When I cut open my package of Gourmet Root Beer tea, the first thing I saw was a beautiful, WHOLE star anise. The first thing I smelled was ROOT BEER. That really needed to be in all caps because that is how it smelled. This wasn’t the scent of cheap, off label root beer. This was the rich, full scent of a craft root beer that would be poured from a frosty brown bottle, foaming into a thick and frothy head in your glass, filling the air with the scent of pure vanilla and anise. Perfection.
The blend contains black tea, sarsaparilla root, cloves, star anise, licorice root, vanilla bean, and natural flavors. Licorice root has not only a distinctive aroma but leaves a distinctive flavor and texture in the throat after you swallow. I really didn’t know that there was licorice root in this until I looked at the ingredients, because it was such pure root beer taste that the licorice root individuality didn’t stand out from it. It simply sweetened the tea to the point that a guest, who takes no sugar in any tea or coffee, remarked that this was a very sweet black tea.
I wasn’t satisfied with just trying it hot. The heat index today is 102F. That’s 39C. That’s inhumanly, ridiculously hot. I wanted to see if I could make an ice cold bubbly root beer with this. I put four teaspoons of leaf in seven ounces of water that was 200F then steeped for two and a half minutes and strained it. I poured this over 3/4 cup sugar to make a root beer simple syrup.
Even though it was still hot, I just couldn’t wait to try my experiment. I filled a twelve ounce glass about a third of the way up with ice and poured three tablespoons of the root beer syrup over the ice. Then I filled the glass the rest of the way with pre-chilled Perrier for the bubbles. I pronounce it DELICIOUS.
It was a fun experiment and I can’t wait for hubby to get home and try it. My daughter sniffed it and said she expected it to smell like cream soda but it really did smell like root beer to her. It is really good, and doesn’t have sodium benzoate like most soda. I added the sugar without thinking because that is how you make simple syrup, but if you wanted to cut your sugar intake, I bet this would be still be good with just the sweetness of the licorice root that is already in the blend. Or you could easily make the simple syrup and just add cold water if the carbonation isn’t important to you, but I was trying to replicate actual root beer.
If you love root beer, give this a try. It is not in stock at the time this review was written, but 52teas is all about keeping an ever changing offering of new blends and they do rotate the favorites back around now and then.
Now have fun with your tea and experiment!
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Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: 52Teas
Description
This tea is no longer available
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Root Beer Float Black Tea from 52Teas. . .
I am lactose sensitive. I can have some dairy and be perfectly fine but too much and I am sick. This is especially true with ice cream. That is why I was particularly surprised when my mother took me to a restaurant called Jackson’s and happily let me order a Root Beer Float that came with a pitcher of root beer and a pint of vanilla ice cream. She’d been there before and knew what I was getting into…I did not. Needless to say I had to force my stepdad to help me out with the ice cream. Doesn’t mean I didn’t enjoy it though because root beer floats are awesome!
In light of my enjoyment of root beer floats, I was pretty pleased when this Root Beer Float Black Tea arrived as a sample in one of my orders from 52 Teas. Even more exciting are the delicious sounding ingredients of black teas, marshmallow root, sarsaparilla root, vanilla beans, calendula petals, and natural flavors. I made this as both a latte and a plain hot cup of tea.
My latte, though a bit watered down due to my inaccurate measuring, has a great sarsaparilla flavor. More than just the sarsaparilla which captures the root beer note, the vanilla beans and fluffy marshmallow combine with the milk to create a silky and creamy vanilla ice cream flavor. As a whole, the entire concept of root beer float is expertly captured in this tasty tea latte.
The plain tea is much more root beer than float. Granted there is a nice dose of vanilla and some softness from the marshmallow root, it is more heavily weighted towards the base black tea and the sarsaparilla root.
All in all, this tea (which is not currently available on the site but could be reblended) is a great take on the popular root beer float tea. Though it is good both ways I had it, I personally recommend the latte for a more accurate float. Just add a bit of whipped cream and a maraschino cherry and you got a treat worthy of any soda shoppe or 50s diner (but with much fewer calories :P).
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: 52Teas
Description
This tea is no longer available but click below for teas that are.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Root Beer Float from The Necessiteas. . . . . .
One of my favorite memories from my younger years with my dad was going out to run errands with him and stopping for A&W rootbeer floats on our way home. My family was BUSY– with three overachieving daughters and a packed schedule not much about my youth was spent not doing-doing-doing something, but these sweet little moments with my dad will always be carved out in my memory as such a treasure.
Pulling the car up to the radio, getting our drinks delivered on roller skates, sipping that ice-cold frothy foam off the top before getting to the creamy carbonation below– I remember it all like it was yesterday. (And now I totally want a rootbeer float, you guys.)
Lucky for me, when I found this sample sitting in my pile, I knew exactly how I wanted to use it– by recreating a healthier, tea-inspired dupe of my childhood fave! I’m sure this tea would be delicious brewed hot, but I knew that with only one tablespoon of tea to play around with, I had to test it out as an iced tea pop.
If tea pops are new to you, it’s essentially a strongly-brewed iced tea topped with sparkling water for a soda-esque drink. I steeped my tea overnight by cold brewing in the fridge– about a tablespoon to a cup of water.
After straining the next morning, I added about a cup and a half of fresh sparkling water, topped with a few ice cubes, and YUM– you guys– this was a perfect dupe of my old favorite. The rooibos base flavors were there, but they melded beautifully with the sasparilla and other flavors to perfectly mimic a sweet & creamy rootbeer float. My sample didn’t come with any mini marshmallows as advertised, but maybe that’s for the best with an iced brew– and it still was delightfully creamy and sweet.
A definite winner– and a nostalgic treat that I’ll be making for myself again and again this summer (and maybe my dad as well)!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Rooibos
Where to Buy: The NecessiTeas
Description
This blend will take you back to your childhood days, sitting on the porch, sippin’ on those old fashioned root beer floats. Add a touch of sugar and splash of milk and you will swear you were drinking the real thing! Perfect hot or poured over ice and naturally caffeine free!
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
