The Rootbeer Float

Tell me, when was the last time you had a really good rootbeer float? I don't mean one of those mediocre, generic, corn-syrup and "natural-vanilla-flavor" floats you get in a red party cup at your 8th grade dance or random minor league baseball game. I mean a legitimately brewed rootbeer with REAL sarsparilla root, paired with a scoop of some cream-sugar-and-vanilla beans ice cream. I can't even remember the last time I had a half-decent float. Can you? 

See, it's time. Well, at least that's what was decided for me today. 

The first thing I noticed when I looked in the fridge this morning was an Australian-brewed rootbeer in a pretty rad bottle. "Bundaberg" it said, "Brewed to be Better." My face turned into a smile as my mind did a fist-pump- "Yeah! I know what I'm having for dessert tonight: a rootbeer float. Mental note: buy vanilla ice cream." 

Which brings me to buying the right vanilla to make your float. Now, I am normally not an advocate of vanilla ice cream or Haagen-Dazs. Vanilla = boring and Haagen-Dazs = overrated and overpriced. However, in choosing the best vanilla, for some reason I gravitated towards Haagen-Dazs. None of my other top choices (Ben n Jerry's, McConnel's) had Vanilla Bean, and I wasn't going to settle for just vanilla (only vanilla extract, usually added flavors, and no vanilla beans). I took a leap of faith and I now feel differently about both Haagen-Dazs and vanilla. 

The Goods:

Now, before you jump out of your seat and run to the store, run back and make yours, three things:

1) This is not a rootbeer for the faint of heart. It is stronger and more robust-tasting than Barq's, IBC, A&W.

2) This is not a vanilla ice cream for the faint of heart. It is richer than plain vanilla and tastes distinctly of vanilla beans. 

3) This is not a rootbeer float for the faint of heart. Even I was unsure when I first had my taste of the combination. If you try them separately and decide it's too weird to try together, i won't judge you. A chemical reaction changes the two when combined, and the taste definitely changes too. The new flavor is an experience all its own, almost pungent, like a dark beer, with a smooth vanilla undertone. Oddly delicious.

Whether you scoop and sip, scoop and sip, or go Braveheart and combine them in a glass and stick a straw in through the scoop, I assure you The Rootbeer Float is worth the risk. Your tastebuds will thank you. 

Cheers!