Available at Aubergine Specialty Foods and the Market on Millstream.

If I have to describe Boylan’s product in one word it would be “delicious.” But I don’t have to and if I did, it’d make for a very short article and this company deserves better. I discovered their brand of old-fashioned soda on a trip to one of the well-known local eateries, the Little Piggy.

Jersey’s Boylan Bottling Company is located in the area of the Hackensack River Watershed (a funny Jersey name) in the small town of Moonachie (which even sounds funnier). Their product was registered a year before Coca-Cola (1891.) And there are other good things that’ve come from New Jersey, such as the Four Seasons, Kevin Smith and Abbott & Costello. And if you believe the Moonachie locals, the Berry Creek Restaurant.

But we already know New Jersey produces many great things but how does Boylan’s make soda? Sassafras is a must but Boylan tosses in a little bit of cinnamon. And instead of the cheaper refined sugar which may contain chemical additives Boylan only uses cane sugar. One will pay a little more compared to other root beers but it’s worth the extra change.

I’ve had many root beers (Hires, A&W, Dad’s, and the Pop Shoppe) but nothing for me compares to Boylan’s. I was a fan of Dad’s but I’m positive not even a product shot in the Lemon Grove Kids Meet the Monsters can save them now (sorry Gopher).

The Natural Root Beer is very flavourful and goes down quite smooth. It’s less gaseous when compared to Hires–in fact the burping backlash is almost non-existent. I find it’s safer to drink soda from a bottle than a can. Using tin cans is just blasphemous and besides, you’re less likely to make certain balloon noises when bloating becomes a problem.

Additional Information:
Boylan produces other great flavours in their Natural Kind line-up like Cane Cola, Black Cherry and Creme Soda.