Talking about Caffeine: one of the things my dad apparently enjoyed was A&W’s rootbeer. No joke. As far as I can remember, I haven’t seen it around over in Europe, which is logical since it has always been associated here with A&W, which is an all-American franchise. Or restaurant, that is how they call it over here (I can hear the European jokes alright already).
Recently the Canadian part of the company (about A&W) has gone on the ‘retro-50’s tour’, something you’ve most likely noticed on the amounts of ads on the Tele-Vision. With much success, I’d say. While I don’t mind eating a Papa Burger so once in a while, I’ve always wondered what the amount of sugar was of a glass of rootbeer. Probably a lot.
As for my Dutch siblings overseas: the closest that comes to rootbeer is ‘dropwater’. Which is something you’d be able to find in your nearest pharmacy (see aisle ‘cough drinks’). Don’t thank me. I wouldn’t want to wish you a bad cold.