If you read our man Mike’s post yesterday on “drinking” when you’re a teetotaler, you know he suggested seeing if your local bar carries tasty craft sodas. But what’s a good independently made soda to try? Well so far, we’ve given you the skinny on the best root beers and colas. Today we’ll tackle cream sodas.

With a “vanilla” personality, it’s easy to see why cream soda often gets overlooked by thirsty drinkers and overshadowed by its brown brethren.

But that’s a shame because cream soda is a smooth and delightful drink. It pairs well with spicy food, as it cools off the mouth nicely.

The cream soda’s origins go back to the turn of the century, when the creaminess was supplied by a scoop of ice cream on top of flavored soda water. Some places like Italy still make cream soda that way, with real cream, soda water, and vanilla syrup. While the American version lacks real dairy, it somewhat compensates for this with a clean and refreshing taste.

As usual, only sodas that were made with sugar or natural sweeteners as opposed to high fructose corn syrup (soda sacrilege) were considered. Let’s see how these cream sodas stacked up against each other!

Virgil’s Diet Vanilla Cream

Made in: Los Angeles, CA

OG?* Nope.

Our review:

It’s strange that a soda brewery that produces some of the world’s best sodas, fails so miserably on the diet front. They certainly get points for good intentions; their diet vanilla cream soda is billed not as a soda  but as a “dietary supplement” and is made with stevia instead of artificial sweeteners. But the other ingredients, which include an herbal mix of ginseneg, lycium, fo-ti root, gingko, rhodiola, hibiscus, and shatavari, gave the drink a highly disagreeable flavor. It tasted strongly of stevia and almost like alcohol and burned the tongue. The sweetness was overpowering. Not fit for human consumption.

The AoM Verdict:

1/2 out of 4 bottle caps

Gray’s Gourmet Cream Soda

Made in: Janesville, WI

OG? Since 1856

Our review: Gray’s was sweet, but  lacked any cream flavor, or any flavor at all! There seemed to be almost a hint of maple to the flavor, but otherwise it tasted like sugar water.

The AoM verdict:

1 out of 4 bottle caps

Mad River

Made in: Vermont

OG? Nope

Our review: I currently live close to the actual Mad River that inspired this soda’s name, so I was primed to enjoy this cream soda. But the reviews of this soda were as divided as Vermont politics. Some testers found the subtle hints of cream to be light and refreshing. Others, including myself, thought the soda tasted akin to flat, flavorless, chlorinated water.

The AoM verdict:

1.5 out of 4 bottle caps

Moxie Cream Soda

Made in: Redmond, WA

OG? Since 1884

Our review: Moxie is famous for its signature brand of soda which tastes like something akin to carbonated cough syrup. But they also make a cream soda, a fairly decent one at that. Moxie cream soda had a light amber color, a strong vanilla taste, and strange undertones of bubblegum, Bazooka Joe bubble gum to be exact.

The AoM Verdict:

2.5 out of 4 bottle caps

Boylan’s Creme

Made in: Moonachie, NJ

OG? Since 1891

Our review:

The fancy spelling of “creme” was more than just semantics; this was a tasty soda. It tasted as cream soda should taste, with a smooth, traditional, real cream taste and just the right amount of fizz. It transported you to sitting at a soda fountain in 1949.

The AoM verdict:

3 out of 4 bottle caps

Virgil’s Cream Soda

Made in: Los Angeles, CA

OG? Nope

Our review: It’s becoming almost a foregone conclusion; once again, Virgils’ easily rose to the top of the pack. With no artificial ingredients or preservatives, Virgil’s natural cream flavor really shined. It had the taste of real cream and vanilla (it should; it’s made with real vanilla beans) and it was smooth with just the right amount of fizz. Delicious.

The AoM verdict:

(4 out of 4 bottle caps)

*OG: Original Gangster. Or in other words, is this a company that started way back when?

• Soda Review: Which is the Best Cola?
• Soda Review: Which is the Best Root Beer?
• Tired of Beer? Become a Soda Connoisseur
• The Art of Manliness Weekly Roundup: Book Deadline Edition
• 5 Classic Cocktails Every Man Should Know

In celebration of the Art of Manliness’ love for the finely crafted, independently made soda, today we begin a series of soda reviews . We’ll help you on your way to becoming a soda connoisseur by placing all of your favorite flavors in head to head competitions to see which soda rises to the top. Let the best fizzy beverage win.

All the sodas we will review are made with pure cane sugar or another natural sweetener, since as you know, sodas made with high fructose corn syrup constitute soda sacrilege and aren’t worth the flimsy can they come in. Most of the sodas will also be from independent bottlers.

