Bundaberg Root Beer

In Bundaberg, a moderately sized town in Queensland, Australia the Fleming family started Bundaberg Brewed Drinks as a family business in 1960, producing Ginger Beer as it's first soda. Today the company makes several flavors, including Peachee, Burgundee, and Apple Ale which is exports to several countries.

Upon opening this bottle I found it to have a rich aroma of sarsaparilla with a light vanilla scent. The carbonation is average for a root beer, but it will still give you the burp you expect from drinking root beer. It has a light root beer flavor with overtones of herbs. These herb overtones made me look to the ingredient label which shows that it includes sarsaparilla root (where the "root" flavor comes from), ginger root, licorice root and vanilla bean. The distinct difference in flavor from the more well known American root beers is definitely traceable to the hints of ginger in the drink. If you hold the drink on your tongue the ginger flavor becomes more pronounced. It's difficult to taste the licorice but it's there along with vanilla. The unique taste of this drink makes me think of a moderate meal pairing, something like turkey or possibly chicken... to me, it's too heavy to drink with fish, but too light for beef.