I quite like A&W occasionally, but I’m also not familiar with your premium luxury brands. It’s definitely better than the Taiwanese offerings though. I remember trying one several years ago that had salt in.
I don’t drink soft drinks too often anyway, especially relatively expensive imported ones. A combination of wanting to avoid too much processed sugars and being stingy. I drink quite a bit more root beer (A&W) when I’m in Thailand/Malaysia though (because it’s cheaper and more readily available in convenience stores).
Barq’s or IBC are my favorites. They’re mainstream root beers in the state, but unavailable here afaik. A&W is okay in a root beer desert like Taiwan, but it lacks the spicy kick of Barq’s.
Yes have seen the Reeses at 711 and bought them. I remember over 20 years ago met a Taiwan man that is a tour guide and he bought loads of Reeses from his overseas tours and once in awhile I would stop by his house and we would have a Reeses and a Coke!! We still call him the Reeses peanut butter cup man!
I, too, have noticed Reese’s peanut butter cups at the counter of convenience stores here lately. They used to be my absolute favorite but I’ve had to start avoiding stuff like that more. They have been available in the past here, particularly up in Tienmu in the old little grocery stores that carried western products before Costco, Carrefour, etc. drove them out.
From my foggy memory of youth they were always sold in two-packs in America until they developed the three-pack for movie concession counters and then airport newsstands.
I used to get stuff at Henry&Cary over near Gongguan. Pretty good chocolate and even better brownies. I would give their brownies as gifts to other teachers and they always liked them.
Sarsaparilla/沙士 and root beer/麥根沙士 may have similar ingredients, but prepared somewhat differently; sarsaparilla is a little more bitter/“medicine-y”. I don’t remember what brand, but I have found a 麥根沙士/root beer that tasted similar to US root beer when I was younger with the wording above; can’t remember what brand, but it seemed highly unlikely to be imported or a US brand and was available at Wellcome/頂好, sorry if I can’t provide more info since it was 25 years ago.
On a similar note, I also really wish that Dr Pepper would catch on more.
Wasnt snickers/mars considered the most sugary “chocolate” bar for a period?
I kinda think people might be over thinking the reesses thing. It is more likely due to local agent and stocking fees/marketing schemes and maybe also importing issues. but more likely just the company that they hired to be the distributor for taiwan didnt put it high up their list and didnt deem the extremely high shelving fees and retailer gouges to be worth it for the peanut butter cups.
Though I agree that is basically a fail given how much Taiwanese love sweet, peanut and butter! Many companies that represent foreign brands here arent exactly cutting edge, many are dinosaurs with connections.
Hey song is sarsaparilla, not really root beer. the stuff here is more real, not like that fake american crap. Sarsaparillaactually has FDA issues in many countries. I am not sure, but wouldnt be surprised if the local stuff is fake now too. Think along the lines of Coca Cola not having the Coca plant in their drink, the recipe is different and the feel became more Pepsi esque. albiet far superior chemists involved.
a&w root beer is imported. I see it mostly in department grocery stores. It’s not even a gouge like it used to be. probably 45. double that of coke.
I’ve seen them on and off for the past three months or more. Once at family and never again, a couple times at 7, semi-regularly at PX. I got them from Watson’s online once. It’s hit and miss.
