# Rootbeer: America vs. the world? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 12, 2007, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rootbeer-america-vs-the-world/403863 "2007-05-12T19:45:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![StarvingButStrong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/starvingbutstrong/32/335_2.png) [@StarvingButStrong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StarvingButStrong)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2007, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rootbeer-america-vs-the-world/403863/1 "2007-05-12T19:45:40Z")
While I was growing up, my family belonged to one of the International Student Exchange programs. We hosted students from England, Venezuela, France, Sweden, and Greece at various times. None of them had had rootbeer before. Every single one of them grimaced and said rootbeer tasted somewhere on the ‘bad’ to ‘dreadful’ range the first time they had some. The English girl said ‘it tastes like medicine.’ In contrast, I’ve never heard about an American who had to ‘learn to like’ rootbeer. I know I loved it from the start, and so have my nieces and nephews. Is this Americans naturally like vs. Non-Americans pattern just due to a very small sample? Or does it generally hold true? If true, I was wondering if the determining factor might be your age when first exposed to it? As in, there’s some particular flavor involved that children don’t ‘taste’ and if you continue to drink rootbeer as you grown up you are accustomed to that flavor gradually? ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2007, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rootbeer-america-vs-the-world/403863/2 "2007-05-12T20:03:38Z")
Are you kidding? Rootbeer is disgusting. I know far more people who won’t touch it than drink it. It’s far from universally loved in the US. ---
**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:** [May 12, 2007, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rootbeer-america-vs-the-world/403863/3 "2007-05-12T20:15:25Z")
A good, creamy rootbeer is heaven on earth. The secret recipe around here, when we make our own, is to use 2/3 rootbeer extract to 1/3 cream soda extract. Another plus to rootbeer is that as far as I can tell, the diet versions taste just like the regular versions. So out fridge is filled with Diet Barq’s. ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2007, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rootbeer-america-vs-the-world/403863/4 "2007-05-12T20:16:40Z")
Interesting question. What could be more American than a rootbeer float? I think it was more popular in the mid 20th century than it is now and there’s always someone who doesn’t like a particular taste. But I think rootbeer would be comparable with apple pie in general acceptance. It’s tough to find really good rootbeer that doesn’t cost an arm and a leg. Bargs is the only cheap one I like and that’s not much of a recommendation. ---
**Author:** ![Lama\_Pacos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Lama\_Pacos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lama_Pacos)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2007, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rootbeer-america-vs-the-world/403863/5 "2007-05-12T20:28:48Z")
I hate rootbeer, and have always hated it. It tastes like the sexual fluids of errant Necco Wafers. ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2007, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rootbeer-america-vs-the-world/403863/6 "2007-05-12T20:34:31Z")
Off to our forum for food and drink. Moved from IMHO to CS. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2007, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rootbeer-america-vs-the-world/403863/7 "2007-05-12T20:35:53Z")
Well, cheap bargain store pseudorootbeers are **very** nasty. Get a halfway decent brand. What kind did you serve to these poor wayfareres, **StarvingButStrong**? ---
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2007, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rootbeer-america-vs-the-world/403863/8 "2007-05-12T20:39:29Z")
I think one thing that needs to be asked is does Europe flavor a medicine with one of the ingredients in rootbeer? Most Americans don’t buy wintergreen candy, because it smells like Pepto Bismo. Some rootbeer is terrible, and it’s normaly the artificialy flavored with some phosphoric acid added. ---
**Author:** ![Rigamarole](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/77aa72/32.png) [@Rigamarole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rigamarole)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2007, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rootbeer-america-vs-the-world/403863/9 "2007-05-12T20:42:26Z")
No, rootbeer is pretty friggin’ gross. - an American ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2007, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rootbeer-america-vs-the-world/403863/10 "2007-05-12T20:45:22Z")
Here’s an ingredients list (scroll down) for [Virgil’s Microbrewed Root Beer](http://www.virgils.com/about.shtml), the best root beer in the history of the universe. Some of that stuff DOES sound rather mediciney. ---
**Author:** ![Busy\_Scissors](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/d78d45/32.png) [@Busy\_Scissors](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Busy_Scissors)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2007, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rootbeer-america-vs-the-world/403863/11 "2007-05-12T21:10:08Z")
Its definitely got a medicinal tang to it as far as my non-American palate is concerned. When Mcdonalds started to colonise the UK highstreet in the 80s they carried rootbeer as one of their drinks, although I don’t see it nowadays. Many UK people will know the taste from then. In the same vein, ever met a Scotsman who didn’t like irn bru? ---
