Cherry Root Beer -Courtesy of Sprecher-

So, during for my latest root beer encounter, I branched out a bit. Apparently, Traverse City is a gigantic cherry capital. I can't seem to remember if it was of Michigan or the country, but I recall that it was pretty significant.
Anyhow, my mom went on a vacation of sorts in the general area, and happened to pass through the city. When she returned, she informed me that she had a souvenir from a store called 'Cherry Republic' that I was sure to enjoy. Sure enough, I open the long paper wrapped whatsit and in my hands is an ample and voluptuous bottle of cherry root beer.
Now, the companies that bottle and sell root beer of course for the most part sell other beverages (i.e. cream soda, orange pop, etc.) but the most variation I've really seen on actual root beer is the addition of more vanilla than usual to the concoction.
Obviously the extra ingredient in this root beer was cherries. Or at least cherry juice concentrate. Come on, it's just the concentrated souls of cherries right? Anyway, it had an extremely interesting taste. One could definitely tell that they were drinking root beer, but the flavor was very distinctive. Slightly after the traditional sasafrassy root beer part, the drink took on a uniquely sweet and somewhat strong cherry taste. It definitely had a potent aftertaste that honestly I had trouble deciding whether or not to like. It wasn't a bad taste though, just the taste that gets lodged in the mouth after too much cherries.
In the end, while quite excellent, this is a root beer that would be best consumed in moderation.