Soda Connoisseur

[Mr King]

I am a bit of a soda connoisseur. I love to try local and regional brands of soda, especially root beers and cream sodas. A week ago I was in a candy shop picking up a box of chocolates for a friends birthday when I saw a selection of small time soda brands on the shelf. I purchased one of each to try. About 4 of them were different brands of root beer. I just drank the last two now. One was Frostie Root Beer and the other is Dang Root Beer. The Dang brand root beer is most interesting in that it has a butterscotch flavor to it. Locally we have a very old hamburger joint called Maid Rite that makes their own root beer on premises and serves it in frosted mugs. A&W root beer is also quite good when you dine in and get it in a frosted mug from the tap. When I go to Florida there is this little hole in the wall mom and pop Cuban diner I love to visit. I always get a can of Champs Cola to go with my empanadas and my lechon asado con arroz.

 

I may be a connoisseur but I dont drink soda that often especially sugared soda out of health and dental concerns. So when I do I try to always try something new. I am glad and sad this guys store is not near me.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gPbh6Ru7VVM

Edited January 13, 2012 by Mr King

[Stargrunt6]

There is only one root beer and it is Barq's.

 

Delaware Punch is one of my faves, even though it's non-carbonated. Came in a can and was sold by Coke, though.

 

Kentucky's Ale-8 is pretty good.

[rmgill]

There is only one root beer and it is Barq's.

 

Ever have Virgils?

 

[Stargrunt6]

Never, and I find it threatening to my faith. I'm afraid it looks . . . . delicious.

[BP]

Big, big fan of that soda that has barley, malt, hops and yeast in it.

[Ivanhoe]

Only two commonly available sodas available that I buy; Barqs and Mountain Dew. For awhile you could get "throwback" Mountain Dew that used cane sugar rather than corn syrup. I bought some, but didn't do an A-B test.

 

Sadly, in my AO Barqs Diet is only available in the mid-upscale supermarket. The 12-pack of cans that I bought last week was over $5. Bastards.

[Mr King]

There is only one root beer and it is Barq's.

 

Delaware Punch is one of my faves, even though it's non-carbonated. Came in a can and was sold by Coke, though.

 

Kentucky's Ale-8 is pretty good.

 

Barq's root beer sits on top of my favorites list of mass produced root beers. Another couple of good root beers is Dad's and Dog in Suds.

[Stargrunt6]

Hadn't had dad's in a while, never had that last one.

 

If you have any hispanic markets in town, see if they have mexican coke, made with cane sugar!

[rmgill]

Never, and I find it threatening to my faith. I'm afraid it looks . . . . delicious.

 

 

Virgil's Root Beer contains cane sugar and a number of natural spices, including anise, licorice, vanilla, cinnamon, clove, sweet birch, molasses, nutmeg, pimento berry oil (allspice), balsam oil, cassia oil and citric acid.

 

It has a very nice and complex flavor. Pretty amazing for soda actually.

Edited January 13, 2012 by rmgill

[Stargrunt6]

Just had a root beer liquer this weekend that was amazing, called "Blackmaker." "Root" is another good one, not as sweet, tastes better mixed with club soda.

[Mr King]

Have you guys ever had tea made from sarsaparilla root? It is absolutely delicious, but from what I understand its a carcinogen. They dont allow root beer to be made with it anymore, but I guess they can use the bark of the tree still.

[Stargrunt6]

Have you guys ever had tea made from sarsaparilla root? It is absolutely delicious, but from what I understand its a carcinogen. They dont allow root beer to be made with it anymore, but I guess they can use the bark of the tree still.

 

It's bad for your liver, but no mosquito will ever come near you. If you find the leaves in the woods, roll them up and lodge them on your ears to keep the bugs away.

[Mr King]

Hadn't had dad's in a while, never had that last one.

 

If you have any hispanic markets in town, see if they have mexican coke, made with cane sugar!

 

 

Yeah I like to grab a few Mexican Cokes once in a while, you can find them at Sams Club too. I also love Sidral Mundet from Mexico.

 

[BP]

If you want one of the finest sodas you will ever have, especially if you like ginger ale, get some Blenheim Ginger Ale, especially the Old #3 Hot. I had one at lunch and am still sweating bullets. Delicious.

 

For those driving on I-95 in the Land of Sam, you can get it at South of the Border. Also available in a lot of groceries as well.

 

http://www.blenheimgingerale.com/

[Mr King]

If you want one of the finest sodas you will ever have, especially if you like ginger ale, get some Blenheim Ginger Ale, especially the Old #3 Hot. I had one at lunch and am still sweating bullets. Delicious.

