Skip to main content

Adulthood Win: Boozy Root Beer

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.

Recommended Videos

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.

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…
J. Rieger & Co. announced the release of its most limited and rare whiskey ever
J. Rieger & Co. is releasing a Solera-aged whiskey
J. Rieger

Missouri-based distillery  J. Rieger & Co. just announced the launch of its most limited and rare whiskey ever made. It’s called the 2025 Monogram Kansas City Whiskey Solera Reserve, and it’s keeping the brand’s “Monogram” name (that was used for whiskeys in the pre-prohibition days) alive with an exceptional, new release that uses a timeless aging technique.
J. Rieger 2025 Monogram Kansas City Whiskey Solera Reserve

Crafted by Master Distiller Nathan Perry, Co-Founder Ryan Maybee, and an expert tasting panel, this limited release is made using a unique solera aging process. The 2025 expression is a blend of straight bourbon, straight rye, and light corn whiskey.

Read more
Old Forester is going to up your home bartending game with its new cocktail cherries
Old Forester is launching cocktail cherries
Old Forester

Fans of the timeless Manhattan cocktail know that it isn't finished until it's garnished with a cherry or two. However, if you're taking the time to include a high-quality rye whiskey or bourbon, sweet vermouth, and Angostura bitters, you don't want to use cloyingly sweet, generically red maraschino cherries.

You need a high-quality, flavorful cherry for your cocktail. Especially if a renowned bourbon distillery makes it. Luckily, the folks at Old Forester have you covered. That's because the iconic brand recently announced the launch of the perfect complement to your go-to whiskey cocktail: Old Forester Cocktail Cherries.
Old Forester Cocktail Cherries

Read more
Smoking meat on a gas grill is easier than you think — here’s how to start
Affordable tools that make your gas grill smoke like a pro
chicken cooking on a gas grill

I never planned on getting into smoking; I had a basic gas grill, no fancy add-ons, and no clue what I was doing. But after trying a few simple techniques and picking up a couple of affordable tools, I realized that smoking food on a gas grill was more doable than I thought. You don’t need to spend hundreds on a full smoker setup to enjoy the rich, slow-cooked flavors of real wood smoke. With the right accessories, your existing gas grill can do a lot more than just burgers and hot dogs. These budget-friendly tools make it easier to get great results without overcomplicating the process.

Smoker box

Read more