Birch beer

Boylan Original Birch Beer

Boylan Bottling Co. · Wintergreen-forward cane-sugar birch beer

New York, New York, USA (originally Paterson, New Jersey)

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A heritage formula traced to William Boylan's 1891 New Jersey apothecary, this is birch beer at its most aromatic and mint-driven. Pure cane sugar gives a clean, restrained sweetness while a forward charge of sweet birch and wintergreen oil — with a faint licorice lift on the opening — lands as a bright, almost menthol-cool bite rather than heat. Brisk carbonation and low acidity keep the body light and the finish crisp, making it a textbook wintergreen-forward birch beer to anchor the style for comparison.

Taste profile
Flavor fingerprint for Boylan Original Birch BeerSweetness 3 of 5, Carbonation 4 of 5, Body 2 of 5, Creaminess 0 of 5, Bitterness 1 of 5, Spice-heat 1 of 5, Aroma intensity 4 of 5, Finish 3 of 5SweetnessCarbonationBodyCreaminessBitternessSpice-heatAromaFinish

Objective sensory intensities (how it tastes) — not a liking score.

Flavor wheel
Flavor wheel for Boylan Original Birch BeerHighlighted: Wintergreen & birch, Anise & licorice, Woody & bark, Herbal & medicinal.RootWintergreenAniseVanillaWoodyHerbalOff-notes

Our editorial notes.

Scores

Our score
41/50
What drinkers think
7/9
early estimate
Critics vs. the crowd
+7
A critics’ pick

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The maker

Boylan Bottling traces back to 1891, when Paterson, New Jersey pharmacist William Boylan began selling his birch beer; birch is the brand's founding flavor. The company is now based in New York City and bottles its cane-sugar sodas in tall glass bottles under the Boylan Bottleworks label. Its original birch beer is built on pure birch oils with pronounced sweet-birch and wintergreen character.

Ingredients & nutrition

Carbonated water, cane sugar, pure birch oils, natural and artificial flavors, caramel color, vanillina, citric acid, sodium benzoate (preserves freshness).

12 fl oz · 160 cal · 40 g sugar(per serving, as labeled)