The n ew king of root beer Tim Broxterman ‘12 Wait, stop the presses! You mean there’s a place where I can get actual homemade root beer? And it’s not in my dreams?!? This can’t be reality, because the deliciousness from such a concoction would have enough energy to destroy the world. It’s true, faithful readers of The Quill . The Root Beer Stand in Sharonville is making root beer by hand and letting it age in barrels before serving it to enthusiasts. I couldn’t believe my ears when I heard about this place, so I simply had to investigate. What I learned only made me thirstier. The Root Beer Stand started in the 1950s as an A&W Root Beer Stand. Back in those days, air conditioning wasn’t around, so places like the Stand were the best way to cool off. In 1982, the A&W license was dropped, but the business continued simply as the Root Beer Stand. The Stand has continued on strong since then. All of the root beer is made by hand, with the water coming from a 280 foot well right there on the property. But the million dollar question here is “how does it taste?” This question burned in my mind until I finally made the trip all the way out to Stand. Although it is in Sharonville (my drive was about 30 minutes, but 10 minutes were spent stuck at a railroad crossing where a train decided to stop and chill for a bit), it is certainly worth the journey. You can buy root beer by the gallon for the low, low price of $5. I suggest at least 2 gallons, because my friends and I went through one before the first night was over. After just one taste, I knew that it was so much better than most other root beers out there. Right away I knew it was superior to Mug, A&W, and Frostop. Only one root beer could even challenge the Stand’s excellence: IBC Root Beer. So who is the true king of bubbly beverages? This question is not to be taken lightly, as the future well being of society could hang in the balance of—ok maybe I’m exaggerating a bit here, but this is an incredibly difficult question. Well let’s start off first in presentation of the beverage. IBC comes in a glass bottle that seems to make the beverage much more enjoyable. The Stand fills up a gallon jug that milk comes in, which leaves much to be desired. IBC takes this one by a landslide. Value comes next. You can buy a 6 pack of IBC at any grocery store for a couple bucks, but the amount you get is nowhere near the $5 gallon that the Root Beer Stand offers. So the score’s tied up at 1 to 1, and here comes the tie breaker: taste. Arguably the most important factor in a beverage, the taste can make or break any type of root beer. The Stand’s taste is incredibly sweet and unique, given its method of production. IBC, however, puts up some tough competition with its own brand of bottled justice. IBC has more fizz, but also tastes more like a traditional root beer. The decision is tough, but after many hours of debate and quite a few sleepless nights, I’d have to say that the Stand reigns supreme. Ultimately, IBC is what you’d expect out of a root beer executed to near perfection. The Stand, however, changes how the beverage is typically brewed. That gives it an edge that no other competitor can boast. So there you have it, a new king of root beer. I highly recommend going up sometime in the near future. It’s an experience unlike any other around here, and it’s quite delicious. The Root Beer stand is located at 11566 Reading Rd in Sharonville, Ohio. Happy travels.