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Home Made Root Beer
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roxie
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Joined: Nov 24, 2005
Posts: 1

PostPosted: Fri Nov 25, 2005 12:36 am    Post subject: Home Made Root Beer Reply with quote

Does anyone know where I can buy or order root beer extract in Canada?
  
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de_boer_man
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Joined: Nov 01, 2005
Posts: 6

PostPosted: Fri Nov 25, 2005 3:40 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

roxie wrote:
Does anyone know where I can buy or order root beer extract in Canada?
You can order three different extracts from Hoptech in California. They'll ship to Canada.

http://www.hoptech.com/cart/cart.php?target=category&category_id=264

I just made a batch with flavor #2. When it's gone, I'll try #1 or #3.
  
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Root-BeerBlogMan
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Joined: Jan 20, 2006
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Location: Indianapolis Area

PostPosted: Wed Jan 25, 2006 12:17 am    Post subject: Re: Home Made Root Beer Reply with quote

You can also try Zatarain's.

http://www.zatarain.com/products/product.php/55/Root_Beer_Extract/Root_Beer_Extract

They've been at it since 1889 and I like their product even tho they use an imitation sassafras and vanilla flavour.
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fred
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Joined: Jan 26, 2006
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PostPosted: Thu Jan 26, 2006 2:52 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Root-BeerBlogMan wrote:
You can also try Zatarain


I placed an order with Zatarains a month ago and have heard nothing. Also contacted them. No reply Have they recovered from the hurricane?
  
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Root-BeerBlogMan






PostPosted: Thu Jan 26, 2006 6:47 pm    Post subject: Re: Home Made Root Beer Reply with quote

I know they got hit really hard and are still rebuilding and hiring warehouse people. It's possible they are slowed down on order processing. You could try calling them at 877-837-3796. I got the number off a product of theirs so if anyone is there maybe they can get you an answer. Whenever I have ordered mine they've been fast but that has been pre-Katrina and I bought a lot last time... Razz
  
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fred






PostPosted: Tue Feb 14, 2006 6:06 pm    Post subject: Re: Home Made Root Beer Reply with quote

Root-BeerBlogMan wrote:
I know they got hit really hard and are still rebuilding and hiring warehouse people. It's possible they are slowed down on order processing. You could try calling them at 877-837-3796. I got the number off a product of theirs so if anyone is there maybe they can get you an answer. Whenever I have ordered mine they've been fast but that has been pre-Katrina and I bought a lot last time... Razz


I did finally get my order from Zatarains. It appears that the order was simply lost and not delayed related to disruption from a Hurricane. Things happen. Had they not had the Hurricane recently, I would probably have followed up on the order sooner.
Twleve bottles of root beer extract delivered to my house for about $25.
Also, these bottles are twice the volume of most other RB extracts (117 mL vs. 59 mL) but still make 5 gallons. I like the fact that Zatarains lists all of their ingredients while most others list "other natural extractives and natural and artifical flavors....". As a chemist I much prefer a specific list. I think that part of the reason companies have "may contain" is because they do not really know what it does contain. Zatarains list every ingredient specifically so you know that it has nothing else. This shows better process control. Also, Zatarains does not contain sugar, gums or any preservatives other that alcohol. Although I am sure that most of the ingredients are realtively toxic and would act as preservatives.
  
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aruzinsky
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Joined: Oct 13, 2004
Posts: 161
Location: IL, USA

PostPosted: Wed Feb 15, 2006 12:26 pm    Post subject: Re: Home Made Root Beer Reply with quote

fred wrote:

...
As a chemist I much prefer a specific list.
...

Did you ever hear of the Golden Rule? What are the ingredients, please?
  
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fred






PostPosted: Mon Feb 27, 2006 9:52 pm    Post subject: Re: Home Made Root Beer Reply with quote

aruzinsky wrote:
fred wrote:

...
As a chemist I much prefer a specific list.
...

Did you ever hear of the Golden Rule? What are the ingredients, please?

For your edification:
Zatarains Root Beer Extract
caramel color, water, imitation vanilla, alcohol, methyl salicylate USP,
imitation sassafras flavor, oil of spruce, oil of sweet birch, USP.
  
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aruzinsky






PostPosted: Wed Mar 01, 2006 11:40 am    Post subject: Re: Home Made Root Beer Reply with quote

fred wrote:

...
imitation vanilla
...
imitation sassafras flavor
...


Not quite as specific as we like, is it? Interestingly, if I buy a bottle of imitation vanilla, usually all of the ingredients are listed.
  
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Rootbeerkid
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Joined: Mar 11, 2006
Posts: 18
Location: Tennessee, Middle of Nowhere

PostPosted: Fri Mar 24, 2006 10:55 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Still it's available..
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Root Beer is a kick........Been drinking now for going on 51 years.......Just recently re-discovered my like for it again. Never grows olde on ya, makes ya feel like a kid again.
  
