In 1935, in the midst of the Great
Depression, the Janik brothers (Stephen, Walter and John) founded the Johnnie Ryan Bottling Company in
Niagara Falls, New York. At first, they bottles water under the name of Keystone
Water Company in five-gallon containers to nearby plants and offices
at a time when Niagara Falls was a thriving electro-chemical industrial complex.
One of the brothers, Walter, was
a delivery truck driver for Coca-Cola.
In 1935, the Coca-Cola Company discontinued its line of multiflavor
drinks to concentrate on the cola business. This brought the Janiks into bottle flavored soda for the
local market.
As a marketing tool, the brothers
sold their soda in ten-ounce bottles rather than seven-ounce size. They named the company Extra Bottling
Company. Later, John Janik decided
to give the company an Irish name to attract more business. After brainstorming
several name variations, the name
“Johnnie Ryan,” as it included both of his oldest sons’ names.
The ownership was passed to a
second generation, consisting of a second John Janik (who died in 1994), Ron
Janik, and their brother Paul who is the father of the current owners.
Production is done entirely
on-site in Niagara Falls. The workforce at Johnnie Ryan consists of Paul and
John and just two other employees. John makes the syrup mixtures and oversees
warehouse and production operations, while Paul handles sales, product
development, and vendor relations.
Taking pride in their soft drinks and only
using the finest ingredients available quickly made Johnnie Ryan beverages a
hometown "family favorite".
According to the website, Johnnie Ryan root beer is still made of the
finest extracts and flavorings available, and still sweetened with 100% pure cane sugar. Also, the text on the bottle is in
French and English.
Now for my
official root beer review. (Click
here for information on the rating criteria and a table of all the root beer
tested or to be tested.)
Ingredients: Carbonated water,
cane sugar, citric acid, sodium benzoate, natural and artificial flavor,
caramel color
Nutrition (from the bottle):
180 Calories 11.5 oz
50 mg Sodium.
45g (14 %) of
Daily Carbohydrates
45g Sugar
Aroma and Flavor –
2 out of 3 mugs
A strong smell of syrup from the bottle and
was a little bitter. The immediate
smell soon wanes and a licorice and wintergreen take over aroma results.
The most dominant flavors are honey and
vanilla. There is a definite medicinal element. The traditional wintergreen and
licorice flavors are strong yet I get a slight taste of honey and vanilla. This is a pure cane sugar made soda, and it
is definitely evident. It is sweet with a wide variety of flavors. I scored this 1.5, as I prefer to
have less wintergreen and complex flavorings.
Head – 1.5 out of 3
mugs
When poured in my
tall frosty mug there is a nice tall head that dissipates very quickly, within
seconds
Zip -- 2 out of 3 mugs
Medium-low level of carbonation provides a
nice mix of smoothness and bite. A
wide variety of flavors give it a unique sensation. For my taste, a little less wintergreen would have made this
a better beverage.
Post Consumption
Impression -- 2 out of 3 mugs
At first I was anticipating a medicinal horror.
Although, the odd smell resulted in a tasty yet odd root beer. I enjoy the
smoothness yet has a strong medicinal taste. Some may believe it to be a
perfect balance of honey and vanilla with the wintergreen and licorice. If you
like smooth root beers with a high variety of flavor blends, this is one for
you.
Would I recommend
this at 7.5 out of 12 mugs?
If you like smooth root beers with a high
variety of flavor blends, this is one for you. For me, it was a little to medicinal. I would purchase it again over most commercial
brands like Barq’s, A&W or Dad’s.
Please leave a comment if you believe this beverage is better or worse
than my opinion.
