Est. 2005 · Burlington, Vermont

Rookie's

Root Beer & Sparkling Vermont Maple Lemonade

Rookie's root beer and maple lemonade tap handles
Draft
Four pack of Rookie's sparkling Vermont maple lemonade cans
Cans
Premium ingredients Best of Vermont Small batch
The husband and wife team behind Rookie's Root Beer
The Rookie's stand at the Burlington Farmers Market
Our story

A husband and wife team from Burlington

We started out catering and then made a small batch of home made root beer that was created and introduced at the Burlington Farmers' Market.

After a massive flood, the Burlington Farmers' Market vendors came together for an event to raise money to help bail out the farmers who lost their crops. It was at that event that an amazing new restaurant called American Flatbread Hearth discovered us and decided to put us on draft. Twenty one years later we are still on draft at American Flatbread in Burlington.

Our sparkling Vermont Maple Lemonade made it into cans in May 2026. Made with fresh Florida lemons and wood fired Vermont maple syrup from Brigham Hill in Essex, Vermont, it is lightly carbonated and ready to go wherever you go. Canned for us by Zero Gravity Brewing in Burlington, the same folks who first put Rookie's on draft back in 2005.

Early 2000s

We started out catering

We started out catering and then made a small batch of home made root beer that was created and introduced at the Burlington Farmers' Market.

2005

The flood, and the break

After a massive flood, the Burlington Farmers' Market vendors came together to raise money for farmers who lost their crops. At that event, American Flatbread Hearth discovered us and put us on draft.

Today

All over Vermont

You can find us on draft and in stores all over the state of Vermont.

Learn more
What we do

Our services

Root beer on draft

We keep restaurants all over Vermont pouring our handcrafted root beer on draft, starting with American Flatbread Hearth in Burlington in 2005.

Maple lemonade on draft and in cans

Our sparkling Vermont maple lemonade pours on draft and comes in 12 fl oz cans, ready to order online or grab wherever we are selling.

Distributed in Vermont by Baker Distributing

Draft to restaurants and cans available to all throughout the state. Call Baker Distributing at 802 655 5060.

Events and food truck

Our Whoa Nellie! Kettle Corn truck travels to events across Vermont, and we bring our drinks along whenever the event allows it.

Holiday gift baskets

Come Christmas time we put together gift baskets with kettle corn and maple lemonade cans to ship.

Fresh kettle corn

Popped fresh on site and available in classic sweet and salty and 100% VT Maple, sold by the bag at events around the state.

Established

2005

In our home garage brewery

Served

1M+

Over one million people since 2005

Voted

Best of VT

Favorite nonalcoholic beverage brand

Made in

Vermont

Burlington, every batch

You can taste the difference

Handcrafted at home since 2005

Premium ingredients

We handcraft with premium ingredients, and people can taste the difference.

Small batch, big flavor

Still a mom and pop, husband and wife team brewing by hand at home.

Voted Best of Vermont

Favorite nonalcoholic beverage brand in Vermont for over 10 years running.

Established 2005

Born in our home garage brewery in Burlington, and over one million people served since.

Our beverages

DRAFT

Voted Best of Vermont !

Rookie's Root Beer tap handle with the rook

Rookie's Draft
Root Beer

Handcrafted with premium ingredients. Made without preservatives and served exclusively on draft. Pouring in restaurants all over Vermont since 2005.

No:

  • caffeine
  • corn sugar
  • gluten
  • preservatives
Rookie's Sparkling Vermont Maple Lemonade tap handle Rookie's Sparkling Vermont Maple Lemonade 12 fl oz can

Rookie's Sparkling
Vermont Maple Lemonade

Fresh Florida lemons, wood fired maple syrup from Brigham Hill Maple in Essex, VT, lightly carbonated. Incredible as is or as a cocktail mixer.

No:

  • caffeine
  • corn sugar
  • gluten
  • preservatives
Draft Cans

Please note, our kegs for draft are ONLY available to establishments with permanent draft systems and proper equipment to ensure quality and proper pouring.

Draft requirements: refrigeration guaranteed to stay at 39 degrees or below, new double walled 3/16in tubing cut to a specific measurement, a regulator, proper gas, ball lock connectors, and a tower fan.

Find Rookie's on draft
Shop

Maple lemonade cans

Online ordering is for our sparkling Vermont maple lemonade cans only. Root beer and maple lemonade on draft are found at restaurants, stores, and events.

4 pack $10 Case of 24 $53

No returns, since this is a food item. Reach out to us if you would like to pick up from us locally.

Sparkling Vermont Maple Lemonade View product

Cans

Sparkling Vermont Maple Lemonade

Price range: $10.00 through $53.00
Where can I get Rookie's near me?

We're in all the best places!

Restaurants and stores all over Vermont, listed alphabetically by town. If your town is not on the list yet, send us a note.

