Applebee’s® Brews Up New Bar Beverages Featuring Not Your Father’s Root Beer
Largest Restaurant Rollout of Fastest Growing Top 10 Craft Beer Brand
Applebee’s® Neighborhood Grill & Bar announced today the addition of craft specialty ale Not Your Father’s Root Beer to its bar menu in all U.S. locations. Applebee’s will now serve Small Town Brewery’s best-selling ale as a stand-alone beverage and as an ingredient in a new specialty drink, the Not Your Father’s Adult Root Beer Float. This introduction makes Applebee’s the nation’s largest restaurant brand to serve Not Your Father’s Root Beer and is the heftiest restaurant roll-out in the brewery’s history.
The childhood favorite beverage with an adult twist, Not Your Father’s Root Beer revolutionized craft beer in the United States, defining a new category of specialty ale and contributing to one-third of craft beer growth in the industry[1]. Founded by Tim Kovac, brew master of Small Town Brewery, the ale quickly rose from an offering found in a few dozen Chicago bars to a growing sensation. As Applebee’s looks to redefine the neighborhood bar experience, making innovative, unique beverages available to guests on a local, regional or national level is becoming increasingly important to differentiate itself from competitors.
“Not Your Father’s Root Beer has become the fastest growing craft ale brand in the industry and is marking an influential moment in the beverage space,” said Corey Will, executive director, beverage innovation, Applebee’s. “Similarly, this is a pivotal year for Applebee’s as we look to revamp the bar experience for our guests, and adding new, unique beverage options—like this adult root beer—enhances our menu to attract new fans.”
The silky smooth taste and satisfying finish of Not Your Father’s Root Beer is unmatched in flavor and appeals to craft beer and wine aficionadas as well as those who may not typically drink beer but crave a unique alcoholic beverage. The painstaking commitment to flavor is evident in the perfect blend of sarsaparilla, wintergreen, anise and vanilla. Each 12 ounce bottle of Not Your Father’s Root Beer contains 5.9 percent alcohol by volume.
“It’s been a fast and fulfilling journey for the Not Your Father’s brand—one I never could have imagined when we first started brewing,” claims Tim Kovac. “We are really excited that Applebee’s can now bring our specialty craft beers to every neighborhood bar in America.”
Early introduction of new, unique beverages is just one of the initiatives Applebee’s will pursue this year to revitalize and differentiate the brand offerings and enhance the guest experience. Additional developments will be made throughout the year, further establishing Applebee’s as a preferred destination grill and bar.
