i think someone already mentioned the fact that McD's sold root beer (or root beer substitute) in the UK when they first invaded and consequently took over our shores (and V dreary high streets...and motorway services....and every junction along dual carriage ways......and every 50 yards along every street in the centre of London...and....and...and...)
i remember it tasting like TCP mixed with cheap shit coke, i loved the stuff. not a patch on a good ginger beer though.
i should track some down

I'm a big root beer fan although it's not very easy to find in the UK. I think you can get it in Glasgow at some sort of weird KFC/A&W hybrid, and you can buy cans of A&W in Lupe Pintos deli for a pound.

D&G ginger beer is awesome, Idris ginger beer is horrible. We have a fairly limited selection of fizzy pop over here i think, but at least we have Irn Bru.

Root beer is just a "gateway drink" to beer.

I love root beer and have fond memories of drinking Jewel Root Beer by the case in my friend's basement while playing pool and smoking cheep cigars. Those were the days!

I like most of the brands, but I remember not liking the Filbert's brand that they sold at the UIC cafeteria. Dog 'n' Suds is rather nice.

Allen

Angriest_Dragon wrote:Root Beer is NOT CRAP

Ginger Beer on the other hand is very CRAP.

let me reciprocate that with a "you have bad taste, lad."

ginger beer is probably my favorite soda. especially the spicy variety.

in many parts of the world cough medicine is flavored like root beer. i suppose it may have had a similar begining to coca-cola as being a medical drink. despite having grown up in the u.s. where root beer is a completely acceptable beverage i find most of it to be foul tasting and therefor undrinkable. CRAP.

same wrote: i find most of it to be foul tasting and therefor undrinkable.

that's pretty unfortunate

NOT crap

As for brands, when it comes to cream, orange cream, birch, red birch (my favorite soda ever), or root beer, there is only one brand: Stewart's. In the old style glass bottles.

DrAwkward wrote:My, not one mention of Sprecher, Milwaukee's finest root beer?

Sprecher, IBC, and A&W are amazing. I'll drink Barq's or Mug if I have to, but really, they've got nothing on the Sprecher.

Sprecher is the best.

I've had Dog 'n' Suds lately, and it just doesn't taste the way I remember from my childhood. I suspect someone purchased the rights to the name and is putting out some swill under that name.

I remember buying glass jugs of either that or A & W when in my teens, and it was heavenly.

A & W still tastes good.

I cannot believe I had not weighed in on this previously.

I do not drink soda often at all, and when I do 9 out of 10 times it is root beer.

This stuff is awesome.

Tree sent me some Tommyknocker that I rationed out to myself over the course of a month because it was supergood.

I wish I could get Sprecher here.

I am still hoping to get the EA Regional Drink Exchange going.

BadComrade wrote:I usually have a case or two of Filbert's Draft Root Beer in my fridge at all times, along with even more Black Cherry Soda.

This is like the 20th time I've posted this pic on the forum.
Better repeated pics of my refrigerator than of me, I always say...

Root Beer is not crap.

I've had both of these. Both excellent.

Of all the soft drinks, a good root beer is the most refreshing.