Root Beer Mania

Dad and I have had some conversations about root beer lately. I've always asserted that Henry Weinhardt's is the best and I mentioned that Malcom and I should have a taste test with some other brands to make sure. Dad talked to a friend of his at work who calls himself a "Root Beer Snob." He told Dad to go to his favorite liquor place (Beverages and More) to see a really wide variety. Dad bought a bunch and brought them home, saying it's time we had the tasting party.

Last night, Holly, Gary, Mom, Dad, Malcom and I tasted ELEVEN different root beers. Of course, it wasn't an exhaustive group, but it was plenty! We tried Henry Weinhardt's, Sioux City, Filbert's, Triple X, A&W, AJ Stephans, Boylan, Jones, Mason's, Virgil's, and Thomas Kemper. We jumped in with excitement, each of us pouring out individual servings in dixie cups. We were methodical and thoughtful; Dad, Gary and I even made notes on paper.
After a while, we realized why wine tasters spit the stuff out--we were horribly stuffed and almost unable to continue. Quite a few burps were let loose, and we persevered. It was a tough decision to make because a lot of them tasted good for different reasons.

We each voted for our favorite two or three and came up with the following results: Gold goes to TRIPLE X for its unique taste while maintaining a classic root beer flavor; silver goes to HENRY WEINHARDT'S with a smooth an velvety feel; and bronze goes to FILBERT'S, which is more mild than the rest but would definitely compliment almost any meal.

Of course, we all had a few we couldn't even swallow. The worst of the worst was VIRGIL'S with a truly nasty flavor that reminded us all of cough syrup. The other two that some of us liked and others hated were SIOUX CITY and MASON'S. I personally liked Sioux City a lot, and Malcom voted Mason's as his favorite, so those two are still debatable as "worst." I think they're worth a try. But you don't ever have to try Virgil's, just trust me on this one!

When it was all over, and we felt like our teeth would immediately rot out of our heads, we settled into couches and easy chairs to watch some Olympics. It was a great time, even if we were all stuffed in the end. I won't be able to drink another root beer for a long time, but I would still recommend this activity for any FHE or group date.

(The next time I try, I'll definitely include IBC (widely acclaimed as a favorite) and maybe some of the others mentioned here.)