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.

Henry Weinhard's Root Beer

Like love, life is a many splendid thing, and what better way to enjoy it than with a nice cold bottle of root beer?
Henry Weinhard's Root Beer was first brewed during prohibition. This beverage was intended to provide an alternative to the beer drinking loyalists who could no longer get their fix. Apparently this actually did become a very popular alternative and even post-prohibition enjoys great popularity.
I personally discovered it at Meijers when I saw that the store apparently had an 'Old-Fashioned Root Beer' section. While the section itself fell short, I did notice several six packs of Henry Weinhard looking up at me. Trying new tings is good, right? And so is root beer. I bought a pack although it was actually a relatively long time before I tried a bottle.
For anyone who has ever read the Pendragon series, it was somewhat like trying a sniggers for the first time. It wasn't disgusting or anything, but it really didn't seem like anything special. But hey, root beer is root beer and I didn't have anything better, so I kept at it. My sips gradually began evolving into gulps, and next thing I knew I was down one bottle.
I wouldn't say that the taste grows on you so much as it takes a gulp or two to realize that you like it. It had a very full taste and was not sickly sweet. I did not regret drinking it due to the fact that it actually has a very delicious aftertaste. It is quite refreshing to not drink something excessively solely to mask the fact that it is not good.
All in all this was a very full-bodied root beer. Not too sweet, not too sharp, and greatly appealing to all corners of the mouth.