Last week, I posted about my first stop to Lynden's Soda Fountain right here in St. Paul. The owner, John Lynden, saw my post and invited me back. Apparently, my root beer was not supposed to be served with ice, and his "jerk" screwed up. (A jerk is someone who operates a soda fountain). Here's part of his note to me:
Steve,
Thanks for stopping by the fountain and writing the review. I am sorry you got a Root Beer with ice in it. I will send out a memo to all of our jerks to remind them that you never put ice in the Root Beer.
Our root beer actually is not mixed it comes straight from a keg through the cold plate in the fountain. I always recommend enjoying it in a glass rather than a plastic cup.
I would like to invite you back for another root beer on the house and I would also like you to try our Sarsaparilla.
So my whole family stopped back yesterday.
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| My son's first 1919 Root Beer - he couldn't stop drinking it! |
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| The Sarsaparilla and (partially drank) Root Beer. |
The Root Beer WAS better in the glass and withOUT ice. John told me that he doesn't like ice in his drinks, and I told him I'm the same way. He especially doesn't like ice in his Root Beer. John and I will get along juuuuust fine.
The Sarsaparilla was very "herby" and spicy. I thought it had a lot of wintergreen, and my wife thought it tasted a bit of cinnamon. John said it had a lot of Sarsaparilla root in it, and that was probably the flavor. It was unlike any Sarsaparilla I've had from a bottle. Lynden's Sarsaparilla is from a small company in Brooklyn - they provide the syrup and Lynden's adds the carbonated water.
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| This didn't take long... |
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| Henry loved to spin the stools (once he was "sugared up" on lots of root beer)! |
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| The signs above Lynden's Soda Fountain |
Brand: Lynden's Sarsaparilla and Root Beer.
Origin: St. Paul, MN. (The Sarsaparilla syrup is from Brooklyn, NY.)
Purchase Place: Lynden's Soda Fountain, St. Paul, MN.
Sweetener: Unknown.
Review: I originally gave the Root Beer a 7.5 out of 10 in my post last week, but I'm bumping that up a point because it IS better in a mug and without ice. The Sarsaparilla is very herby, spicy, and "sharp." I need to drink more from a soda fountain, because everything seems to taste "crisper." I sort of wish it were smoother, but I did like the sharpness.
Score:
Root Beer: 8.5 out of 10.
Sarsaparilla: 7.5 out of 10.
p.s. I STILL need to head back to Lynden's for a Lime Rickey. And some more candy. I'll be writing about them again within the next few months for sure..... And a BIG THANKS to John Lynden for inviting me back!
Root beer with ice in it is a travesty of epic proportions. It's a good thing the owner cares enough to fix the problem.
ReplyDeleteAnd I still don't know what the "Big E" is. Here's a challenge: describe the difference in flavor between root beer and sarsaparilla.
ReplyDelete