Decades ago, after spending a year abroad I got on a flight back to the US and asked for the most American drink I could imagine: root beer.   I was shocked when the flight attendant told me they didn’t carry it. I love root beer.  My father loved root beer. Whenever I see artisanal root beer, I try it – and generally savor my way through it.

But I was skeptical when a bottle of Three Olives Root Beer Flavored Vodka recently came my way.  “Is this a good idea?” I asked myself.  When my friend Kathy came over to watch a chick-flick, we decided to try it.  She is, admittedly, not a drinker but she knows food.  When we cracked open the capsule, a lovely, very authentic root beer-y aroma came wafting out.  Cautiously, we poured a few drops into a glass. Hey – it’s not even sweet, we marveled.  It tasted like root beer in the most appealing – and surprising – manner.  We poured out a little more of the stuff, slipped in a few ice cubes, and the evening was off to a great start!