Minneapolis/St. Paul Magazine's Dara Moskowitz-Grumdahl brings her extensive knowledge of the Midwest dining scene to Eating and Drinking.

Dara Moskowitz-Grumdahl stops by The Current's Morning Show to talk about root beer. "We're absolutely having a new boom in root beer and all artisanal sodas," she says. "If [people] are going to have a soda, they want it to be a special occasion and they want it to be made with sugar, because it's basically liquid candy."

Dara says there are all kinds of companies that are working to make great-tasting sodas, with root beer as the foundation. To illustrate this boom, Dara conducts a tasting of some locally made root beers with Jill Riley and Sean McPherson.

Spring Grove Soda — This root beer has been made in southeastern Minnesota since 1895.

Dorothy's Isle of Pines Root Beer — This beverage celebrates the life and work of Dorothy Molter, a Boundary Waters-based nurse who, for years, cared for paddlers and served them root beer.

Whistler Classic Soda — A brand-new company out of Blaine, Minn., this eight-ounce soda has brown-sugar and licorice tones.

Wisco Pop — From Viroqua, Wis., this root beer is made of natural seasons and flavors; this one is made of wintergreen and maple syrup.

Tree Fort Soda — This comes out of south Minneapolis, and it uses botanicals and honey to carry the flavor.

Dara Moskowitz-Grumdahl, veteran Twin Cities food and dining authority, is a five-time James Beard Award-Winning food writer who is also at Minneapolis/St. Paul Magazine and author of Drink This: Wine Made Simple.