# Did you acquire the taste for root beer as an adult? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** soda-softdrinks\ **Created:** [January 9, 2023, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-acquire-the-taste-for-root-beer-as-an-adult/977931 "2023-01-09T17:41:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2023, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-acquire-the-taste-for-root-beer-as-an-adult/977931/81 "2023-01-10T18:35:25Z")
[https://www.presidentschoice.ca/product/pc-pink-cream-soda/20311645030\_EA](https://www.presidentschoice.ca/product/pc-pink-cream-soda/20311645030_EA) ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2023, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-acquire-the-taste-for-root-beer-as-an-adult/977931/82 "2023-01-10T18:54:24Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > Root beer, cream soda, Orange Crush, 7-Up All except cream soda. Let’s replace it with Cactus Cooler. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2023, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-acquire-the-taste-for-root-beer-as-an-adult/977931/83 "2023-01-10T19:01:05Z")
Has anyone noticed that 7-Up tastes different than it did years ago? The version I drank as a child had a very smooth, almost creamy flavor. Not too sweet. This changed in the early '70s when they switched from sugar to HGCS. It actually made the drink sweeter. When I drink it nowadays, it has a sharp citrus bite. Have my taste buds changed that much as I’ve aged? ---
**Author:** ![carrps](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carrps/32/2957_2.png) [@carrps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carrps)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2023, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-acquire-the-taste-for-root-beer-as-an-adult/977931/84 "2023-01-10T19:07:00Z")
Did anyone see The Late Show with Stephen Colbert last night? Tom Hanks was the guest, and he mentioned that as a diabetic (Hanks) he doesn’t drink much alcohol, so he had a diet coke. Someone ordered a bottle of champagne and accidentally poured some in his coke. He said it was really good! And everyone at the table tried it and like it, too. So, Colbert had to try it. They both drank at least a full drink (though Hanks knocked over half his first drink) and both said that it was actually pretty good. I just can’t imagine it. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2023, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-acquire-the-taste-for-root-beer-as-an-adult/977931/85 "2023-01-10T19:12:35Z")
> [@Saint\_Cad](#): > > Cactus Cooler Which tastes like … Mountain Dew? I remember when Mountain Dew came out around 1966. My dad, who had his own way of expressing things, said “It looks like piss.” Yeah, it kinda does, but I like having a glass or two on occasion. ---
**Author:** ![Dorjan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dorjan/32/12440_2.png) [@Dorjan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dorjan)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2023, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-acquire-the-taste-for-root-beer-as-an-adult/977931/86 "2023-01-10T19:13:43Z")
The best is a “Boston Cooler” - A float made with Vernors and vanilla ice cream. Not how the term Boston Cooler got associated with it, since the drink originated in Detroit and for the longest, you could hardly even find Vernors outside of MI and OH. But it is delicious! ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2023, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-acquire-the-taste-for-root-beer-as-an-adult/977931/87 "2023-01-10T19:16:48Z")
I only started drinking it in the 80s, so I don’t know for sure but 7-Up is mellower than Sprite, which is what I think of when I think of a sharp citrus bite. I prefer 7-Up, but it seems not as popular as 7-Up, at least around here. ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2023, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-acquire-the-taste-for-root-beer-as-an-adult/977931/88 "2023-01-10T19:20:11Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > Yeah, it kinda does, but I like having a glass or two on occasion. Of which one? ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2023, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-acquire-the-taste-for-root-beer-as-an-adult/977931/89 "2023-01-10T19:22:10Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > 7-Up is mellower than Sprite, which is what I think of when I think of a sharp citrus bite. Interesting. My perception is the opposite, which is why I wonder if my sense of taste has changed. I would really like the old (ca. 1960) formula of 7-Up to be brought back. It was better than either of the two options mentioned above. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2023, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-acquire-the-taste-for-root-beer-as-an-adult/977931/90 "2023-01-10T19:23:33Z")
> [@Saint\_Cad](#): > > > [@terentii](#): > > > > Yeah, it kinda does, but I like having a glass or two on occasion. > > Of which one? 🤣 ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2023, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-acquire-the-taste-for-root-beer-as-an-adult/977931/91 "2023-01-10T19:25:20Z")
Nah, it’s probably my tastes that are weird. Looking online, 7-Up is said to be the “stronger” of the two. Interesting, as I perceive it the opposite way. I kinda want to do a side-by-side. Maybe it’s my flavor memory that needs tweaking. ETA: You know what, it may also be that I drink diet 7-Up. Its pH is 3.7 vs Sprite’s 3.29 and 7-Up’s 3.20 and Sprite Zero’s 3.14. I keep forgetting I only drink sugar free drinks. So that would account with the 7-Up tasting less tart to me than Sprite or Sprite Zero. In the sugared versions, 7-Up is slightly more acidic than Sprite. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2023, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-acquire-the-taste-for-root-beer-as-an-adult/977931/92 "2023-01-10T19:28:19Z")
