25 - Earp's Original Sarsaparilla
Earp’s Original Sarsaparilla is another soda from Orca Beverage Inc, which makes at least three other root beer flavors. According to Orca’s webpage on Earp, Native Americans were the original inventors of both sarsaparilla and root beer, with sarsaparilla made from the root of the sarsaparilla vine and root beer from the roots of the sassafras tree.
Branding
The Earp Sarsaparilla bottle uses an image of a cowboy with pistols drawn for its logo. The image is probably supposed to evoke the infamous Wyatt Earp from the American Old West.
You don’t see cowboys on root beer very often, so I think this works. The cap on the bottle is also kind of fun, with a kind of sheriff-type star on it.
Taste and Ingredients
I didn’t notice this, but Orca’s caps are all supposed to twist off without a bottle opener. I opened this one with my bottle opener because I didn’t realize that.
The sarsaparilla smells like a nice root beer upon opening. I thought it had a good, strong flavor, but very little carbonization. Orca says that Earp’s a popular choice for root beer floats and I could see that since the flavor is strong.
In fact, I would say that Earp is similar to Barq’s but without the foam and caffeine.
The Wrap Up
Orca makes a lot of novelty drinks and they tend to cost more than other brands. Expect to pay anywhere from $2.79 to $5 per bottle. I have never seen their drinks sold in sets, so you’re not likely to get a bulk discount anywhere.
However, the soda is quite good and definitely worth trying. If you happen to come across it, you should grab a bottle. Let me know what you think if you do.
Related Drinks
Here are some of Orca’s other root beer-related drinks: