Bought a six-pack of hard root beer at the grocery and wished I’d passed it by. Very medicinal in taste.
Now I know why the say different strokes for different folks.
Anyone on the forum like it?
I’ve had both Not Your Father’s and Coney Island. Very similar in taste, and tastes just like root beer with little to no alcohol taste. Very sweet though, so I can’t have more than one at a time. I’m not sure if I’ll buy them again.
On a whim (actually a challenge from a friend), I bought the NB Hard Root Beer kit and brewed that. It’s just about ready to bottle. Basically it was an extract sweet stout recipe with RB extract and sweetener added to secondary. I’ll probably give most of it away.
I had Not Your Fathers and wasn’t very impressed. 12 bucks for 5% isn’t a very good value in my opinion. For that price, abv better be above 8.
Taste wise, when it was cold it was pretty decent. Warm was terrible like vomit flavor.
This whole hard root beer thing is just a terrible idea. I don’t see it lasting very long.
I’ve only had a couple hard root beers. Not a fan.
There’s a whole wave of hard sodas coming into the market. They are dangerously close to becoming a target for underage drinking and we’ll probably see a crackdown on that market in a couple years especially as the big brewers deploy their usual advertising models.
Cloyingly sweet. I’ve made a more earthy, herbal root beer that I liked though.
Not a root beer, but my buddy brews a classic Jamaican Ginger Ale that is awesome. About 5% abv spiced up with a bit of honey, real ginger, and his secret ingredient (jalapeños). Has a real nice subtle kick and goes down well at a summer party.
Not Your Father’s is releasing a Hard Ginger ale too.
Ohhh…greeaat. I can’t wait. 
Makes me sad that I don’t like ginger ale.
I didn’t think Not Your Father’s and Coney Island were bad, but they both caused some weird stomach issues. I preferred Sprecher hard root beer, which has been around for years. As for ginger ale, I’ll stick with Crabbie’s.
If Boone’s Farm, Mad Dog, and Hot Damn can still produce I don’t think hard soda faces too much of a problem ;D
I said it in another thread about Not your Father’s: the first sip or 2 was really great tasting, but after that it was a struggle to finish the bottle. I know when we left our friend’s house, that there were 3 or 4 left from a sixer. Just too sweet and an odd aftertaste that would not go away. To each his own, but I wont be buying anymore; may try something similar if handed to me, but when I want an alcoholic beverage, root beer is not the beer I want or choose
Edit for late night typing
I’m going through my list of friends wondering to whom I can give away the rest of the six pack. I know I won’t be buying any more.
Thanks for the discussion.
I tried Not Your Father’s, and I agree that it was disgustingly sweet. I couldn’t choke down the bottle I ordered. It’s something I’d try a 2oz pour of at a festival, but that’s my limit.
Interesting comments, when it comes to soda, root beer has always been my favorite. And now the BMC crowd are brewing a hard root beer. I like them. But no more than one at a time, and certainly no replacement for a good home-brew. They probably will be a passing fad. but I know the “best damn” brand (owned by AB) is planning many other hard sodas.
Not your Fathers was a huge hit in my area of CT - it was great to drink during the summer time and fun to make rootbeer floats with.
I think it’s just about run it’s course and novelty. I might pick up a 6 pack or two this upcoming summer but I don’t see the demand anymore.
When it first came out up here in NH, stores had bottle limits on it. Now you can find it in every grocery store and Walmart.
I don’t even have to try it to know I don’'t like it. and you kids stay off my lawn!