As a kid I remember going out to eat with my dad. I always loved when it was just my dad and me.
One thing you need to know about my dad is that he’s a creature of habit. When he finds a restaurant he likes he sticks with it for a long time. One of his favorites was Country’s Barbecue. Not only did Country’s have good food, but every wall in the restaurant was covered with vintage advertisement signs. I always thought those signs were so cool (part of me thinks that I was born in the wrong era).
Besides the food and the decor, what really sticks out in my memory was the root beer. They served IBC Root Beer in huge frosted mugs, and if that wasn’t great enough, it came with free refills. When you’re a kid and someone tells you, “Hey, you can have all the soda you can drink”; it’s almost as good as Christmas day.
I have a connection with root beer on several levels. Not only does it taste great, but it brings me back to my childhood and spending time with my dad. I’ve always enjoyed the national brand root beers like Barq’s and Mug; however i’ve found out that high quality sodas made by independent bottlers have become widely available. The major difference between national brands and independent bottlers is that independents use cane sugar instead of corn syrup.
I’m beginning a journey in hopes of becoming a root beer aficionado. World Market seems to have a quiet a selection of root beer, so I’m going to start my journey there. I’m going to try a new root beer every couple of weeks or so.
My first root beer taste is the Bundaberg Root Beer from Australia. This root beer has an unusual taste. The sassafras flavor, which is usually most prominent in the root beer, is just a supporting flavor instead of the main star. This doesn’t make the drink bad, just different. It’s not too sweet and it’s very smooth. The one bad thing I can say it that it has a very low carbonation and I like a “little bite” in my soda. Overall an unusual and pleasing take on root beer.
