Root Beer 1 - Frostie

A few weeks back I got myself ten things of gourmet root beer, and promised to share some thoughts on them.  The other day, I had the chance to sit down, watch me some Torchwood and enjoy myself the first of my many splendored beverages.  This week was Frostie Root Beer.

Frostie Root Beer has been around since 1939, though it has changed ownership several times since then.  I had high hopes for this, the first of my Root Beer excursions.  Alas, I was a bit disappointed.  It certainly had more bite than most mass-market brands, which I appreciated.  But there was a slight but distinct chemical aftertaste that belied the small-town image that the bottle conjures.  It was also sweeter than I prefer my root beer.  I'd say that, for a micro-brewery, it was only about a C+.  Side by side with , say, A&W, it's pretty comparable. 

Note: I like A&W quite a lot, it's my default mass-market root beer.  Keep in mind, though, it's about a third the price of this beverage. 

I imbibed this drink with a lovely meal of veal parmigiana, a goat cheese and raisin salad, some steamed vegetables, and two kinds of garlic bread accompanied by some extra virgin olive oil for dipping.  I think the root beer was a good choice to accompany the meal, though if you're a wine aficionado you might disagree.  It went particularly well when washing down the bread.


The entertainment for the meal was episode 8 of Torchwood: Miracle Day.  I'm enjoying the series quite a lot, and guest star John de Lancie all but stole the show.  The ending was a bit odd - dramatic, but not really a cliffhanger.  I assume next week, the penultimate episode of the season, will end on something a bit bigger. 

Belated Birthday Dinner and Old Timey Soda Pop!

Yesterday was my birthday!  Well, no, not really, my birthday is 7/15, but yesterday we CELEBRATED my birthday.  Actually, three of us had July birthdays, so about a third of the group was celebrating.  How nice.  We hit the Melting Pot restaurant in Pasadena, California, for a leisurely fondue dinner, after some high-end drinks at The Lucky Baldwin pub nearby.  I love me some fondue, yes I do, especially when shared with witty and charming friends.

Along the way, though, I discovered an AWESOME little candy and soda store, Rocket Fizz.  I asked if I could take some photos, and they said sure, so, here goes:

Adorable store front, no?

Me standing next to their chilled gourmet root beer display.  They have a special offer where you get 10 randomly selected root beers... more on that later.

If you wish to view paradise, simply look around and view it...

When we asked the parent of the very young child with the lollypop if we could take a photo, her older sister practically ran into frame.  Who were we to argue?

Didn't I fight him in Fallout?

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So, a fun little store.  I can't wait to take my wife here the next time we do fondue.  But remember that root beer deal?  Well, I couldn't resist.  I love me some root beer.  It's my favorite kind of soda, so the chance to sample ten different kinds seemed too good to pass up.  And, since I love an audience, I figured that every time I have one I'll blog it up.  Look for a ten-part root beer series in the not-too-distant future!