Root Beer Float Spoons

When I first got my own place, I started my quest for my own set of root beer float spoons (if you read this blog, you understand my love of root beer).  I had grown up with them and used them often.  However every kitchen store employee I asked about if they had any root beer float spoons in stock made all sorts of confused and funny faces and maybe checked if a security guard was nearby to haul me away to a sanitarium.  I discussed my quest with my friend Kim last year and she kindly explained to me with only a little bit of teasing that these were more commonly known as iced tea spoons.  Color me uninformed (I have had two sips of iced tea in my life.  The first one was disgusting and the second was to confirm that yes, it was full of yuck.).  Kim made it her mission now to find me root beer float spoons and amazingly found not only the iced tea spoons (which are now ALSO being marketed as ice cream spoons on Amazon - take that kitchen store employees!) but old time root beer float spoons.  These are a slightly concave round piece of metal attached to a metal straw.  SO PERFECT.   I think the metal in the straw somehow enhances the root beer flavor (A&W being the one of choice for root beer floats).  You should come over sometime and float with me.  

Two types of root beer float spoons.

YUM!  Root Beer Float!

Root Beer Review: Dog n Suds

Contains neither dog nor suds.

I can't find my bottle, so no ingredients.  Final review from my big box of root beer! Smells like root beer (yay!) Tastes like it too!  Strong carbonation with bite for the first part of the bottle and then smooths out at the end.  Grade:  B+.

Root Beer Review: Triple XXX

So does that make it XXX XXX XXX?

Hilarious name.  But it smells like root beer!  Huzzah!  Tastes like it too! Very smooth and light, yet full of flavor.  Ingredients:  Carbonated Water, Pure Cane Sugar, Caramel Color, Natural and Artificial Flavors, Sodium Benzoate (preserves freshness), Citric Acid.  Grade:  A

Root Beer Review: Sioux City (Take 2)

Better than last time (previous grade:  D).  Amazing what a bunch of bad root beers can change your view.  This time, Sioux City was mildly pleasant, thick and smooth.  Tasted like a lighter A&W.  Seems like there may be an issue with consistency in taste.  This bottle has PURIFIED carbonated water compared to the other - wonder if that helped?  Ingredients:  Purified Carbonated Water, Pure Cane Sugar, Caramel Color,  Sodium Benzoate (as a preservative), Natural and Artificial Flavor, Citric Acid.  Grade:  C+

Root Beer Review: Boylan

I thought I'd done this one before, so I don't have the bottle any more to put the ingredients.  Basically, this tastes like Listerine.  Disgusting.  Grade: F.

Root Beer Review: Thomas Kemper (Take 2)

I've reviewed Thomas Kemper before, but it was the low calorie version (grade C-).  This version smelled like cardboard and tasted very bland.  There is still a hint of honey flavor, but there is something off about the taste - maybe a small hint of the mouthwash flavor some beers have.  Ingredients:  Carbonated Water, Cane Sugar, Maltodextrin, Honey, Caramel Color, Natural Flavor, Sodium Benzoate (for freshness), Gum Acacia, Phosphoric Acid, Salt and Vanilla Extract.  Grade:  C.

Root Beer Review: Meyer Avenue Red

I was excited to taste Myers Avenue Red as it had a whole different look from the other beers.  It had a light cinnamon smell and a strong cinnamon taste.  In fact, it tasted like a vanilla soda with red hots soaked in it.  No root beer taste at all.  Ingredients:  Carbonated Water, High Fructose Corn Sweetener, Caramel Color, Natural and Artificial Flavor (Cinnamon), Phosphoric Acid, Sodium Benzoate and Potassium as preservatives, Molasses.  Grade: D.

Root Beer Review: Route 66

Mild combination of root beer and cardboard smell.  All carbonation; no taste.  Carbonated sugar water.  Not unpleasant, just forgot to add the flavor.  Ingredients:  Carbonated Water, Real Cane Sugar, Caramel Color, Natural and Artificial Flavorings, Quillaia, Citric Acid, Sodium Benzoate (preservative).  Grade:  D+.

Root Beer Review: Chicago

No scent.  No taste.  Basically Sugar Water.  Bleck.  Ingredients Filtered Water, Pure Cane Sugar, Natural and Artificial Flavor, Caramel Color, Phosphoric Acid, Sodium Benzoate and potassium as a preservative.  Grade:  F

Root Beer Review: Olde Brooklyn

Sweet, mild smell.  Taste nothing like root beer - more vanilla and a bad mix of spices.  Threw out after 3 sips.
Ingredients:  Carbonated Water, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Caramel Color, Natural & Artificial Flavor and Citric Acid.  Grade:  F

Root Beer Review: Pearson Bros.

Look at my pretty liquid color!

Ugh.  Another cardboard smell.  Almost tasteless.  Tastes like someone took a root beer flavored dum dum and dissolved it in water.  Ingredients.  Carbonated Water, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Caramel Color, Potassium Bonzoate (as a preservative), Citric Acid, Natural and Artificial Flavors and Gum Acacia.  Grade:  F.

