This article is trying really hard to make spruce beer a health trend, like maple was (is?). At the moment, it’s just a different kind of soft drink. It tastes

This article is trying really hard to make spruce beer a health trend, like maple was (is?). At the moment, it’s just a different kind of soft drink. It tastes a bit like a Christmas tree stand smells. Sort of minty, earthy, and a bit medicinal. It’s no weirder than root beer, or Asian soft drinks that have a grassy flavor profile. For me it’s mostly a Christmas season thing, like eggnog. It often appears in Quebec supermarkets around this time, although, alas, not so much out west. You can sometimes get it in restaurants that specialize in Quebec-style fast food. Though, I think if some enterprising young people put their minds to it, they could make it a premium experience and sell it in the kombucha aisle. The First Nations/miraculous elixir angle is clever, albeit exploitative.