pleasantly surprised and given a sense of hope by the aroma of root beer when i cracked the can, but then was immediately returned to taste jail upon drinking it. I mean... what else can i say that i haven't said about the others? It's completely flat, mostly water flavored and has a hint of plant residue and dirty utensils. You can really taste the nature. No semblance of root beer flavor whatsoever. But, at least it's healthy and doesn't have sugar in it. And maybe it will also give me a comfortable and successful movement later. 

My official review is that Olipop Classic Root Beer gets 3 (three) IBCs. Honestly, that's a generous score, but i will say in Olipop's favor that this stuff isn't completely undrinkable. The after-aftertaste is actually where you get some of the root beer notes, but it has to sit on your tongue for a good long bit before it gives you any real flavor profile. This stuff is not for me, but i knew that going in so i am not being very harsh on Olipop. The deck was stacked against them from the start. So while this score may feel like i am taking a crap on Olipop i have the feeling they will return the favor when i rocket diarrhea into my pants during work tomorrow. And all i can say about that is it wouldn't be the first time.

Sunday, July 25, 2021

Pearson Bros./Bull's Head

I would describe my child self as a trouble maker. I wouldn't call myself a rule breaker, though i often broke the rules. I just liked to mix it up, but i also knew my limits. I did some unlawful things, but nothing so serious that would land me in real trouble with law enforcement. However, one of the "serious" times i had an interaction with police as a youth was when i was 15 years old. I was living with my aunt at the time. She had dropped me and my cousin off in a shopping plaza with some other neighborhood kids so we could buy some CDs. We first went into the local Target to peruse the selection. Not finding anything to our liking, we left the store and walked down a few stores to the local Circuit City. Now, for those of you born after 1995, Circuit City was an electronics store similar to Best Buy that went out of business (which is where Best Buy is headed as well). We looked at the CDs there and decided we were not going to get anything, so we went back to the Target and stood outside waiting for my aunt to come pick us up. While standing outside Target, we were approached by a police officer on a bicycle. He asked us if we had been inside the Target. We told him yes we looked for some CDs before going down to Circuit City. He asked if we used the payphone inside. We told him no. Now, for those of you born after 1995, payphones were devices set up by the telephone companies around town, like in stores and on street corners, where one could place a phone call for approximately $0.25. They were like really big stationary cell phones, but they didn't have a screen or access to the internet. Oh, and also, CDs were "compact disc's" that we used to listen to music. Ask your dad about them. Anyway, we told the officer we were just waiting for our ride to come pick us up. He took down our names and the phone number for my aunt as she was our ride. He then asked us to follow him. We walked back into the Target over to the payphones. He said he had a complaint that someone had called 911 using the payphone (a free call) and then hung up. He asked again if we used the payphones. We again told him no. He then proceeded to accuse us of lying and said he knows we did. I became obstinate and continued to deny doing anything wrong because we didn't. He called over an employee, a young girl probably not much older than us, and asked her if we were the kids who had called 911. She gave us each a quick glance and said, "i don't know, i didn't see who it was." He thanked her and she walked away. 

He then turned to us and said, "there you go, positive identity." 

"Positive identity?!" i balked, shocked at the accusation, "she just said she didn't see the people who did it. How is that positive identity?!" 

"I can get someone down here to dust for fingerprints if we need", he said while staring all his attention on me.

"Go ahead then, call them up," i replied, "we didn't use the phones."

"That's all they do," he shot back, squaring up to me to intimidate me, "they just drive around all day waiting for us to call them to a scene."

"Then get them down here. We have nothing to hide."

We stared at each other for a few seconds. He then said, "wait here," and walked away. We didn't see him again. My aunt arrived about 10 minutes later and said she had been called by a police officer who said we made a prank call to 911. But he didn't stick around to talk to her or follow up with anything. He just left. 

That interaction taught me that it is important to get a good understanding of the situation before acting like you know what you're talking about. That officer was completely out of his depth. But instead of trying to get the facts straight he just started making wild accusations hoping one of us would crack. I don't want to be like that, but i am having a hard time with this root beer. It has a confusing history. It's been around since 1896, which is a long time to be in business. But when you visit the website, it says the name of the root beer is Bull's Head, not Pearson Bros. I think it started as Bull's Head but i have no idea how or when or why Pearson Bros. got put into the equation and/or why they needed to change the name on the label. It seems like the name change may just be for the U.S. distribution because i think it's still called Bull's Head in Canada. There were several breaks in production and buying and selling of rights by multiple parties. It's all very confusing. The label also says it's made in Canada where it originated, but the label also says it is bottled in Vermont. This root beer is living a double life. And if i can't get a straight answer i'm gonna call down someone to take some fingerprints so we can get to the bottom of this. 

