Haven't had root beer in many many years - McDonalds used to sell it on draught (the brown Fanta button) and it used to taste like mouthwash, without the alcohol.

Just had to go back to Aldi for some more ... got 2 bottles the other day and love it! Memories of my work trips to the USA in the 1990s .. and yes it is a bargain. The woman on the till was curious so I told her about it and suggested she try it... maybe I will have a conversation in a week or so with her and see what her reaction was to it! :stuck_out_tongue:

Anyone tried this one? Couple of good reviews and not 'too sweet'

http://www.sainsburys.co.uk/shop/gb/groceries/tropical-sun-american-style-root-beer-330ml

Ha ha - I think if we were ever to bump in to each other we would be just fine :sunglasses::smile::D

I believe you can ask for it on any burger or maybe even any product, I also assume it applies to the McChicken Sandwich sauce, Big Tasty sauce etc). Just make sure you tell them you dont want the other sauce/gherkin/onion on it aswell (unless you like a crazy combo!)

Off topic a bit but did you know that in Five Guys if you ask for extra bacon and cheese, it's free like the other toppings?

Agree with you about the ingredients but I think it's due to food and drink regulations. There's no excuse for the new Kraft Mac & Cheese cups though, for whatever reason they taste like a tin of beans.

Can you ask for Big Mac sauce on any of their burgers? If so then a visit once in a while is not so bad after all :wink:

Thanks for that. I like Dads root beer, not seen it that cheap for a while though.:smile:

It is quite puzzling that Tameside in general has these things, 90's style markets and malls (complete with smelly butchers in the indoor markets lol) in Hyde and Ashton, and then a Five Guys.
And everyone I speak too about it just says "A burger for £10 blah blah McDonalds is better blah eww I don't want any toppings makes it sloppy blah blah eww Peanut oil, are lickal Caleb/Maizeh/Logan/Kyra is illurgic blah blah".

McDonalds unfortunately know the market and have opened a new restaurant just opposite that Five Guys and will continue to flog "Large" Big Mac meals for £6 to everyone. Even though you can just order plain double cheese burgers and ask for Big Mac sauce on em for £1.49. I have nothing but contempt for most British consumers! :disappointed:

It really is a pet peave of mine when foreign products get changed to supposedly suit the UK market. UK Mountain Dew was/is marketed as sort of an energy drink where as in the states it's basically another Sprite/7 Up alternative. Cheeto's have made a few attempts at the UK/Europe market, in the late 90's they were fairly true to the originals and were a Wotsit competitor, but the bags they currently have on sale for 39p at my local petrol station are big spirals covered in Monster Munch Flamin Hot type coating.

It works the other way around too though, and when I watch the US version of AMC I keep seeing an ad for the KFC Zinger Burger, as if it is something new?.

If they all just concentrated on making a good solid product with internationally available ingredients then they wouldn't have to mess about so much researching and developing inferior products. UK coke is awful these days (the black soda drink, well and the other stuff I gather lol).

Though I do wish US products would more often use cane Sugar and not High Fructose Corn syrup. A nice soda I enjoyed in NYC in 2014 was "Ginseng Up", a little pricier than the $1 big Arizona Watermelon cans, but so much more premium in a glass bottle and you can pretend its healthy due to the supposed Gin seng content. I think Rubicon Mango and Irn Bru are good enough products to enjoy success in the US, just need the right marketing.

I think Sarsaparilla is very similar to root beer, hence the Oriental canned drink Sarsi https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarsi_(drink) .

Anyone know if this brand has caffeine in it?
I love root beer but a few brands have caffeine in which I am allergic to.

Ah ok, I've not had that one before - but I agree I think it should be trialled in those self serve units

Barqs in the US (although that's the one you don't see very often over here being sold here)

It's sarsaparilla root. I have no idea what that is, but that's what it is. And it's always been a favourite of mine. Although I spent my younger years growing up in Canada, where it was a 'thing'

Haven't had root beer in many many years - McDonalds used to sell it on draught (the brown Fanta button) and it used to taste like mouthwash, without the alcohol.

If I could only drink one thing for the rest of my life it would be Diet Barq's. I used to buy it imported in the UK but stupid EU banned one of the ingredients so they weren't allowed to import any more. I hope brexit hooks me up! Every one I've tried in the UK has been awful and nothing like the american brands Barq's , A&W and MUG etc.

I love Root Beer but this stuff just doesn't taste good to me. Worth a try for the price though if you're a fan.

I don't get why these self-serve Coke product machines (as seen in BKs / five guys) don't have room for some root beer offering. They've got all sorts of other weird flavour mixes for Coke / Fanta

Correct

I'm guessing this is because it's low-sugar. That's how I feel about all diet drinks - the flavour is kind of there but it's ultimately unsatisfying.

"Where's my root beer?" - Wendy from Breaking Bad

is this alcoholic?

oh man this isn't going to end well for me if my local has any..

