On Wintergreen

I don't like wintergreen. Don't like wintergreen gum. Can tolerate wintergreen Life Savers. Wintergreen in my root beer...well, it's not a good thing.

That being said, I made the comment in my review of Boylan's Birch Beer that it was too wintergreeny and I didn't know why because I wasn't aware that birch tasted like wintergreen.

It turns out I was wrong.

I received the following e-mail on the subject:

Hi!

I'm a swedish food chemist (and sommelier) who found your comments regarding Boylan's Birch Beer a litte strange...

Your comments:

Unfortunately, it's a beverage and not a centerpiece. It's just too wintergreeny. I don't think birch tastes like wintergreen. Birch tress don't smell that way, that I noticed anyway. Really, this is like liquid Life Savers. (speaking of Life Savers, check out www.candystand.com <http://www.candystand.com> for some awesome games) I can't even detect the characteristic cane sugar taste because of all the wintergreen. I don't much care for this. It's not all birch beers - Frozen Run </brews/frozenrun.html> was a solid B. This one...D+.

My comments:

Wintergreen oil is nothing else than Methyl Salicylate. Methyl Salicylate can be isolated from Wintergreen oil (from the leafes) or from Cherry Birch [Betula Lenta] (from the bark). Both of these contains 98-99 % of Methyl Salicylate. This means that the Boylan's original birch tree soda really tastes like wintergreen because it's suppose to taste like it. Both of these "trees" contains the same essential flavor, Methyl Salicylate. LifeSavers WintOGreen are also flavored with Methyl Salicylate.

Extract from the book: Perfume and Flavor Chemicals - by Steffen Arctander:
2241: Methyl Salicylate
Other names: Methyl-ortho-hydroxybenzoate, "Synthetic Winetgreen oil", "Synthetic Sweet Birch Oil", ...
... It forms a major ingredient in root beer flavor (an american speciality) a variety of which is called "birch beer", and in Wintergreen flavor, "Sarsaparilla" flavor, combination mint flavor, etc. ...

Best regards,

Lars J, Gothenburg, Sweden.

He's right. He did fail to mention it's poisonous: "Very toxic orally, methyl salicylate can be absorbed through the skin, resulting in human fatalities." ref My natural instincts have obviously kicked in, which is why I don't like the stuff. My body knows it's bad for me.

While we're on the subject, Wintergreen Life Savers have one redeeming quality - they spark when you bite them. Try it...it's cool. More on that...

So as Lars said, birch beer tastes like wintergreen because birch is wintgreen (basically). My comments on Boylan's therefore are off, and I should say about all the other birch beers, "why don't these taste like wintergreen?" Still, I don't like Boylan's and the rating stands...

Thanks Lars! I toast you with a mug of Henry's...

And in case you're wondering, gentle reader, a "sommelier" is the wine waiter.

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