Tasty to the core
Non-alcoholic apple beer, a '60s favorite, is making a tangy comeback

Refreshing as root beer -- yet slightly sour.

Faster than a free-range pullet.Tastier than Tang,

Livelier than the locomotion . . . .

Able to keep young children from the lost and found.

Look . . . it's good with pie or just plain.

IT'S APPLE BEER!

A dear friend from the '60s is popping up all over the West. Thankfully, another retro refurbishing has brought Apple Beer "back to the future."

If you missed sipping Apple Beer in the '60s heyday, here's a second chance. The re-emergence of this Utah "invention" is a timely match -- a non-alcoholic carbonated drink that stands on its own flavor and enhances food.

The closely guarded formula for Apple Beer was developed nearly a century ago in Germany, when an essence company combined small Sicilian apples with a mix of herbs and spices. The inventors dubbed their beverage "Fassbrause." Their product was stored and delivered in wooden barrels and served on tap. Fassbrause soon became a popular draught.

Decades later, two young missionaries from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints serving in Berlin tasted the unique apple liquid and loved it. They wondered if the soft drink might be equally popular in the United States.

After their return to America, one of the missionaries, a Utah native who prefers to remain anonymous (honest!), contacted the producer of Fassbrause. An agreement was negotiated and in 1964 the two men introduced their Bavarian "discovery" to the United States. A name change Americanized the beverage. Apple Beer is still owned and operated by Utahns.

Since 1964, the 12-ounce Apple Beer cans have undergone several changes. Eight months ago, Apple Beer was introduced in a long-necked glass bottle. Since that time, company sales have doubled. And like the original dispensing of Fassbrause, Apple Beer is on tap in various locales.

No alcohol. No caffeine. No artificial flavors. A triple whammy that few beverages can claim.

Apple Beer is made with all-natural flavors. Nutritionally, a 12-ounce serving of Apple Beer has 140 calories. No protein, no fat, 20 mg sodium and 34g carbs. Since the beverage is sweetened with fructose, only 15g of sugar are in one bottle or can. Another bonus is the 100 percent daily value of vitamin C.

Apple Beer, named for its German heritage, is called "The soft drink with a head," because of its foamy nature (like root beer).