In recent years, breweries have transformed from places that only produce beer to tourist destinations. Most breweries now have tasting rooms, tours and some even have on-site pubs and restaurants. But, not everyone who visits a brewery is there to sample the suds. Families take trips to visit well-known breweries and some of them have begun releasing non-alcoholic root beers for non-drinkers (aka children and designated drivers) and many of them are quite good. Need a beer break? Here are the best root beers from craft breweries.
Victory Root Beer
Victory is well-known for its high-quality beers like Dirt Wolf Double IPA, Hop Devil, Prima Pils, and Sour Monkey. But, when people who visit this Downingtown, Pennsylvania, brewery and its brewpub have had their fill of beer (or don’t plan on drinking beer) they can grab a non-alcoholic root beer. “Thanks to our restaurant we’ve always been able to focus on appealing to people of all ages, not just the 21 and over crowd. Bottling root beer so everyone can enjoy a cold Victory at home just made sense,” said owner Bill Covaleski in a press release. Link
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Abita Root Beer
Abita is Louisiana’s most well-known brewery and makers of famous brews like Purple Haze, Big Easy IPA and Turbodog. But, for those not interested in sampling their wide array of alcohol-fueled beers, they offer a root beer made from spring water, vanilla, various herbs and yucca root. It gets its old-timey flavor from real, Louisiana cane sugar instead of regular sugar. Link
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Saranac Root Beer
The Matt Brewing Company in Utica, New York, is well-known for its wide selection of beers like its Legacy IPA, Adirondack Lager and Cold Brew Coffee Lager as well as envelope-pushing brews like S’more Porter. The brewery also makes a pretty well-regarded root beer, which is made in small batches and on top of not containing an alcohol, it also has no caffeine.Link
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Oskar Blues B. Stiff and Sons Root Beer
Colorado is a beer fan’s Mecca and Oskar Blues is one of the best breweries there. These trendsetters seem to unveil a new, amazing, unique brew every season. This includes: Death By Coconut, Pinner Throwback IPA, Tenfidy Imperial Stout and the recent Hotbox Coffee IPA. But, this past year, the brewery also began making non-alcoholic sodas, including: cream soda, orange cream, black cherry, ginger beer and root beer.Link
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Sprecher Root Beer
Milwaukee’s Sprecher has been brewing beer since 1985. Wisconsin visitors looking for something different than Miller High Life can visit the brewery to sample classic, German-style ales like Hefe Weiss, Black Bavarian and Special Amber. Visitors looking for a change of pace can try one of Sprecher’s sodas, including: cherry cola, cream soda and root beer made from real Wisconsin honey, vanilla and a whole bunch of botanicals.Link
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Red Hare Root Beer
Big things are happening down in Marietta, Georgia. Red Hare Brewing Company has a wide selection of amazing beers. Some include Ain’t That A Peach Berliner Wiess, Cotton Tail Orange Creamsicle, Sticky Stout as well as collaborations with breweries like Oakshire in Oregon. Like many breweries, they also offer a few sodas. The brewery makes a sparkling grapefruit soda and an award-winning root beer.Link
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Nickel Brook Babbling Brook’s Root Beer
You might not realize it, but Canadian breweries are making some pretty tasty craft brews. Nickel Brook, out of Burlington, Ontario, has some award-winning brews, including Head Stock IPA, Half Bastard Stout and Malevolent Black Imperial IPA. But they also make a pretty prized root beer made from only natural ingredients. They even used children as taste-testers when they were coming up with the recipe so you know it’s good.Link
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Appalachian Root Beer
In Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, you’ll find a brewery that pays tribute to the mountains which run through the state. The Appalachian Brewing Company makes a variety of interesting brews, including Chocolate Avenue Stout, Outta Focus Double IPA and Trail Blaze Maple Bown Ale. Like all of the other breweries on this list, Appalachian also makes its own root beer, but their’s is made from vanilla, real honey and pure cane sugar.Link
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