Microbrews for the underage (and non-alcohol-drinking) crowd
By MARLISSA BRIGGETT | January 31, 2007
Put down that Pepsi for a minute; Virgil’s Root Beer, Reed’s Original Ginger Brew, and China Cola offer quirky takes on traditional sodas. Relying on exotic spices and juices to deliver a pungent taste, these beverages encourage thoughtful sips rather than thirsty gulps. Virgil’s Root Beer tastes similar to its more conventional supermarket counterparts, but with a surprisingly pleasant wintergreen twist; while Reed’s Original Ginger Brew evokes the taste of a cup of strong ginger tea that’s been chilled and carbonated. The cola, well, you’ll have to figure that one out on your own: Szechuan peony root, cassia bark, and cardamom are just a few of its many herbal ingredients. You may be disappointed if you’re hoping for a traditional cola taste, but if you’re looking for something different — something you can’t quite pin down — you’ll find it here.Available for $1.80 per bottle at SHERMAN CAFÉ, 257 Washington Street, in Somerville. Call 617.776.4944.
Related:
Trini's Mexican Grill, Jack and the Bean Bowl, George Howell’s Terroir Coffee, More 
- Trini's Mexican Grill
One of the joys of exploring Boston's cheap-eats universe is the occasional serendipitous encounter with an unlikely treasure.
- Jack and the Bean Bowl
A tasty vegetarian/vegan cart sneaks past the Back Bay's guardians of dullness
- George Howell’s Terroir Coffee
Coffee drinkers are creatures of habit.
- ID Check: Alison Novak
Once upon a time, Alison Novak was a nuclear-engineering student at MIT.
- Game on?
Autumn, and the livin’ is easy — at least for you beer buffs.
- Beer: the next generation
Nikki’s Liquors, at first blush, seems like a typical liquor store.
- Finer wine?
How'd you like a bit of stag’s bladder with that Bordeaux?
- Seasonal sipping
If you’ve got special reason to drown or celebrate this fall, Portland’s mixologists offer several autumnal elixirs that take advantage of the flavors and clean-slate feeling of fall.
- Screw yourself
The best screw-cap wines announce their intensions immediately: drink me now, with no fanfare or pretension. Here we present some choices.
- Readers' pick: Coffee shop
Good coffee shops become more than just the spot you duck into, bleary-eyed and cranky, for a caffeine blast on your way to work.
- Strange brews
This summer, Portland saw the opening of two notable spots to sip our way towards an obesity-induced infarction.
- Less
Topics:
Sipping
, Culture and Lifestyle, Beverages, Food and Cooking, More
, Culture and Lifestyle, Beverages, Food and Cooking, Soft Drinks, Less
