Three, plus seven, plus thirteen, equals twenty-three. Maine Root Beer, Talenti Tahitian Vanilla Bean Gelato, and Art in the Age ROOT all come together in this premium root beer float for a total of only twenty-three ingredients.
But why worry about how many ingredients are in the components of a recipe and what they are? I realize that one could argue that I’m simply a sucker for a clever narrative crafted by a marketing team. Take for example ROOT (previously reviewed here), which touts its purity and small list of certified organic ingredients. Perhaps it also summons a nostalgia within my childhood, where I can recall exactly when I learned how to identify sassafras and that it was used in root beer. I would seek it in the countryside woods around my home just to crush the leaves and release their scent. I would whittle away at a branch from a sassafras sapling to release the aromatic oils. Scents really do form the strongest memories. In defense of ingredient purity and quality in even the simplest aspects, I challenge you to spend additional time on your next shopping trip to select the ripest and most colorful produce. I guarantee your food will not only look better, but it will taste better.
That’s part of the underlying approach I take when I cook, bake, and make cocktails. If I’m wasting time and money, it’s because I’m catering only to those with a keen palate. Personally, I see value in quality ingredients, which is not to be confused with expensive tastes. I chose these three ingredients to make this particular float because of experience with them and knowing the level of quality I’ve come to expect from them. The Maine Root Beer with handcrafted flavors of wintergreen, clove, and anise, Talenti with vanilla beans harvested in Papau New Guinea, and ROOT with its recipe based on root tea from the 1700s all keep their recipes simple and without artificial ingredients. (See the video from Art in the Age embedded below for more info on ROOT.)
What’s your approach on selecting ingredients? Where do you draw the line between cost, efficiency, and flavor? Try out this float and enjoy National Root Beer Float Day. Or, if you’d rather, A&W is giving out free ones to celebrate*.
Top Shelf ROOT Beer Float
Ingredients
- 2 ounces ROOT
- 8 ounces premium root beer Maine Root
- 2 scoops premium vanilla ice cream Talenti Tahitian Vanilla Bean Gelato
Instructions
- Pour ROOT into a tall glass follow by chilled root beer, leaving room for foam.
- Add two scoops of vanilla ice cream.
- Garnish with ground nutmeg.
*While I am poking a bit of fun at A&W for their free floats, it is worth noting that they are doing this as a charity event for the Wounded Warriors Project. If you’d like to donate to the Wounded Warriors Project you can do so here. As always, do research on any charity before donating.