Today we are having a showdown between various varieties of our favorite brew, root beer.

The history of root beer goes all the way back to colonial times. America’s early settlers would create brews from various herbs, roots, and barks including wintergreen, birch bark, vanilla beans, and ginger. The boiling and fermentation of these concoctions helped kill any floaters in the water that might have made the colonists sick and imbued these “beers” with a 2-10% alcohol content. But it was Charles Hires who brought the deliciousness of root beer to the masses. Mixing up an irresistible concoction of various herbs, roots, berries, and spices, Hires introduced root beer to the public at the 1876 Centennial Convention. Calling it the “The Temperance Drink,” he touted it as “the greatest health giving beverage in the world.” Despite these claims, the temperance advocates were suspicious of a beverage named “root beer.” Hires had to perform a laboratory test to prove his new drink had no more alcohol than a loaf of bread. Root beer then really caught on during Prohibition as an alternative to imbibing booze.
While root beer has forever been the red-headed stepchild to big brother cola, it’s always been at the top of my list. There’s nothing like a hot pizza and a cold root beer in a frosty mug.

Berghoff

Made in: Chicago

The bottle says: “Famous Root Beer” and “Draft Style”

OG? Since 1891

Our review: Our least favorite brew. Rather bland and limp in flavor. A little too sweet, a little too fizzy. Blah.

The AoM Verdict:

(out of four bottle caps)

Mason’s

Made in: Atlanta, GA

The bottle says: “Keg Brewed Flavor”

OG? Nope

Our review: Mason’s had a nice fizz level. But the root beer flavor was too mild and not distinct. A little too sweet. An interesting nutmeg-y accent. Goes down pretty smooth.

The AoM verdict:

Journey’s John Barleycorn

Made in: Putney, VT

The bottle says: “A diverse collection of root bark tea and root brew recipes is the source for Journey’s Historic Brews. Native Americans shared intense aromatic root tea with conquistadores in the 1500’s. Since then, the Anglos, Germans, Scandinavians and Americans have blended and brewed an estimated 60 root beer types over the last five centuries. John Barleycorn brings back Scottish and Irish American root beer traditions. Heady malted barley creates a smooth taste and sweet aroma.”

OG? Started in the 1970s.

Our review: Journey’s John Barleycorn soda bills itself as “Nutty Malty Foamy,” and it is certainly all three. Unfortunately, although the bottle and concept are quite interesting, and though we were prepared to love anything coming from the state of Vermont, the flavor just didn’t deliver. The brew is very dark and the flavor is unique, but it’s simply not very root beery or pleasant. Strange herbal accents doomed this brew.

The AoM verdict:

Capt’n Eli’s

Made in: Portland, ME

The bottle says: Nada

OG? Nope

Our review: Just the right sweetness and a really smooth flavor. Strong wintergreen flavor, almost medicinal really, but not to the point of being unpleasant.

The AoM verdict:

Boylan’s

Made in: Moonachie, NJ

The bottle says: Nada

OG? Since 1891

Our review: A fruity tasting brew with strong hints of sassafras. Not too sweet. Has a very pleasant aftertaste.

The AoM verdict:

Americana Microcrafted Root Beer

Made in: Redmond Washington

OG? Nope.

The bottle says:

“The era of soda poppery began in the early 1900s. Early soft drinks, or tonics as they were called, were available in a wide variety of flavors. Sassafras root bark created the classic American flavor we have come to know as Root Beer. Americana Cream Style is produced in true micro fashion, only 600 gallons at a time. Our extracts are carefully blended with pure cane sugar to produce a rich creamy flavor made in the tradition of those old times sodas.”

Our review:

Our hands down favorite and not just because of the vintagey-looking label. Americana has the traditional root beer taste you’re looking for in a brew. The flavor is full and robust. It labels itself as “cream style” and there’s definitely a cream soda undertone. Wintergreen flavor invigorates the tongue; hints of sassafras and licorice are subtle and add to a nice, complex flavor.

The AoM Verdict:

Editor’s note: While not available at the time of this testing, we later got a hold of Virgil’s root beer, and it easily beat every entry in this test. It’s the best root beer out there, hands down.

Got a beef with our ratings? Did we forget a root beer that you think deserves being reviewed? Drop a line in the comment box.

• Soda Review: Which is the Best Cream Soda?
• Soda Review: Which is the Best Cola?
• Tired of Beer? Become a Soda Connoisseur
• Guide to Drinking for the Teetotaler
• The Art of Manliness Weekly Roundup: Book Deadline Edition