5/30/20 -At the Sawbill store a  refreshing cold drink is often a first request from paddlers returning after a canoe trip.  And as often, their request includes the query, “Do you have the rootbeer?”  Customers are referring to the beverage of Boundary Water lore,   Dorothy’s Isle of Pines Root Beer, home brewed by the “Root Beer Lady” of Knife Lake.

Dorothy Molter lived on the Isle of Pines in remote wilderness canoe country for over 50 years.  She served up her Secret Root Beer Recipe and provided thirst quenching refreshment to thousands of paddlers yearly.  Dorothy was known to give refuge to outdoor adventurers  (including animals) whether nursing care for physical ailments, a warm cabin to wait out a storm in, or a hot cup of coffee to converse over. Dorothy was a true friend to every visitor who crossed her rustic cabin path located 15 miles from any road accessible only by canoe, dogsled, snowmobile, snow shoe or floatplane.

Presently, the legacy of Dorothy’s remarkable life is sustained through profits from the sale of her Isle of Pine Root Beer that directly  support the Dorothy Molter Museum located in Ely, Minnesota. You can  learn more about the “Florence Nightingale of the Wilderness” at the Dorothy Molter Memorial Foundation website:  www.rootbeerlady.com.

-Trinke