I was in L.A. last week on business and was offered a ride back to my hotel by my client. I accepted. He stated that he had to make a quick stop by Bread & Circus to pick up his supply of Virgil's Root Beer. Of course, I had to try one. This has to be the best root beer in the world, IMHO! It was so clean tasting and straight forward. The vanilla, anise, clove stayed on your tongue long after you finished the soda.
I really love root beer, and there are a few great brands produced (A&W is great!) But, the best I've found is always the micro-brews. If you ever visit a brewery, and they offer homemade root beer, you can probably be sure it'll be amazing.
"Maybe it's like becoming one with the cigar. You lose yourself in it; everything fades away: your worries, your problems, your thoughts. They fade into the smoke, and the cigar and you are at peace." -Raul Julia
Posts: 189 | Location: Haverhill, MA | Registered: March 03, 2009
when i was little my parents took me to an A&W an we used to buy gallon jugs of root beer. Great stuff. I thought my dad was a genius when he poured it over a couple scoops of vanilla ice cream.
"Cuban seed tobaccos grown in Nicaragua and Cuba. The wrapper would be from Cuba. The binder leaves would be from Nicaragua. For the ligero tobacco in the filler, he would use two types, one from Esteli and the other from Jalapa in Nicaragua. The other filler components, seco and viso, would come from Cuba, the former from Villa Clara, the latter from Pinar del Rio. That Cigar, he says with pride, would score 100 points." -Don Pepin Garcia
Virgil's is amazing. Henry Weinhard's is, imo, the best hands down. I also like my IBC and stewart's here and there, and I've heard great things about Hank's of Philly and Sioux City Sarsaparilla.
The Wolfe, I too remember that magic moment when my old man introduced me to the root beer float. He was king of the world that day.
I've been contemplating making my own, or maybe a ginger brew ( Great info on that here), but most of my carboys are occupied by stouts and lagers.
Posts: 1224 | Location: In your Humidorz... messin' with your smokes! | Registered: September 28, 2008
I love a good root beer. I find that a lot of them actually complement a good cigar as well. I tend to smoke at work so my favorite scotches are out the window, so I go for a good root beer or coffee.
I just tried a new one from my local health food store called Natural Brew. It is discribed on the label as "A complex flavor of sweet birch, licorice root, sarsaparilla, cinnamon, clove, anise and wintergreen." I was surprised that you could actually pick out a lot of those flavors. It went perfect with the petite Tatuaje that I was smoking and I wished that the cigar was larger because I finished the cigar before the root beer.
I find a lot of the mass produced root beers to be a little bland and just a little to sweet. I been drinking a lot of Saranac's 1888 root beer lately and Stewart's is always good.
Posts: 367 | Location: binghamton, ny | Registered: February 24, 2006
The local natural food co-op here has a great selection. As others have said Virgil's and Natual Brew kick a$$. If you can find it, Journey Sassafras Root Beer is unbelievable!
Posts: 1430 | Location: Wisconsin: Population 1,226 | Registered: February 03, 2008
I grew up on A&W... I don't drink much soda anymore because of the calories. I like to treat soda as a sort of dessert nowadays. My company supplies us with Barq's and that is pretty good.
"Knowing is not enough, you must apply; willing is not enough, you must do." - Bruce Lee
Posts: 1869 | Location: Signal Hill, CA | Registered: April 26, 2007
Unfortunately, they don't make my favorite any more. Used to be Frosty and I believe that was regional. Now, some of the microbrews are good, Jones is good as is Stewart's
"Happiness is a good martini, a good meal, a good cigar and a good woman, or a bad woman, depending on how much happiness you can stand" George Burns
Posts: 841 | Location: Lincoln Park, MI | Registered: March 21, 2004
"Maybe it's like becoming one with the cigar. You lose yourself in it; everything fades away: your worries, your problems, your thoughts. They fade into the smoke, and the cigar and you are at peace." -Raul Julia
Posts: 189 | Location: Haverhill, MA | Registered: March 03, 2009
XXX Root Beer from right here in West Lafayette, Indiana.
The XXX restaurant is the oldest drive-in in indiana...they make their rootbeer themselves and everyone comes to get it.
In the fall, we have the Feast of the Hunter's Moon (lots of 17 and 18 century reenactment) XXX always has a booth and makes the rootbeer in large open boiling pots...people will stand in line for an hour to get a bottle of it. At the Feast, they put it in these cobalt blue bottles with locking lids (like freeze dry jars have)
Originally posted by JacktheRabbit: Now that I'd really like to try! If you ever think of shipping something Ohio way, I'd love to get it, especially with the odd bottles...
X2 I love homemade best!
"Maybe it's like becoming one with the cigar. You lose yourself in it; everything fades away: your worries, your problems, your thoughts. They fade into the smoke, and the cigar and you are at peace." -Raul Julia
Posts: 189 | Location: Haverhill, MA | Registered: March 03, 2009
