Photo: Courtesy of Anheuser-Busch. “People like beers that are approachable, down-to-earth and don’t take themselves too seriously, so Best Damn Brewing Co. aims to bring all the flavor without any of the fuss,” Rashmi Patel, an Anheuser-Busch vice president, explained in a press release. Perhaps not surprisingly, the other drink out by Best Damn currently is their Best Damn Apple Ale — another sweet-drinking beer alternative for the over-21 crowd who might still feel nostalgic for snack time.
Anheuser-Busch isn’t the first brewery to release a hard root beer. Craft brewery Small Town Brewery and Boston Beer Co, the maker of Sam Adams, already have their own grown-up root beers on the market. And the trend isn’t as odd as you may think — root beer, traditionally made with the root of a sassafras tree, originally was alcoholic. It was only Prohibition (and the need for non-boozy alternatives to beer) that made root beer a more family-friendly drink.
Another fun fact: The term “soft drink” also comes from our country’s brief constitutional experiment with banning alcohol. Drinks like root beer were “soft” to differentiate them from their hard (or alcoholic) counterparts. So if you’re trying a mug of Best Damn Root Beer any time soon, you can sip a bit wiser knowing you’re drinking not only a delicious brew, but a slice of American brewing history.
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