Meet PCG Member – Suzanne Ramsey : Making A Locally Crafted All-American Favorite

When PCG Professional Member Suzanne Ramsey and her husband Scott were in search of the right small business to carry them into retirement, they thought of root beer. As a kid, Scott had made it for his family.

In 2007, through trial and error, they developed the recipe for Uncle Scott’s All Natural Root Beer in the kitchen of their Mooresville home.

In years past, root beer contained sassafras root, but it was banned in 1979 by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration because of its possible carcinogen properties. Suzanne mimicked the taste of sassafras with nine simple ingredients, including vanilla, natural caramel, licorice root and cinnamon oil and extract from birch and cherry wood, sourced from around the country.

“We narrowed it down to two recipes that we could consistently make. We had to not only find what we liked, but what other people would enjoy. We had 100 people taste it; 98 liked the one we chose.”

Finding a name for the root beer was easier than they thought. When Ramsey’s nieces tasted the root beer, they said, “Uncle Scott, this is the best root beer we’ve ever tasted.” ‘Uncle Scott’s Root Beer’ worked well as the authentic name they wanted for the product.

Uncle Scott’s All Natural Root Beer is distributed in Florida, North Carolina, and South Carolina in 290 Food Lions (on the local rack), Lowes Foods, and other locations.

In Charlotte, you can also find it at the Dogwood Southern Table & Bar, Earl’s Grocery, and The Loyalist Market. They also sell t-shirts and mugs.

Reactions are typically strong after tasting the gluten free and caffeine free root beer:

“When I came on as culinary director, I tried it for the first time and was blown away,” says PCG Pro Member Chef Chris Coleman at The Goodyear House. “I continued the business relationship and bought Uncle Scott’s in bottles and as a syrup for different applications at The Asbury.”

Chefs include Uncle Scott’s All Natural Root Beer in recipes with beef, pork, poultry, wild game, plant protein, beans, breads, desserts, vegetables and fruits. Mixologists use it in a variety of alcoholic and non-alcoholic drink recipes.

“I have been using Uncle Scott’s in my restaurants for a long time as a beverage as well as for dessert applications,” says PCG Pro Member and Chef Eugene Briggs with Legion Brewing Company. “They produce a phenomenal product right in our backyard. I also have two of my daughters that have celiac and this is their favorite root beer by far.”

But Uncle Scott’s All Natural Root Beer has room to grow. “We have the capacity to be everywhere,” Suzanne explains.

They have the manufacturing and warehouse capabilities to produce much more. Cheney Brothers, Inc. and Sunrise Beverage Inc. distribute Uncle Scott’s All Natural Root Beer, but they need additional distributors to get the product into other markets.

Root beer isn’t the couple’s only gig. Scott is a partner in Express Wire Services, Inc. And their home sits on a 12-acre working farm, Ramsey Farm.

The farm produces arugula, cabbage, fancy greens, onions, elephant garlic, horseradish, melons, cantaloupe and a variety of herbs and hot, mild and sweet peppers. Peach, pear, plum, persimmons and cherry trees grow on the farm. They’re cultivating mushrooms and a lily farm.

They keep 36 beehives during the season and grow blackberries, grapes, service berries, elderberries, honey berries and goji berries. The produce is sold to other farm stands and the restaurant, Tim’s Table in Mooresville. The Ramseys sell from a refurbished farm stand on their property. This year, they hope to open year-round.

It was an easy decision for Suzanne to join PCG.

“We’d known Kris (Reid, PCG Founder) for 12 years and had done some projects with her,” Suzanne says. “We think she has an incredible standard in culinary excellence.”

Since joining, Scott and Suzanne provided samples for the Farm to Fork Picnic at Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden and attended the inaugural PCG Food & Beverage Symposium at Johnson & Wales University. The Food & Beverage’s keynote speaker, Dr. David Shields, spoke on The Ark of Taste. He discussed heirloom seeds, trees, vegetables and fruits.

“The speaker was fabulous,” Suzanne says. “[He spoke about] all the things we are heavily invested in on our farm. He thought out of the box in terms of how to use vegetables in healthy ways.”

Suzanne makes a mean Root Beer Float:

Scoop vanilla, chocolate, or caramel ice cream into your favorite tall glass, slowly pour Uncle Scott’s All Natural Root Beer over the ice cream, top with whip cream and chocolate syrup.

Add a colorful paper straw and a tall spoon.

“A root beer float is a piece of art,” Suzanne remarks.

Profile written by Vanessa Infanzon