When you get cold (but not too cold) root beer, and you pour it gently into a glass filled with several scoops of fresh vanilla ice cream, and you clear off the excess perma-foam on top, you will find yourself sitting in front of one of my absolute favorite treats. I’m not a big sweets fan, but some things will set me off. Certain chocolates, a particular apple pie, and root beer floats. I’ve had many a float, including several terrible forays into Coke floats or Pepsi floats, regretting most of all a certain Dr. Pepper float. Root Beer is different from your regular sody-pop. The brewed flavor, woody and semi-sweet, just happens to be the right choice for combining with a subdued, rich, smooth vanilla cream. The melted ice cream turns the black-brown soda into a tan, thick treat whose taste is greater than the sum of its parts.

Finding the right root beer for the job can be a challenge. I avoid Barq’s at all costs. Caffeine? In root beer? Travesty. All for some wrong-tasting “bite”. Mug root beer, though closer to target, is still a tad too sweet. A&W happens to be closest of the mass-market brands. Though i hate to admit it, Abita root beer is just too sweet (i think they went overboard on the Real Louisiana Cane Sugar). Jones Soda, which i bought tonight, is actually quite wonderful. IBC has a good “brew” too. When i was but a lad, I had a true sassafras-flavored root beer, and as far as i can remember, it was a sturdy and strong drink that would pair well in a float.

For ice cream, go for the premium vanilla. No bucketed corn-syrup-solids junk. Real vanilla, no “vanillin” artificials. I’m not particular about french vanilla vs. vanilla bean, though french vanilla tends to be smoother, and something about that golden color in the glass goes well with the amber drink.

You can find me craving at least once a year one of the rare and satisfying treats of this american life: a large, fresh, juicy hamburger, thick french fries, and a root beer float.