Root Beer

[TheDoctor]

While working in LA county several years ago my co-workers took great amusement in all the perfectly normal things, to them, I'd never had or herd of. After one such conversation I was instructed to take my lunch forthwith, a bit rich as I was the boss, and go to the dinner on Melrose Ave and order a root beer float. As I had no idea what this was but am always open to new experiences, a policy which has lead me into tapioca related difficulty on one occasion, I complied and have never looked back.
Since quitting drink I'll happily sit drinking a root beer of an afternoon in the pub. Even though I know that the landlord knows that I know it's actually Dandelion and Burdock he gives me.

I'm almost certainly going to regret asking this, but what new experience could lead one into 'tapioca related difficulty'?
*scared*

 

[automatic_jon]

I'm almost certainly going to regret asking this, but what new experience could lead one into 'tapioca related difficulty'?
*scared*

I'd never experienced tapioca before and certainly not in milkshake form, I don't think I had previously conceived of such a thing, when offered one, I accepted. While sampling this 'delight' I discovered the bottom of the cup was filled with tapioca balls approximately the same diameter as the bore of the straw, about 8mm at a guess. I was happily sucking these balls up when one got stuck, the obvious solution was to suck harder, and suck harder I did.

I have no idea of the airspeed of this little tapioca ball when it left the straw and impacted on the back of my throat but the reaction it caused was, I'm told hilarious. If only it had stopped there, the shock caused by the sudden arrival of this small projectile caused my throat to spam or similarly behave in some undesirable way and the little bugger ended up travelling up into my naso-pharynx. (The space behind the nasal cavity, above the very back of the throat). Which caused severe discomfort for hours afterwards and a pervading sensation that something was trapped inside my face and pressing on all the wrong places.

I don't remember how we got it free, it may not have been stuck at all, only giving the sensation it was stuck but by gods do I avoid tapioca and tapioca by-products now. I'm also nervous around shakeaway type milkshakes with things in the bottom that may attack at any time.

 

[Globalti]

You need to come and try a couple of drinks in Britain's last temperance bar: http://www.mrfitzpatricks.com/

The mountain biking is pretty damned good in Rossendale valley too.

 

[vernon]

You need to come and try a couple of drinks in Britain's last temperance bar: http://www.mrfitzpatricks.com/

The mountain biking is pretty damned good in Rossendale valley too.

I've been meaning to visit the place for the past five years. It's on my hit list for late August this year.

 

[Globalti]

Send me a PM when you're around; I'll join you for a pint!

 

[Kirstie]

I'd never experienced tapioca before and certainly not in milkshake form, I don't think I had previously conceived of such a thing, when offered one, I accepted. While sampling this 'delight' I discovered the bottom of the cup was filled with tapioca balls approximately the same diameter as the bore of the straw, about 8mm at a guess. I was happily sucking these balls up when one got stuck, the obvious solution was to suck harder, and suck harder I did.

I have no idea of the airspeed of this little tapioca ball when it left the straw and impacted on the back of my throat but the reaction it caused was, I'm told hilarious. If only it had stopped there, the shock caused by the sudden arrival of this small projectile caused my throat to spam or similarly behave in some undesirable way and the little bugger ended up travelling up into my naso-pharynx. (The space behind the nasal cavity, above the very back of the throat). Which caused severe discomfort for hours afterwards and a pervading sensation that something was trapped inside my face and pressing on all the wrong places.

I don't remember how we got it free, it may not have been stuck at all, only giving the sensation it was stuck but by gods do I avoid tapioca and tapioca by-products now. I'm also nervous around shakeaway type milkshakes with things in the bottom that may attack at any time.

It's the way he tells 'em.
Class!

Sorry I don't mean to laugh at your misfortune.

 

[automatic_jon]

It's the way he tells 'em.
Class!

Sorry I don't mean to laugh at your misfortune.

I was presenting it, and myself generally, to be laughed at, don't worry.

 

[vernon]

Send me a PM when you're around; I'll join you for a pint!

Will do so. I've been fascinated with the place since first seeing an article about it in one of the Sunday newspaper supplements.

 

[TheDoctor]

To get back to the OP (although I'm still giggling at the tapioca-related unpleasantness) Waitrose do indeed stock Root Beer, although it's the Aussie Bundaberg stuff.

 

[vernon]

To get back to the OP (although I'm still giggling at the tapioca-related unpleasantness) Waitrose do indeed stock Root Beer, although it's the Aussie Bundaberg stuff.

Morrisons stocks root beer. Francis Hartridge's root beer is what you need to look for.

Despite the totally unsatisfactory nature of my sole attempt to drink root beer a decade or so ago, I gave it a second chance today and much to my surprise actually enjoyed it.

The Germolene overtones were very much lower than my recollections of the first encounter.

I might even seek a third opinion.