Root Beer Review: Faygo

Smells yummy.  Unfortunately, that was the best part of the beer.  Very little taste, all carbonation.  towards the bottom of the bottle was a bit of cream soda flavor.  Ingredients:  Carbonated Water, Cane Sugar, Caramel Color, Potassium Benzoate (as Preservative), Citric Acid, Natural and Artificial Flavor, Gum Acacia.  Grade:  D

Root Beer Review: Empire

Sugary smell with a hint of mint.  Definitely a mint flavor - doesn't taste like root beer at all.  Nice carbonation though.  Ended up throwing most of it out. Ingredients:  Natural Artesian Spring Water, Made with 100% Cane Sugar, Natural and/or Artificial Flavor Extract, Citric Acid, Sodium Benzoate (a preservative).  Grade:  D

Root Beer Review: Henry Weinhard's

Gourmet Soda, with Draught Style Head.  No idea what that means.  More cream soda flavor than root beer, but very tasty.  Ingredients:  Carbonated Water, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Caramel Color, Vanilla Extract, Natural and Artificial Flavors, Phosphoric Acid, Sodium Benzoate (Preserves Freshness), Honey Essence, Acacia Sassafras Extract.  Root Beer Grade:  B, Cream Soda Grade: A

Root Beer Review: Cap'n Eli's

Why must half these root beer's smell like cardboard?  First sip changed that - it had that horrible medicinal/mouthwash flavor.  It lessened after the first taste, but not that great.  Too many odd spices in this one.
Ingredients:  Water, Cane Sugar, Caramel Coloring, Natural & Artificial Flavors including Wintergreen oil, Anise, Vanilla, Spices, Herbs, Citric Acid, Sodium Benzoate as a preservative.  Grade:  C-.

Root Beer Review: Filbert's

Smells like cardboard.  Almost tasteless.  Just carbonation burn.  Ingredients:  Carbonated water, sugar and/or corn sweetener, caramel color, natural & artificial flavors, sodium benzoate (as a preservative).  Grade: D

Root Beer Review: Gale's

I should really read the bottle before trying a drink - then I wouldn't have been as surprised I was here.  This root beer has a very nice vanilla smell to it, and didn't taste much like root beer at all, but a cream soda with some odd spices.  Reading the bottle would have warned me that this was a flavored beer - Cinnamon Ginger Vanilla Flavored developed by a English Chef.  It's almost unfair to grade against other root beers - the only thing it had in common is a bit of a cardboard taste mid-bottle.  A neat flavor experience.  Ingredients:  Carbonate water, cane sugar, caramel color, natural and artificial flavoring, cinnamon, ginger, vanilla extract, phosphoric acid, potassium sorbate and sodium benzoate added as preservatives.  Root Beer Grade:  C,  Flavored Root Beer Grade: B.

Root Beer Review: AJ Stephans

Almost no scent (should I be saying head?  Isn't that what they call it at wine tastings) so I expected a cardboard flavor, but was happily surprised by a rich root beer taste with a hint of some spice in the aftertaste (almost a nutmeg - it's not listed in the ingredients - but there is an ingredient just called "Flavor" - is that even legal?).  The carbonation is very mild, but pleasant.  The label on the bottle says it's New England's Best Tonic.  Was root beer ever used medically?   Ingredients:  Pure Carbonated Water, Cane Sugar, Flavor, Caramel Color, Sodium Benzoate as a preservative. Grade:  B.

Root Beer Review: Jack Black's Dead Red Root Beer

Hmm...you would think the liquid would be red - I didn't even notice that it was supposed to be red until the very end.  Considered a "scary soda."  I'm fascinated by this brand.  The root beer was pretty good as well.  Very light carbonation, a slight licorice undertone.  Flavor gets stronger the more you drink.  Much stronger at the bottom.  Only drawback is there is a hint of mouthwash flavor at times.  Ingredients:Carbonated Water, Cane Sugar, Caramel Color, Caffeine, Brazilian Guarana, Sodium Benzoate (to preserve freshness), Citric Acid, Nautal and Artificial Flavors, Red #40.  Grade: B

Root Beer Review: Iron Horse

By the way, I didn't drink all these root beers in one day - just catching up on my reviews.
Iron Horse was very smooth - the flavor is exactly what I think of when I think of root beer.  Again, similar to A&W, but smoother.  The carbonation just flows over tongue.  If it had a little more "bite" it would be perfect.
Ingredients:  Carbonated Water, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Caramel Color, Sodium Benzoate (as a preservative) and Natural and Artificial Flavor.  Grade:  A-.

Name Origin story from the bottle:  In 1869, Central Pacific's steam engine, the Jupiter, nicknamed IRON HORSE, met Union Pacific's #119 at Promontory Peak Utah, uniting Atlantic coast with the Pacific.  Today, IRON HORSE Root Beer reaches the summit of refreshment.  It unites the highest in cool taste and rich flavor.  Get on board.  Ride IRON HORSE to the top.