PHOTO COURTESY OF O'FALLON BREWING

Fitz's co-founder and owner Michael Alter (left) with Jim Gorczyca, CEO and president of O'Fallon Brewery

click to enlarge PHOTO BY SARAH FENSKE

If you like Fitz's root beer, you'regoing to like this: the local soda company is releasing its first-ever hard root beer today.Fitz's Hard Root Beer, a collaboration between the University City bottler and O'Fallon Brewery of Maryland Heights, will be an adult version of the sassafras-based kiddie drink (quite au currant in the summer of 2016!)."It took eleven months of considerable work by our teams to capture Fitz’s famous taste in a high-quality craft beer," said Jim Gorczyca, O'Fallon Brewery's president and CEO. "I’m proud of our finished product. Fitz’s Hard Root Beer continues O’Fallon’s commitment to innovation by using unique ingredients to create an unforgettable beer experience.”The new brew will be available in retail locations across the area beginning today, including Schnuck's, Dierberg's, Total Wine and Sam's. You can also get a keg or order it on draft at both Fitz's restaurant in the Delmar Loop and O'Fallon's O'Bar.But don't even think about sharing one with the kiddies: This baby has a 5.0 ABV. Drink responsibly, even if the frosty beverage you're gulping tastes like pure childhood.