These days soda is not high on my list of beverages. While I do have a trio of new Mountain Dew flavors in my fridge for tasting and voting purposes, I drink more water now than anything.
But if I do have a soda it's probably going to be a root beer. There's just something special about chasing down a burger or dog with a cold, frosty mug filled with the stuff. Apparently, the NY Times agrees as the gray lady decided to take a look at 25 root beers and rate them.
Thanks to Chris for the tip.
3 comments:
Have to agree on the Sprecher. Also, Goose Island, a small Chicago microbrewer makes an excellent root beer. And, root beer is the only soda I will drink in non-diet variety. Goose Island uses sugar, not HFCS, and you can really tell.
I drink way too much soda today, with a pantry full of Pepsi One. Regrettable, I know. I do like root beer but I prefer birch. I always grew up with birch beer in the house. But even that comes in a diet version - the Pennsylvania Dutch brand, I mean.
Like you, I was a soda junkie as a kid. I even liked Fresca and the cheapest of store-brand grape. Cream soda was about the only flavor I couldn't handle, not including any of the abominable diet concoctions. Today, I'm strictly a water or unsweetened iced tea man. But, also like you, if I do drink soda, it's root beer. It has more of a complex flavor than your average cola or lemon/lime mix. I prefer IBC in a bottle (does it come any other way?) but can easily drink any of the mainstream brands like Hires, A&W or Barq's. Still, I wish a good quality birch beer was more readily available. The best soda I've ever had was a long-forgotten brand served to me at King's Dominion, a theme park located in Virginia. I'll never forget that cup of rich, red, aromatic, foamy goodness served over cracked ice. I've never had anything that compares to it since and I wonder if KD still serves the stuff in its original recipe. Let me end this with a Groucho Marx quote from the Marx Brothers' first film, THE COCONUTS. Groucho is trying to auction off a worthless piece of property during the 20's Florida land boom: "Now then, we'll take lot number twenty -- lot number twentah -- right at the corner of DeSoto Avenue. Of course, you all know who DeSoto was. He discovered a body of water. You've all heard of the water that they named after him, De Soda Water?"
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