The Uncola: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/AXmc7DG4uu8/hqdefault.jpg "7-UP "THE UNCOLA"") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AXmc7DG4uu8) “The taste of success is never too sweet!” ---
**Author:** ![Kolak\_of\_Twilo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kolak_of_twilo/32/73_2.png) [@Kolak\_of\_Twilo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kolak_of_Twilo)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2023, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-acquire-the-taste-for-root-beer-as-an-adult/977931/93 "2023-01-10T19:54:36Z")
I grew up drinking Root Beer ( usually Dad’s or Frostie brand) and also Dr. Pepper. I still enjoy both as an adult, Dr. Pepper more often. I’ve never enjoyed Cream Soda. When I moved to the Midwest I discovered Green River soda - fluorescent green with a definite citrus/lime flavor. I remember Big Red from when I was a child but I haven’t had one in decades. Just looking at it give me the sugar sweats. Also, I really enjoy one of the Jarritos fruit sodas on occasion. Grapefruit, Strawberry and Mandarin are my favorites. Has anyone tried the Tamarind? It is different. ---
**Author:** ![california\_jobcase](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9d8465/32.png) [@california\_jobcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/california_jobcase)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2023, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-acquire-the-taste-for-root-beer-as-an-adult/977931/94 "2023-01-10T20:36:24Z")
Dad’s, Mason’s, Hire’s, A&W, Barq’s, and any other brand you could name- If it’s root beer, I like it. It’s not as good as it used to be since sassafras was outlawed, but it’s still good. Root beer is one of the flavors I like regardless of the store brand, too. The other sodas that are always good are lemon-lime, strawberry, cream soda, ginger ale, and black cherry. Like root beers some are better than others, but I haven’t found one yet that was bad. Now I must bitch about Faygo Brau. Faygo Brau was a ginger beer from Faygo back in the late '60s. It was great, and priced the same as other Faygo flavors. It didn’t last long. The U.S.A. needs a good, hot, inexpensive ginger beer again! As to funky mixes, sloe gin and Mountain Dew goes down really easy! ---
**Author:** ![Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/prof.pepperwinkle/32/13627_2.png) [@Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Prof.Pepperwinkle)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2023, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-acquire-the-taste-for-root-beer-as-an-adult/977931/95 "2023-01-10T20:38:22Z")
I grew up on A&W root beer. We’d take a gallon with us to the drive-in movies with a tub of popcorn. Most canned root beer isn’t that good, but I still enjoy a frosty mug. And, I too enjoyed Faygo Brau in my adolescence, and would like its return. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2023, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-acquire-the-taste-for-root-beer-as-an-adult/977931/96 "2023-01-10T22:06:47Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > Which tastes like … Mountain Dew? Cactus Cooler is an orange-pineapple soda that is really quite good. Especially with a liberal lacing of Tito’s. ---
**Author:** ![JohnGalt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johngalt/32/184_2.png) [@JohnGalt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnGalt)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2023, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-acquire-the-taste-for-root-beer-as-an-adult/977931/97 "2023-01-10T23:21:59Z")
Tom Hanks: “Is there anything sadder than a spilled drink?” I wonder if I were to order a Tom Hanks cocktail at a bar, would they know what it was? ---
**Author:** ![Odesio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/odesio/32/20003_2.png) [@Odesio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odesio)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2023, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-acquire-the-taste-for-root-beer-as-an-adult/977931/98 "2023-01-10T23:24:08Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > I expect that the taste can be acquired as an adult. But it’s much harder to acquire a taste in adulthood, in general, than as a child. There are a lot of things I loved as a child but cannot stomach as an adult. There are also a lot of things I hated as a child that I love as an adult. I suspect my tastes have simply evolved as I continue to age. ---
**Author:** ![suranyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@suranyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/suranyi)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2023, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-acquire-the-taste-for-root-beer-as-an-adult/977931/99 "2023-01-10T23:33:35Z")
I used to have a Cactus Cooler every day after school when I lived in Los Angeles. Can’t find it in Northern California anywhere. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2023, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-acquire-the-taste-for-root-beer-as-an-adult/977931/100 "2023-01-10T23:43:05Z")
Yeah, I’m not sure if that even works as a general guideline. I developed a taste for bitter stuff as an adult that I didn’t like in childhood, tonic water being one that comes to mind. From my observation, it feels like people actually expand their palates as they age, up to a point. The idea of raw fish was not appealing to me as a child, but now I love it. Cilantro tasted like soapy dishwater, but now it’s perhaps my favorite herb. I couldn’t do spicy stuff, but now I grow and eat superhots. Hated gin as an experimenting teenager, but grew up to have perhaps too much of a fondness for it. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-acquire-the-taste-for-root-beer-as-an-adult/977931.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-acquire-the-taste-for-root-beer-as-an-adult/977931.md?page=6)