Many many years ago in the UK you could buy root beer at McDonald's, it was excellent with 2 of the original full salt big macs, before they remove all the salt in the past few years....

Just been to Aldi and picked up 4 bottles plus 1 cream soda and 1 grape soda.

Root beer is nice, definitely more American tasting than Carters.

Oh and it is caffeine free.

Shame it's sugar free, I find the aspartame gives me terrible headaches and the drink a horrible after taste.

I remember as a wee boy getting Sarsaparilla (same as Root Beer?).
Sarsaparilla: best as a sweet soft drink, but did you know Sarsaparilla is thought to have many medicinal properties.
I tried it not so long ago...not the Aldi one...and it is as some people describe....unusual, not quite as good as I remember it to be...and very much best served very cold !
I'll give the Aldi one a try :smile:...also the Grape Soda mentioned above :stuck_out_tongue:

Where abouts in Aldi do you find this, is it on the specials or with the rest of the soft drinks?

Tastes ok, not quite as good as the American branded ones but much better than carter's.

A few years ago DD had a few branches West - Portishead services was one of them, and I remember a few dotted around towns along the M4. No idea about Halal, and I can't see any information on the website about it.

Yeah, it's a shame Dunkin branches are so few and far between, their doughnuts are great. Their boss has just bought Leyton Orient football club, so maybe a few branches will appear around East London...

Was reminiscing about this place recently & wondering what it is about Ashton attracting such places (like the Five Guys they now have right next to where the KFC (and old A&W) is.

I thought DD were expanding in the UK? Out of interest which ones have closed down? I've only been to the Leeds branch but was told there should be one opening in Manchester. (Any idea if they are all Halal like the ones in Leeds or do they operate a mix bag like KFC)?

There were a few attempts to get American brands over here in the late 90's / early 2000's if I recall. Kraft were pushing quite a few products, but there was just no demand for it and I think now it's a case of once burned...

Unfortunately now any brands that are attempting a push are so heavily modified in recipe it is not recognisable and are genuinely rank. Kraft Mac & Cheese, Cheetos are a couple of examples.

As far as I can tell, Dunkin Donuts has closed a few stores although Taco Bell has opened up a few more, but again the menu much smaller than the US version.

It's a shame really, I'd like to have seen A&W in the UK as I really like root beer, but it's just not the time for it. The UK has gone through the faux pulled pork phase, currently in the Burger phase (which many of the new restaurants still can't get right).

I'm hoping that Dairy Queen will be next, or Grand Lux Cafe :smiley:

not for me thanks

I have a case of "Dads" root beer on order, but if I am in Aldi I might try this, though sugar free worries me. If you live near a Chinese/Oriental super market then there is a good chance of them having the Chinese/Filipino root beer type drink called "Sarsi". I love root beer, I much prefer it to Dandelion and Burdock (Thats pretty much always sugar free these days which doesnt help :disappointed: ) .

About 12 years ago there was an experimental "A&W" burger/hot dog restaurant combined with a KFC at the Cineworld complex in Ashton Under Lyne, Tameside, Greater Manchester. They had unlimited refill A&W root beer, but unfortunately stubborn and unadventurous Brits were not interested in the A&W part of the restaurant or the root beer and now it is just another mediocre KFC.

Excellent find. Looking forward to the Grape Soda they have too!
Thank you!
:innocent:

Tastes like TCP :disappointed:

I bought this last year. Better than carters and cheaper.

Lol; sorry, the wrong end of the scale; i.e. old, un-americanised and know beer as a 'British' drink!

Just got back from my trip to Aldi. It wasn't with the rest of the drinks in Kettering but was over in the corner by the tills.

Initial impressions are that it tastes like Carter's (ASDA) with a tiny bit more flavour but I've put some in the fridge so we'll see if that makes a difference like the OP said.

Either way at 37p a bottle, this is the cheapest in the UK and a bargain.

Never tried Root Beer, is it good - what's the ABV?

American muck.Dandelion and burdock all the way :man:

Oooh i love root beer! Anyone wondering what the taste is it's like drinking sweet Germolene. Very tasty!

Cheers, hopefully track some down tomorrow

love root beer, currently in California so will be treating myself. my favourite is Barqs

Mmmmmmm I love root beer!
On my way to Aldi! Thanks OP :sunglasses:

Thanks for letting me know. I'm sure it'll be good with some ice cream though!

Is this comparable to A&W / Mug, etc? Not a fan of the Asda brand or Bundaberg

I bought this the other day, its not bad.

is it sugar free?

Isn't Dr.Pepper a root beer? :neutral_face:

^^ i believe it is close to zero, i got some and it tastes just like mouthwash. i like it

Yes sugar free taste a bit like dandelion and burdock. Kinda medicinal like kop kops/ licorice sorta flavour.

Cheers. Will try one.