Fireman's Brew Root beer: Brewed by Fireman's Brew Company. I wish I could tell all of you to zip on over to their web page, but if you're under 21, you can't view the site. Drawback to me. I'm sure there must be a way to make two sections: one under 21, one 21 and over. Their website does say that most beverages are for drinking "off duty". There are 3 different off duty drinks. I'm not a beer consumer, so can't tell you much about them. On duty drinks are coffee or soda. Despise coffee, so I'll go with sodas here. Right now, the only soda available is the root beer, but the web site promises a cream soda, and a brew soda black cherry. Everything made is literally started by firemen. 2 forest firemen were thinking how good a cold beer would taste one night, and it went from there. Company was established in 2000, but there's no real history, so I can't tell you if all the products were released at once or not. It doesn't seem to be released nation-wide yet, and is primarily a western (mostly CA) thing, though it is most recently making its way east. The two founders, Rob Nowaczyk and Ed Walker, were both home brewers, and this was a rather large expansion of that. Three real bonuses in my mind: Company was started with money from fellow firefighters. Nowaczyk and Walker still work as firefighters. They give back to their brothers. Somewhere between 10% and 20% of the profits are donated to Fireman's Quest for Burn Survivor's, the LA Firefighter's Relief Association (helps widows and orphans of LA firemen) and lastly, the National Fallen Firefighter's Foundation. They don't forget where they came from.The root beer has a hearty earthy scent, a strong scent. The scent prepares you for the drink. Very strong very potent taste. A little bit of wintergreeny birch beer tasty, but there is a real depth of taste. Very strong. There's a bite to the aftertaste which I can't quite place. Its not an unpleasant aftertaste, but does have a bite. With the donations to the various firefighter charities (never a fire fighter, but was a paramedic), and a nice strong taste, I'll be buying again. Wouldn't be search the web gotta have it type of purchase, but I'd buy again. One drawback: most of these sodas come in twist off caps. Need an opener for this one.
MacFuddy Pepper Elixer: From by Orca Beverages. Orca is located in Mukiltio, WA, and specializes in "retro sodas". Their website has a lot of soda's on it, Americana brand, Dad's root beer, Jic Jac, Sioux City, its not 100% clear if they manufacture all the sodas. They've partnered by "other soda companies". If you pressed me for a guess, I'd say yes they do make all the sodas. Which means I'll end up tasting 100+ Orca products. Was founded in 1980, by Mike Bourgeois, after taking a “New Age Beverage Category” at the Albers School of Business at Seattle University (there's soda college classes? sign me up!). I've also seen articles that are somewhat reversed. Dad's root beer own Orca. Stay tuned.
The soda: well the bottle had me intrigued. "cures timidness and satisfies the daring, "infused with luck 12oz for 24 hours of favorable outcomes". I'll let you know in the next blog how lucky I was. Opening the bottle, scent is strongly cherry, with some cola underneath. First sip tastes like a very strong Dr Pepper, maybe heavier on the fruity side. Drinks well. The aftertaste, what a kick. There is no question that black pepper is used in this soda. Very strong, but very pleasant kick. Drinks very well. I hate comparisions, as each soda is unique, but this is a stronger, more pleasant Dr Pepper with a nice kick. I'll be buying again.
No comments:
Post a Comment