Birch beer has a distinct wintergreen flavor. I have seen a photo somewhere (apparently not on Shorpy) of an old man tending a birch bark still in the N.C. Mountains. The Boylan Beverage Co. had a tasty (once you get used to it) birch beer that is sold here in the southeast.

I can get a variety called "Teddys Birch Beer" here in Oregon. It's not bad at all.

I had never heard of it until I was a teenager in the mid 80's. My friend's mother asked a bunch of us if we'd like some Birch Beer. And I thought, a mother serving beer, how COOL!

Well, you might call it "root beer's weird uncle" since it tastes somewhat similar. It's made with an oil processed from birch bark which accounts for its distinctive taste.

I don't drink sodas these days, haven't for a long time actually, but eons ago in my childhood birch beer was a treat that I only had when we visited my grandmothers in suburban Philadelphia. The other such exclusive treat was Hires Root Beer. This is the brand I remember:

http://www.daretogodutch.com/homepage.html

The ginger ale of the old days was made from real ginger (usually Jamaican) and was often used as a pharmaceutical to aid digestion, motion sickness and sore throats. It mixes well with all alcoholic beverages and the old 1940's popular "highball" was simply a shot of whiskey in a glass of ginger ale. Today it is possibly made from flavoring or extract depending on the manufacturer. Birch beer is made from the concentrated extracts of birch trees (bark and roots) and was also considered an herbal beverage. If you have lived in the northeast, New England, etc. birch beer was and still is readily available in several colors and varieties. It is especially good ice cold and served with hot pizza.

What was this, "Root's" weird uncle or something? I've never heard of birch beer before.
I reckon you learn something new every day when you start out dumb enough!

I think Mrs Carabillo's smile indicates that she might have spiked her Peacock beverage with some sort of Prohibition Era intoxicant.

---

Washington Post, April 7, 1921.

There is Health in Drinking Peacock.

The best Jamaica ginger especially processed to bring out the true ginger flavor and water that has been properly carbonated, are skillfully combined to make Peacock Ginger Ale. That is why Peacock Ginger Ale is such a healthful and flavorful drink.

As it pours from the bottle, sparkling with snap, Peacock even looks refreshing. Then when you taste it and find that is has just enough ginger to please the taste, you, too, will always say Peacock when buying ginger ale. Your grocer and druggist sells Peacock Ginger Ale in 15½-ounce bottles.

Also ask for Peacock Root Beer, Birch Beer, Sarsaparilla and Lemon Soda.

Weisbrod & Hess, Philadelphia. Hoyle & Martin, local representatives, Stewart Bldg., Washington, D.C.