Back on the topic of sarsaparilla is Bundaberg Sarsaparilla. It’s brewed over three days from sarsaparilla root, liquorice root, vanilla beans and molasses.

The resulting drink is lightly carbonated with a deep brown-black colour. Consumed ice-cold, it has lightly sweet notes of caramel flavour in the head that are well balanced by vanilla notes with a hint of liquorice emerging in the body, leaving a sweet caramel finish and faint liquorice flavour in the aftertaste. The light carbonation in this drink lasted through to the last sip when consumed leisurely, allowing the sarsaparilla flavour to shine through without masking the flavours with its fizz. Minty notes of wintergreen are absent, but the combination of the slight sharpness from the liquorice and bubbly carbonation made for a refreshing flavour of balanced sweetness. D and I cannot fault this well-rounded sarsaparilla.

This Bundaberg Sarsaparilla contained 375 ml. It was bottled in Australia and was purchased in Sydney, Australia in 2017.