I have a few people working on my behalf to find root beers for me, so this a quick shout out to my buddy Kyle who picked this up for me at a local Cracker Barrel restaurant in the gift shop. I like the bottle. It looks like it's a medicine bottle from the 1800's. The label is good too. Lots of fun imagery and it really embodies the time it is trying to recreate. But if this is what root beers tasted like in 1896, then no thanks. This stuff is lifeless. The sniff test resulted in nothing and the taste test wasn't much better. It's like lightly carbonated, slightly sweet brown water. It's sweetened with cane sugar and the label calls it "natural", but it doesn't have a very earthy or natural taste to it, which actually works in its favour (<-- Canadian spelling). It's not putrid or acrid, but it's not pleasurable in the least. Even my children were unimpressed, and they are just a couple dumb kids who want to drink anything carbonated. Are you listening Bull's Head? This doesn't even appeal to children. 

My official review is that Pearson Bros./Bull's Head gets 3 (three) IBCs. Honestly, a 3 is generous. Probably should be a 2 but it's not so completely off-putting that i want to spit it out. What is this stuff called? Where is it from? What is it supposed to taste like? I can't get the facts straight and i certainly won't be drinking this stuff again. But for all the things i don't know about this root beer, i do know one thing; it's not good. Now that's positive identity. 

Thursday, July 1, 2021

Frost Creek Root Beer

Geez... this feels kinda awkward. But what can i say? it's been a busy year. We sold our house and bought a new one and have been slowly fixing it up over the past year. And amidst all that craziness, my son broke his nose at school last year, a good friend of mine was diagnosed with cancer in January and has been undergoing chemo, and other various events have really made this a memorable year. And while i've been thinking for a while that i need to post, in large part because i have a backlog growing in my fridge, i just have the nagging feeling that i need to keep doing this. I tell myself it's not worth it but i enjoy it. It's a nice little hobby, one that i started at a time in my life when i was a young newlywed, a childless student working full time and just trying to get myself set up for what would be my new future. I had a few close friends when i started this blog. Friends from high school and college roommates, all in the same stage of life with similar backgrounds and experiences, and i would share my root beers and reviews with them. And one of those friends passed away last week. He took his own life 2 days before his 40th birthday, leaving behind a wife and 4 young children. It was a really tragic thing that happened, and sadly we had grown apart in recent years. I don't think i had even talked to him in close to 3 years. As a young couple, we moved away to Florida with our toddler son while he took his small family up to Portland to finish pharmacy school and then up to Alaska once he graduated. I loved him like a brother at times, but to be truthful we had a difficult friendship. To paraphrase another friend of ours, we had really high highs and really low lows. Part of growing apart over the years was my intentional choice. It's difficult to say like this but it's true. I'm not proud of it, and now that's how we'll end i suppose. I figured it may be that way but i just figured it would be a long time from now. While his passing obviously saddens me, I mourn for his children most, but i have comfort knowing his family will be taken care of. And i hope he has some relief from his pain now. In summary, i wouldn't say this is the main thing making me want to finally make a new post, but it definitely contributed. 

Also, have you guys heard of this thing called the coronavirus? Pretty wild. 

Frost Creek Root Beer is brewed by Frost Creek Beverages and is one of the flavors in their lineup of craft sodas. The company operates out of Carrollton, TX and has been in business since 2014. I don't know if i want to keep giving a summary of the company/root beer story and history anymore. I figured if people are interested they can go to the website and look it up themselves. Oh, and i also didn't read it. Gotta ease back into this.

The label is very plain but i like it a lot. It's a nice glossy sticker label that has some flair to it. A simple color scheme and stylized company logo make up the bulk of the label. The company uses pure cane sugar and other natural ingredients common to craft sodas. I detect a hint of wintergreen, but it mostly just has a nice mellow classic root beer flavor. This was a welcome return to posting reviews. My wife procured a 12 pack of this root beer by mail as a gift for Father's Day this year and my kids and wife and i have been enjoying them slowly over the last couple weeks. I enjoy the subtle bite in the aftertaste. It's a nice drink.

My official review is that Frost Creek Root Beer gets 7 (seven) IBCs. I really enjoyed this one. It was a contender for 8 IBCs, but i don't think it's quite there yet. Regardless though, this stuff is a pleasure to drink and well worth the purchase if you get a chance. They operate out of Texas, the same state as IBC, and after thinking about this whole endeavor over this last year i gotta share that i've been a little disappointed with IBC lately. I don't love the recipe change and the cost cutting on the bottles. You're on notice IBC. Straighten up or a young upstart like this may take your place.