No. 132 – Hartville Kitchen – It’s been years (2019) since I reviewed the original Fitz root beer. I haven’t tried it since largely because with a few exceptions (Sprecher, Barq’s, A&W, & Dang) it’s onward to new root beers I haven’t tried before. It’s been so long since I had Fitz’s, the pride of Missouri, that I had to re-read the review to get my mind set for the diet version. I said the original version was clean, crisp, light tasting with a nice vanilla aftertaste. And honestly, that would be a good description of this one. It’s incredibly light tasting and because it’s diet, it’s not sweet at all. I got a little whiff of aspartame in the aftertaste but unlike a lot of diet drinks, it’s barely noticeable. For a diet drink, this is totally serviceable for those looking to save some calories & considering there wasn’t anything that turned me off and grading on a no sugar curve, it’s an above average drink. If I ever completely run out of root beers to revi.

My family & I have traveled to Ohio on numerous occasions to spend time with family that live there. Every single trip we travel to a place called Hartville Kitchen. The site also includes Hartville Hardware (a place where I’ve obtained numerous root beers in the past) as well as lots of shops and a flea market. It’s a place I highly recommend visiting if you’re in the area. The Kitchen itself is a highly visited, highly regarded place & is known for all its comfort food. I’ve never had a bad meal in all the times I’ve been there.

I’ve came across the Kitchen’s root beer in 2023 but I probably saw it before that. I do know in 2023 that I skipped buying it in lieu of getting some more obscure root beers I haven’t seen before. I knew that eventually I would return to Hartville so fast forward two years and here we are. So, I know you’re thinking: 1)How’s the root beer from a place you love so much? And 2) Travis, check your personal bias at the door.

I can guarantee you I am not paid off by anyone and also, the root beer is a solid entry by Hartville. It’s smooth, creamy, and has a great rooty aftertaste. Truly it’s everything you possibly could want in a root beer. It also has a nice caramel like taste but it’s rather muted. Overall, it’s definitely an above average drink. I highly recommend buying a bottle after you enjoy a meal at Hartville Kitchen.