 

For those driving on I-95 in the Land of Sam, you can get it at South of the Border. Also available in a lot of groceries as well.

 

http://www.blenheimgingerale.com/

Have you ever had Ginger Beer? I have only ever tried this brand but I did not care for it. I love Ginger Ale though.

 

[BP]

Have you ever had Ginger Beer? I have only ever tried this brand but I did not care for it. I love Ginger Ale though.

 

 

Ginger beer can be wonderful, and is a main ingredient in two of my fav drink (Moscow Mule and Dark 'n Stormy) especially in the summer.

 

Reed's is my go-to (they call int a "brew"), but Barritt's (if you can find it) is the Bermuda ginger beer for a "dark 'n stormy", pretty much the national drink of Bermuda. Fentiman's and Regatta are good as well.

 

Moscow Mule. My in-laws' summer drink, 5PM every time we go to visit or they come down in the summer.

• 
   
  
• Highball glass
  
• 1 3/4 oz vodka
  
• 1/2 oz lime juice (frsh squeezed best)
  
• 6-8 oz ginger beer
  
• lime wedge for garnish
  

 

Dark 'n Stormy

• 
   
  
• Highball glass
  
• 1 1/2 oz of Gosling's Black Seal rum
  
• 8 oz ginger beer
  

[Stargrunt6]

This just in: I've found a machine that had Delaware Punch today. I bought one and drank it, first time I had this divine elixir in more than a decade.

[DKTanker]

I grew up with Faygo, specifically Red Pop, a local/regional company from Michigan. Though I understand they've expanded nationally since the 1980s.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LQqyDj7RX6Y

[Mr King]

I have not had a Red Pop in years. I remember them being quite delicious.

[Mr King]

A Quaker Steak and Lube restaurant opened near me recently. They sell their own root beer. I brought home a few bottles with me tonight. It is pretty good as far as root beers go.

[Rick]

The Cracker Barrel restaurant in Richmond, IN has several different types of "old-time" sodas. I presume since Cracker Barrel is a chain brand it would be true in other locations.

[Mr King]

The Cracker Barrel restaurant in Richmond, IN has several different types of "old-time" sodas. I presume since Cracker Barrel is a chain brand it would be true in other locations.

Yep ours does too. I have sampled quite a few of their selection.

[Michael Eastes]

Delaware Punch is one of my faves, even though it's non-carbonated. Came in a can and was sold by Coke, though.

 

 

When I was a kid, Delaware Punch came in bottles ( in Texas, at least ), and at some point in my early married years you could buy bottles of the syrup and add water. That was in Washington ( state ), IIRC.

 

There used to be all kinds of local sodas. My dad, during a short break in service after WWII, drove a delivery truck for the local Dr. Pepper distributor in Bryan, TX, and the owner ( a Mr. Buchannan ) bottled his own fruit-flavoured drinks under the brand name "Buck". They were in business until the 60's. Nothing beat an ice-cold bottle of Buck strawberry or orange after a long day of playing outside in the central Texas heat. There are some Mexican fruit sodas available in stores up here, and they're pretty good, but not as good as I remember Buck being.

 

Dr. Pepper, esp. in glass bottles, is still my all-time favourite soda pop.

[Stargrunt6]

When I was a kid, Delaware Punch came in bottles ( in Texas, at least ), and at some point in my early married years you could buy bottles of the syrup and add water. That was in Washington ( state ), IIRC.

 

I saw some of that syrup for sale on eBay! I understand the older syrup was VERY bad for your kidneys.

 

There used to be all kinds of local sodas. My dad, during a short break in service after WWII, drove a delivery truck for the local Dr. Pepper distributor in Bryan, TX, and the owner ( a Mr. Buchannan ) bottled his own fruit-flavoured drinks under the brand name "Buck". They were in business until the 60's. Nothing beat an ice-cold bottle of Buck strawberry or orange after a long day of playing outside in the central Texas heat.

 

Kinda like Nehi in the deep south!

There are some Mexican fruit sodas available in stores up here, and they're pretty good, but not as good as I remember Buck being.

 

Naranja is one of my faves.

Dr. Pepper, esp. in glass bottles, is still my all-time favourite soda pop.

 

I'd love to have some made with real sugar. And diet Dr. Pepper is not even fit to clean my car battery leads.

[Mr King]

I'd love to have some made with real sugar. And diet Dr. Pepper is not even fit to clean my car battery leads.

 

You guys want to check out Dublin Dr Pepper if you can find it.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dublin_Dr_Pepper

 

I really like RC Cola. Also there is a brand out of St. Louis called Vess. They make some great orange, root beer, grape, and cream sodas.