Hobgoblon is probably the best beer in the world - but not a good session beer: too strong.  For a session beer, Black Sheep is better.

 

  

Ditto, Pikes.  I won't complain if you toss in a scoop or two of vanilla ice cream :)

 

What exactly is root beer?  I hear Americans talk of it but I have never been able to work out what it is.

Thank you, CD, but now I don't know what sarsparilla is as well.

It's very yummy...

 

 

I like McEwens Scotch Ale and Strongbow!

When I go to Seahouses for my holiday I drink Scotch ale but don't really like it - it is just the best beer they serve in the Black Swan.  Strongbow isn't bad so long as it is not fizzy, but Bestbeloved has banned me from drinking cider as she says it makes me bad tempered.

I prefer the Strongbow draft, but only one place serves it here.  I do get the cans, which are huge!  Only one places serves the scotch ale as well, a different place than the Strongbow.  I have never understood that my Irish pub serves Strongbow, as Strongbow conquered Ireland for the English.

What is root beer?

The soft drink version of root beer is generally made using extracts or flavored syrups diluted into carbonated water. It is not as widely popular as other soft drinks, such as cola, and constitutes only 3% of the U.S. soft drink market.

The alcoholic version is made by fermenting a solution of extract and sugar with yeast. Typically this will yield a beverage with about 0.4% alcohol, compared to more than 4% for most regular beers.

Root beer extract may contain a variety of flavors, coming from the wide range of ingredients. Bark from the roots of the sassafras tree was the typical flavor in root beer historically, and is the primary flavor most individuals associate with the beverage. It is slightly red at times. Sassafras bark was banned by the FDA in 1960 because of the carcinogenic properties of its constituent chemical safrole. A safrole-free variety is now used, with some claiming that it has a weaker flavor than the pre-1960 variety.

I had a good local one over in Wisconsin last week, "Spotted Cow."

 

Loved it!

 

Nacho!