Two Products, 24 Flavors

by Robert C. Lehrman on September 21, 2009

Here are two recent spirits products with an unusal and unusually large assembly of flavors. On the following list, the first 13 flavors are on the Root label, and the next 11 are on the Pink Spruce label.

1. Birch bark
2. Smoked black tea
3. Cinnamon
4. Wintergreen
5. Spearmint
6. Clove
7. Anise
8. Orange
9. Lemon
10. Nutmeg
11. Allspice
12. Cardamom
13. Pure cane sugar
14. Spruce oil
15. Cucumber
16. Juniper berries
17. Angelica root
18. Orange peel
19. Lemon peel
20. Coriander
21. Ginger
22. Orris root
23. Grains of paradise
24. Tangerine oil

The Pink Spruce Gin label also mentions that the product is made with “free range coastal water,” it is “Seasoned in Oregon Pinot Barrels,” and distilled from grain. The Root product strangely does not mention the commodity from which distilled and probably should. It was “inspired by a potent 18th century… recipe. … It is an alcoholic version of what eventually evolved into Birch or Root Beer.” There is almost no overlap in the list of flavors from one to the other.