Skip to main content

Adulthood Win: Boozy Root Beer

not your fathers root beer craft beer
Image used with permission by copyright holder
It starts with a family legend: a brewery was won in a poker game by an English sea captain who then brewed beer for his voyages. He and his beers may have even transported early settlers to America. Now his great-great-something-grandson uses those original recipes as inspiration. Even if Small Town Brewery offered shit beer, they’d still be winning with this kind of legacy. As it happens, founder Tim Kovac has an amazing backstory and equally delicious, unique craft beers.

Thanks to Kovac, the world has been given Not Your Father’s Root Beer, an alcoholic version of a perennial favorite, root beer. The idea behind it was to find a way to appeal to beer drinkers and non-beer drinkers alike, giving everyone something to enjoy. It’s worth a taste even for people who don’t love mass produced root beers– Small Town Brewery’s version is much more flavorful and mature than what you’ll find in the vending machines, including sarsaparilla and classic anise. It’s won numerous awards in the beer world and continues to reshape what we think of as craft beer. Want to live your best life? Order it with a big ol’ scoop of vanilla ice cream on top.

Small Town also offers Not Your Father’s Ginger Ale, because apparently your father has nothing good to drink. Kovac’s family members are clearly overachievers as they made their own ginger ale, so he took that recipe and created a ginger ale adults would be excited to drink, even when healthy. It’s a familiar taste, spiced up with black currant and floral additions. It’s the perfect order on a hot day or when you need a little pick-me-up.

Kovac currently only offers the Root Beer and Ginger Ale, and draft of Not Your Father’s Root beer is only available in Illinois, where they’re based. Fortunately, the bottled versions are widely available in the US. Their website has a tool for helping you find the closest place to get a lovingly-crafted hard root beer or ginger ale. You and your boozy inner-child will be so happy you did.

Editors' Recommendations

Elizabeth Dahl
Elizabeth Dahl is a southern girl in the heart of Los Angeles who lived far too long before learning what an incredible food…
Far older than you think: A beginner’s guide to Mexican wine
Mexico has a great unsung wine scene
White wine glass tip

Wine has been produced in Mexico since the 16th century. With Spanish rule came mandatory vineyard plantings, wine-loving missions, and a steady flow of vino.

Today, the country is responsible for some exciting up-and-coming wines. The Baja region, in particular, is home to more than 125 producers and is beginning to get some serious industry recognition. Beneath the fine agave spirits and beach-friendly lagers, there’s quality wine on Mexico’s Pacific coast.

Read more
This is how to sharpen a serrated knife the right way
This fearsome blade needs a little extra love
Knife blades closeup

In every good set of kitchen knives, there is one particular blade that most people both love and hate. We love it for its ability to flawlessly slice through foods like crusty baguettes and plump, ripened tomatoes. Its jagged edge gives us smooth cuts through otherwise tricky-to-slice ingredients, all while appearing rather fierce in the process. But this knife can be desperately infuriating in its trickiness to sharpen. This is the serrated knife - a fiercely toothy blade with a saw-like edge.

Serrated knives come in all sizes for a variety of kitchen tasks. Their toothy edge is perfect for many culinary uses, allowing for crisp, clean cuts without tearing or squashing the ingredient's often tender interior.

Read more
How to craft a heavenly vodka martini: Shaken or stirred
We know James Bond likes his vodka martini shaken, not stirred, how do you like yours?
Vodka martini with olives in a martini glass

 

The martini is an iconic cocktail, with millions being poured since its inception. Former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill was known to down martinis, as did legendary author Ernest Hemingway and the greatest spy of all time, James Bond, who famously liked his vodka martini shaken, not stirred. As you can see from Bond's specifications, there is more than one way to make a martini and crafting a martini the "proper" way is a subject of debate. Does a martini have to employ gin or vodka? Will the Martini Police pop up out of nowhere if you use vodka instead of gin?

Read more