Root beer-inspired beer trend comes to East Tennessee

20150908_161211There’s a fun new beer trend gaining popularity across the country, and Cherokee Distributing Company is excited to bring it to East Tennessee – root beer-inspired beers.

Cherokee Distributing is stocking the shelves with two delicious varieties of these nostalgic adult beverages: Coney Island Hard Root Beer and Not Your Father’s Root Beer. It is important to emphasize that these are beers with alcohol content, so you must be 21 or older to purchase or order these products.

First, Coney Island Hard Root Beer is an adult beverage by Coney Island Brewing in Brooklyn, New York.

The artistic label on the bottle features Coney Island-inspired imagery that really captures the fun, nostalgic feeling of this product. This is a “hard” root beer, indicating that it is a beer with alcohol. But they’ve added the familiar, old-fashioned root beer flavors – like vanilla bean and licorice.

The bold taste of this brew is fun to pair with other familiar boardwalk or fair flavors, such as popcorn and corn dogs. If you have a sweet tooth, enjoy it with snacks like cotton candy and funnel cake.

We also have Not Your Father’s Root Beer, which is a spiced ale made by Small Town Brewery in Wauconda, Illinois. The brewery specializes in craft beer and nostalgic flavors.

This product features bitter hops like a beer and then adds sweet root beer flavors like sassafras bark to create a really balanced beverage. Just like Coney Island Hard Root Beer, Not Your Father’s Root Beer is a delicious option on its own, and it’s an ideal dessert beer.

However, if you’d like to try something new, beer cocktails continue to gain popularity and Not Your Father’s Root Beer is perfect for a bourbon-beer cocktail. Just mix the root beer-flavored beer with your choice of bourbon or whiskey like you would with soda. It’s a simple and delicious twist on a classic.

Finally, we have a truly classic root beer option for those who prefer a nonalcoholic option, especially if you’re having a family-friendly gathering with children or want the designated drivers at the party to enjoy a special root beer as well.

Abita is a Southern brewery out of Louisiana, and among many other things, they have perfected a flavorful root beer. Of course, this root beer’s perfect companion is creamy vanilla ice cream. It’s easy to make a classic root beer float just by adding a scoop of plain vanilla ice cream. That’s a sweet treat that everyone enjoys.

Look for these products anywhere that you buy beer, such as grocery and convenience stores. We encourage anyone 21 or older to try root beer brews, and always remember to be safe and drink responsibly.

To see these tips in action, check out this clip from “Live at Five at Four” on WBIR-TV Channel 10:

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