Hello~I hope someone out there can help us! My son would like to make rootbeer for a science enrichment activity. We were grateful to find a recipe on the web. It calls for rootbeer extract and I am having trouble finding it at our local grocery in Rochester, MN. What I did find was "X-tra Touch" artificial rootbeer flavor and I wondered if you could tell me if I should hunt more for the extract, or would this work? The ingredients read: "water, propylene glycol USP, Artificial Flavor". Any suggestions would be GREATLY appreciated!
Kind regards,
Amy

Hi Amy,

The last time I was in Rochester, MN, I went to a great place called Roscoes. Wonderful root beer! It's been about 20 years, though, so I'm not sure if it's still there. If so, they could probably help.

Anyway, I haven't heard of X-tra Touch, but it sounds close enough to extract to be useful. If you can't find it at a local grocery store, you can find it only pretty easily: here.

Just to clarify, all extract will contain artificial root beer flavor.
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Bottoms up!
Kevin Guske

“So here’s a tribute toast with root beer in hand to you and the many mugs of suds along your happy trails.” --Charles Wysocki, artist and root beer fan, 1928-2002

Thank you so much Kevin! As a matter of fact, Roscoes is still here, and thriving as well. Would you believe I haven't tried their rootbeer? Shame on me. So now I have a wonderful reason to go on out to eat over at Roscoes! We might just try this flavoring for kicks and then try another one if I can track one down. I emailed Zatarains to see if they could tell me where they sell their product in our area. I heard that was a good extract. "Xtra Touch" is a flavoring product made in Iowa. Thank you again for your kindness in replying to me question!

I'm not sure why, but I preferred the bottled Roscoe's to the draft. Either way, it's good, and so is Zatarain's...
_________________
Bottoms up!
Kevin Guske

“So here’s a tribute toast with root beer in hand to you and the many mugs of suds along your happy trails.” --Charles Wysocki, artist and root beer fan, 1928-2002

Amy, I live in Willmar, MN and just ordered off amazon... from LorAnn and got a Synthetic Sasafrass essential oil... Set up well in the simmering water & sugar. I've done Candy making and am more then comfortable with most Oils from this place =) but brewing has been a fun side event for my 8 hour lay over 6 days a week for work...

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=bl_sr_grocery?ie=UTF8&search-alias=grocery&field-brandtextbin=LorAnn%20Oils