I made it to ENGINEER!!!

[thegrindre]

Sorry, folks, just a little thing of mine. It's my 500th post.
I've always wanted to be an engineer ever since I was a kid and I have finely made it.

[Grandma Ruth]

[Canadian Viking]

Wow! That takes a lot of typing. Certainly this calls for a celebration. I'll hoist a root beer for you on the weekend as I lay some serious track on my computer.

I'm years away from your high position on the right side of the locomotive. So I, a lowly watchman, salute you.

[Knave]

I'd say this is better than a birthday. I too will lift a hearty mug of root beer in toast to a 500 man!! Then its back outside twisting the brakes on the top of this boxcar. Seems like yesterday it was all red. and now its all sunbleached. How did that happen???

[Hawk]

Congratulations Rick!
Only 2 people a head of you now. Gwizz - with 589 and me with 1963, well 1964 after this post.

[thegrindre]

WOW! I didn't think I'd get such a hoopla from everyone. Thanks. It was more of a personal thing to me although I did publically post it...
I guess this really means that I'm full of.... hot air.

I love root beer, btw, and Sioux City Sarsaparilla is my very best favorite in the whole wide world. They stopped sellin' it around here a couple years ago, though. Wish I could still get it.

[Hawk]

I've seen that around here occasionally. I agree, it's pretty good stuff.

[Canadian Viking]

Engineer Grindre, I thank you for the tip about Sioux City Sarsparilla. I'll look for it next time I'm down in the midwest, and tip my hat to you when I find it. All root beers are definitely NOT created equal. I love the stuff because my one grandfather usually gave us root beer floats when we came to visit. His favorite brand was Dads. The other grandfather farmed in northern Iowa, and was close enough to Sioux City for his antenna to pick up it's tv station. But I never recall seeing a bottle of Sarsparilla on my many visits to his place. I generally prefer Dads or A&W, but I'm thirstin' to try some Sioux City Sarsparilla now in this -25 degree "heat" we have these days.

[Hawk]

My usual choice of root beer is Barq's. Much better than Dad's or A&W, in my opinion - although I used to love A&W when I was a kid. 'Course it's changed a lot in 50 years.
Barq's is almost like A&W used to be, but not quite as frothy.

[thegrindre]

A&W used to be my second favorite until they changed it. Now, I don't have a second favorite. They all have too much carbonation and sugar in 'em. This, of course, just reunions a good float.
I found a 12 pack of Sioux City Sarsaparilla at Amazon for $21. Might buy it...
http://www.amazon.com/Sioux-City-Sarsap ... 767&sr=1-2

[Canadian Viking]

I never would have thought of buying my root beer on Amazon! I see the shipping weight is 16lbs. That would add a lot to the cost of getting it to Canada. Sure hope they have a good system for packing those glass bottles to withstand the journey.

I like Barq's, too. And it is available in our local grocery store, whereas Dad's is not. If our store's stock of Barq's and A&W is gone, I don't buy the other brands.

[WPandP]

(I'm never going to make it to Engineer if I don't post something, so here goes...)

This might be getting a bit "off topic" (since the topic now seems to be root beer brands), but has anybody else out there heard of Buffalo Rock?

It's not a root beer really, it's more like what you get when root beer and ginger ale have an out-of-wedlock bastard child. It's powerfully effervescent, tickling your nose to make you sneeze before you ever get it up to your lips. It's got some kick - but dang is it good!

Thing is, I can only find it in Alabama. I used to have two great aunts who lived in Birmingham, and whenever we would be passing through on our way to visit Florida relatives, we'd stop there for a few hours, and tank up on Buffalo Rock. Of course, it wouldn't last long! Vernor's is a brand name that is available here in Ohio, which is a similar kind of drink, but with much less kick to it. Hawk, you might be familiar with this drink since you're a Suth-nuh, but I really think its distribution is very limited.

[Hawk]

Buffalo Rock, huh? I don't believe I've ever heard of that but it sounds interesting. I do like an occasional ginger ale, which is what Verner's is, although I generally buy Schweppes if I want a ginger ale.

[thegrindre]

It's the 'kick' thing I don't care for. Coke and Pepsi have 'kick' and I can't stand 'em.
Sioux City Sarsaparilla is mild and smooth with lots of flavour without any kick at all. Cream Soda is another favorite of mine and Sioux City makes a wonderful one.

Canada Dry has always been my Ginger Ale brand. Unfortunately, it, too, is lacking these days in true flavour.




Hey, there's no such thing as in this thread. We're all talking about all my favorite things.

This is my 500th post party.

[Hawk]

Cream soda! There's another one I like. My preferences there are either Stewart's or Dr. Brown's.

Since it's your 500th post party Rick, and you give permission to be , I don't feel so bad now.

[Gwizz]

Cream Soda in one of my favorites, when my dietician will let me buy it. I haven't had a good root beer in a long while.

[thegrindre]

As I mentioned earlier, I didn't expect this much hoopla so, let's PARTY.

I've tried Stewart's, it's kinda what I choose now that I can't get Sioux City anymore.


Oh, btw, now is a good time to voice your opinion to help you get closer to that 500th post, everybody. So, jump right in.

[Wolverine@MSU]

I have no opinion, but wanted to rack up another post.

[Canadian Viking]

Hey, I see I am closing in on my 100th post. That should get me a promotion. What's next - maybe I'll become a brakeman. If you want to know how "Spike" rates the many brands of root beer, check out his page: http://www.rootbeerreviews.com/brews/brewmain.html Then have another root beer!

[Hawk]

Here's how the ranks stack up.

Click on image to view full size