Candy Cane Lane . . . but Make it Kooky

Once upon a time, candy canes came in only peppermint and sometimes, if you were lucky, cherry (which I loved because of their rainbow stripes).  But nowadays you can get them in almost any flavor, as evidenced during a recent outing when I picked up these:

That's right; you're looking at a soda lover's paradise of 7UP, Dr. Pepper, and A&W as well as -- wait for it -- that American classic, Twinkies!

When I saw these exotic offerings, I couldn't pass them up, even though I still had an unopened box of Hershey's mint candy canes from last year:

Believe it or not, I haven't sampled any yet.  They must remain "mint" in box, safe and secure in my underwear drawer, until December 24.  

Because that's when the Christmas treat train leaves the station . . . 

. . . and goes off the rails until New Year's.    

Root Beer World

If you think that A&W, Hires, Barq's, Mug, and Stewart's are the only root beer games in town, then think again. Root Beer World, which proudly proclaims itself to be "a world of root beer resources," lists thousands of unsung brands as well as message boards for root beer enthusiasts and root beer recipes (root beer torte or Robert E. Lee cake anyone?). As for this picture of a root beer-themed Snoopy tale, it's just one of the many sarsaparilla-spiked stories featured in the aptly named "root beer books" sidebar section that appears on the site's various pages.

So why am I writing about a soft drink? Because I like it. And because the link for Root Beer World has been burning a hole in my favorites list for the better part of a year since the bf discovered it (he has a knack for such things).