Root Beer on draft

Poured fresh at restaurants and taprooms

62

Brownsville

Burlington

Charlotte

Colchester

East Burke

Essex Junction

Hardwick

Jeffersonville

Jericho

Killington

Ludlow

Middlebury

Montpelier

Northfield

Pawlet

Plainfield

Richmond

Rutland

Shelburne

South Burlington

South Royalton

Stowe

Waitsfield

Waterbury

West Glover

White River Junction

Williston

Winooski

Woodford

Woodstock

Maple Lemonade on draft

Sparkling and lightly carbonated

23

Burlington

Charlotte

Colchester

East Burke

Essex Junction

Plainfield

Richmond

Rutland

Shelburne

St Albans

Stowe

Waterbury

Williston

Woodford

Maple Lemonade in cans

Grab and go 12 fl oz cans

122

Barre

Barton

Bennington

Bloomfield

Bradford

Bristol

Brownsville

Burke

Burlington

Charlotte

Colchester

Craftsbury

Danville

East Burke

East Montpelier

Eden

Essex Center

Essex Junction

Fairlee

Ferrisburg

Glover

Greensboro

Hinesburg

Huntington

Jeffersonville

Jericho

Johnson

Londonderry

Ludlow

Lyndonville

Manchester

Milton

Montgomery

Montgomery Center

Montpelier

Morristown

Morrisville

Newport

North Hero

Norton

Pawlet

Poultney

Proctorsville

Quechee

Richmond

Shaftsbury

Shelburne

South Burlington

South Hero

St Johnsbury

Stowe

Underhill

Waitsfield

Waterbury

Waterbury Center

West Burke

Westford

Westmore

Williston

Winooski

Want Rookie's at your location?

Talk to us directly, or order through our Vermont distributor.

Baker Distributing 802 655 5060
Upcoming events

Where to catch us next

Whoa Nellie! Kettle Corn food truck

Events across Vermont | Announced on Instagram and Facebook

Kettle corn, plus our root beer and maple lemonade whenever the event allows it.

Baker Distributing

Statewide, Vermont | Year round

Draft to restaurants and cans available to all throughout the state.

@rookiesrootbeer @rookiesrootbeer 802 861 6777
The Rookie's tent at a Vermont market Pouring a drink at a Vermont market Root beer and maple lemonade tap handles Cans of sparkling Vermont maple lemonade
Our food truck

Whoa Nellie! Kettle Corn

Fresh kettle corn, root beer on draft, and sparkling maple lemonade - all from one little truck at events across Vermont.

Fresh Whoa Nellie! Kettle Corn

Events

Across Vermont

Why Whoa Nellie!?

Some events we attend have exclusive beverage sponsorships, so during those events, we plan to dazzle you with our fresh popped classic and 100% VT maple kettle corn.

Fresh popped

Classic sweet and salty, plus 100% VT Maple, sold by the bag.

Root beer on draft

Served cold whenever the venue allows it.

Maple lemonade

Sparkling cans ready for hot market days.

Holiday baskets

Christmas baskets with popcorn and lemonade.

@whoanelliekettlecorn @whoanelliekettlecorn

Whoa Nellie! Kettle Corn

Our kettle corn business, popped fresh and sold at events around Vermont.

Drinks on the truck

We sell our root beer and Vermont maple lemonade on the food truck whenever the event allows it.

Holiday gift baskets

Come Christmas time we put together gift baskets with kettle corn and maple lemonade cans to ship.

Fun stuff

Share a photo and a review

Post a picture of you enjoying our beverages and tell us what you think. Tag us and we will share it here.

The maple lemonade is dangerous. I brought a four pack to a cookout and did not get one for myself.

Marissa L.

Burlington, VT | Maple Lemonade

Been ordering the root beer at Flatbread for years. Creamy, not too sweet, tastes like it was made by a person.

Dave P.

Essex Junction, VT | Root Beer

Our kids ask for a root beer float every time. Real vanilla. Real molasses. You can taste the difference.

The Whitcomb family

Stowe, VT | Root Beer

Mixed the sparkling maple lemonade with bourbon and a sprig of rosemary. Best drink I made all summer.

Jules R.

Montpelier, VT | Maple Lemonade

Tag us in yours
Good questions

Questions, answered

Still stuck? Email rookiesrootbeer@yahoo.com.

Our root beer is made without preservatives, so it requires a refrigerated draft service and proper equipment to pour properly and safely. Get in touch with us and we will walk you through everything you need.

Not yet. Only the sparkling Vermont maple lemonade is canned. The root beer lives on draft at restaurants, at events, and at our food truck.

Refrigeration guaranteed to stay at 39 degrees or below, proper tubing, a regulator, proper gas, ball lock connectors, and a tower fan. Get in touch and we will walk you through it.

Fresh Florida lemons, wood fired maple syrup from Brigham Hill Maple in Essex, Vermont, water, and a light carbonation. That is it.

Yes. It is lightly carbonated, which is what gives traditional lemonade a Vermont twist and makes it a great cocktail mixer.

Zero Gravity Brewing in Burlington, the same folks who first put Rookie's on draft back in 2005.

None of the above, and no preservatives either. The cans are shelf stable, so they travel and store easily.

Cans of sparkling Vermont maple lemonade, by the four pack or the case of 24. Shipping and tax are calculated at checkout.

Yes. Reach out to us if you would like to pick up from us locally and we will set it up.

Yes. We are distributed in Vermont by Baker Distributing, 802 655 5060. You can also email rookiesrootbeer@yahoo.com or call 802 861 6777.

Around the holidays we put together baskets with Whoa Nellie! Kettle Corn and maple lemonade cans. Reach out and we will let you know when they are ready.

Check the Find Us section for our three lists, sorted by town: root beer on draft, maple lemonade on draft, and maple lemonade in cans.

We would love that. Contact Jenny and Dave Rooke, or call Baker Distributing at 802 655 5060.

Our Instagram and Facebook pages get the fastest updates.

A husband and wife team working out of a home garage brewery in Burlington, Vermont. Still mom and pop, still handcrafted, still the two of us.

Our kettle corn business and food truck. Some events we attend have exclusive beverage sponsorships, so during those events we dazzle you with our fresh popped classic and 100% VT maple kettle corn instead.

Since 2005, when we sold root beer and baked goods at the Burlington Farmers' Market. Over one million people served since then.

Ask us anything

Contact

Say hello to Rookie's

802 861 6777

Burlington, VT

@rookiesrootbeer | @rookiesrootbeer