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fred






PostPosted: Fri Apr 07, 2006 2:30 pm    Post subject: Re: Home Made Root Beer Reply with quote

aruzinsky wrote:
fred wrote:

...
imitation vanilla
...
imitation sassafras flavor
...


Not quite as specific as we like, is it? Interestingly, if I buy a bottle of imitation vanilla, usually all of the ingredients are listed.


I think it is still better than the McCormick Root Beer ingredient list which includes:
"...wild cherry bark and other natural extractives, natural and artifical flavors..."

I can at least find out what is in imitation vinalla etc. McCormick covers all possibilities known to man in their ingredients. Eye of newt and hair of dog:)
  
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aruzinsky






PostPosted: Sat Apr 08, 2006 10:54 am    Post subject: Re: Home Made Root Beer Reply with quote

fred wrote:

For your edification:
Zatarains Root Beer Extract
caramel color, water, imitation vanilla, alcohol, methyl salicylate USP,
imitation sassafras flavor, oil of spruce, oil of sweet birch, USP.


Something odd here; methyl salicylate and oil of sweet birch are practically the same and therefore including both is redundant. Typically, only oil of sweet birch is used in root beer because it is cheaper and can be listed as "natural flavorings." Regarding oil of spruce, spruce beer was invented long before root beer, but the consensus of modern opinion is that it tastes horrible. Can you taste the spruce in Zatarains Root Beer Extract?
  
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fred






PostPosted: Thu Apr 13, 2006 5:21 pm    Post subject: Re: Home Made Root Beer Reply with quote

aruzinsky wrote:
fred wrote:

For your edification:
Zatarains Root Beer Extract
caramel color, water, imitation vanilla, alcohol, methyl salicylate USP,
imitation sassafras flavor, oil of spruce, oil of sweet birch, USP.


Something odd here; methyl salicylate and oil of sweet birch are practically the same and therefore including both is redundant. Typically, only oil of sweet birch is used in root beer because it is cheaper and can be listed as "natural flavorings." Regarding oil of spruce, spruce beer was invented long before root beer, but the consensus of modern opinion is that it tastes horrible. Can you taste the spruce in Zatarains Root Beer Extract?

They may be practically the same, but they are not the same. Methyl salicylate is a pure chemical which may be manufactured synthetically or extracted from some natural source and purified. Oil of sweet birch is exactly that, the oil extract of sweet birch. It may be mostly methyl salicylate, but there will be other ingredients of unknown composition and variable quantity from batch to batch. I do not know why Zatarains uses both unless the oil of sweet Birch imparts an additional flavor that they want less of that the pure methyl salicylate.
I have no idea what oil of Spruce tastes like. I have tasted a variety of the rootbeers made using this extract and they taste like root beer to me.
Note that an entire case of 12 4 oz bottles of this concentrate was only $25 with shipping to Washington state. Try it yourself. At least you know what is in it.
  
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aruzinsky






PostPosted: Fri Apr 14, 2006 11:48 am    Post subject: Re: Home Made Root Beer Reply with quote

fred wrote:

It may be mostly methyl salicylate, but there will be other ingredients of unknown composition and variable quantity from batch to batch.


Birch oil contains 97–99% methyl salicylate. When I compare the odor/taste of pure birch oil with that of synthetic methyl salicylate, I have to concentrate very hard to notice any difference. Ingredients are listed in order of decending percentage on labels. Since birch oil is the last ingredient, that would be like adding less, probably much less, than 1-3% of whatever comprises the difference to the methyl salicylate. I bet that even the princess from the fairy tale "princess and the pea" couldn't taste that difference.

I suspect that sometimes some ingredients are included only so they can be listed on labels as sales gimmicks.
  
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fred






PostPosted: Thu Apr 27, 2006 4:18 pm    Post subject: Re: Home Made Root Beer Reply with quote

aruzinsky wrote:
fred wrote:

It may be mostly methyl salicylate, but there will be other ingredients of unknown composition and variable quantity from batch to batch.


Birch oil contains 97–99% methyl salicylate. When I compare the odor/taste of pure birch oil with that of synthetic methyl salicylate, I have to concentrate very hard to notice any difference. Ingredients are listed in order of decending percentage on labels. Since birch oil is the last ingredient, that would be like adding less, probably much less, than 1-3% of whatever comprises the difference to the methyl salicylate. I bet that even the princess from the fairy tale "princess and the pea" couldn't taste that difference.

I suspect that sometimes some ingredients are included only so they can be listed on labels as sales gimmicks.

Could be.
It may also be that they uses which ever is cheapest. I have no idea about the cost of Oil of Birch vs. pure methyl salicylate. However, if your formulation used either or depending on cost, you would have to include both on the label or have two different labels.
It is like the listing of different vegetable oils in some products. There may be a variety of vegetable oils which are acceptable in the product and which would be used on a cost basis. You would have to list them all to cover your a**.
  
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