**Author:** ![OpalCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8edcca/32.png) [@OpalCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OpalCat)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2007, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rootbeer-america-vs-the-world/403863/12 "2007-05-12T21:20:28Z")
[QUOTE=Magiver] Interesting question. What could be more American than a rootbeer float? I think it was more popular in the mid 20th century than it is now and there’s always someone who doesn’t like a particular taste. But I think rootbeer would be comparable with apple pie in general acceptance. It’s tough to find really good rootbeer that doesn’t cost an arm and a leg. Bargs is the only cheap one I like and that’s not much of a recommendation. [/QUOTE] I love rootbeer, but you couldn’t pay me to eat apple pie. Eww. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2007, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rootbeer-america-vs-the-world/403863/13 "2007-05-12T21:22:30Z")
[QUOTE=Lama Pacos] I hate rootbeer, and have always hated it. It tastes like the sexual fluids of errant Necco Wafers. [/QUOTE] Mmmm…sexual fluids of errant Necco Wafers… _drool_ Hey-a good rootbeer is worth its weight in gold-ever have an ice cold IBC? ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_Robson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gary_robson/32/3448_2.png) [@Gary\_Robson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_Robson)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2007, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rootbeer-america-vs-the-world/403863/14 "2007-05-12T21:23:13Z")
Different brands of root beer don’t taste the same. Try a Hires, a Henry Weinhart’s, a Barq’s, and an A&W, and see how different they are. I love root beer, and so do my kids. Just try and give those whippersnappers a sarsparilla, though! Maybe it’s a generational thing. I can’t stand the energy drinks they like. ---
**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:** [May 12, 2007, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rootbeer-america-vs-the-world/403863/15 "2007-05-12T21:32:44Z")
[QUOTE=OpalCat] I love rootbeer, but you couldn’t pay me to eat apple pie. Eww. [/QUOTE] Communist. Why do you hate America? ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2007, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rootbeer-america-vs-the-world/403863/16 "2007-05-12T21:55:39Z")
I suspect that the reason is that Europeans have less sweets as a kid, but take regular sweet medicine of some sort. Americans grow up eating lots of sweets, and don’t generally take a lot of medicines growing up, and probably those aren’t flavored like rootbeer. They also don’t have pumpkin pie, for probably much the same reason. ---
**Author:** ![Bobotheoptimist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/919ad9/32.png) [@Bobotheoptimist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bobotheoptimist)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2007, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rootbeer-america-vs-the-world/403863/17 "2007-05-12T22:05:32Z")
Further proof that the rest of the world is screwed up… I bet Saddam didn’t like root beer. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2007, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rootbeer-america-vs-the-world/403863/18 "2007-05-12T22:25:23Z")
It’s so bubbly and cloying and happy, but if you drink it enough times, you start to like it. ---
**Author:** ![StarvingButStrong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/starvingbutstrong/32/335_2.png) [@StarvingButStrong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StarvingButStrong)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2007, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rootbeer-america-vs-the-world/403863/19 "2007-05-12T22:28:14Z")
[QUOTE=Bosda Di’Chi of Tricor] Well, cheap bargain store pseudorootbeers are **very** nasty. Get a halfway decent brand. What kind did you serve to these poor wayfareres, **StarvingButStrong**? [/QUOTE] Draft A&W, from a genuine A&W rootbeer restaurant. After the first two exchange students turned their noses up, we learned to only only them a kiddie’s mug to start. ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2007, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rootbeer-america-vs-the-world/403863/20 "2007-05-12T22:35:41Z")
I believe (no cite, but I believe it 'cause German dopers have said so in the past) that there’s a German \_\_\_\_ medicine (I think cold medicine) that tastes like root beer. So to Germans familiar with that, root beer does indeed taste like medicine. Sassafras, the original “root beer” flavor, was a native American tree taken over to Spain as a hopeful panacea. It wasn’t the great cure-all that they hoped, but it is excellent as a topical antiseptic and many people use it for fighting off colds and digestive upset. Unfortunately, one of the compounds in it is carcinogenic, and it’s prohibited for sale as a flavoring or food additive now in the US. And good god if that Virgil’s don’t look good! I’d keep that around as medicine, I would! WhyNot, herbalist [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rootbeer-america-vs-the-world/403863.md?page=2)