Root Beer Memories (Slice 30 of 31)

This post is a part of the Slice of Life challenge which is hosted on the Two Writing Teachers blog.  The month of March the challenge is to write a blog post a day.


Since I am not feeling so well, and my throat is sore, I have found myself sucking on a lot of cough drops and hard candy.  This led to my thinking about root beer barrels and other root beer related memories.  Perhaps at some point this might become a poem, but for now I think a list is all I can muster.

My Top Five Root-Beer-Related Memories:

1. Root Beer Barrels--Every week when we went grocery shopping we stopped at the Brach's display to scoop up more of this delicious hard candy.  My father was obsessed with these little drops of joy.  After my father passed away, one of the most heartfelt and memorable cards we received came with a package of root beer barrels.  One of the employees that my father managed sent us this memorial because she was so appreciative of the way my father listened to her and always had a root beer barrel in his candy dish for whoever came into his office.  It was the perfect thing to hear at that moment of grief.  She helped me to see how my father's empathy had touched so many lives beyond what he even knew.  I realized that is what I wanted to do in my life also, and root beer barrels still serve as a silent reminder to me of the quiet influence I would like to have on those around me.

2. Even before I could drink actual beer, I loved going to Water Street Brewery, a local brewpub.  They have some amazing root beer on tap!  Another local favorite is Sprecher Brewery.  Their root beer is amazing and sold in supermarkets all around us.  This is a special vanilla treat on a hot summer day.  

3. I will never forget the day when I gave Julia, the German exchange student staying with us, a root beer.  She took one sip and spit it out immediately.  Her face was contorted into the most interesting expression of disgust I have ever seen.  I didn't have a clue that this sweet and flavorful drink could be so ridiculously disgusting to someone who hadn't tasted it before.  I have had the pleasure of laughing hysterically as several more of my European friends throughout the years have tried root beer and experienced the same level of disgust.  I still don't quite understand it, but I guess it's their loss!

4. When we used to go to a campground near Wisconsin Dells with our motorhome, my parents would go into the tiny restaurant/bar and order a "root beer" for grown-ups.  I never got to have one of these...but I got a tiny sip once in a while.  At this place, the proprietors had dreamt up a cocktail of a simple nature.  Root Beer Schnapps with Cola made up this drink.  It is funny that my parents never had this drink anywhere else.  It was reserved for these camping trips at this special place.

5. Root Beer floats are one of the best treats ever.  I love how the soda froths up and becomes ever so creamy and the ice cream provides the perfect compliment to this amazing drink.  Another favorite of mine is the Black Cow (root beer shake).  There is just something about the way root beer mixes with the ice cream and provides the perfect deliciousness.