Root Beer in Baltimore

Hello,

Can someone give me some directions as to where I might be able to actually buy some Frostie Root Beer in or around Baltimore city? I live in the Mt. Vernon area of the city, as a reference.

I've been totally unable to find a listing anywhere on the net to date. I'm also open to other highly-thought of root beers that are sold around here.

Many thanks!

I'm working off some old information, but when I was a kid in the 80's my mom would buy cases of Frostie Root Beer from the Price Club on Route 40 in White Marsh. Price Club is now called Costco, so I don't know if things have changed.

Sorry Kungpow, I don't think you'll find it at Eddie's or anywhere else in town. I haven't seen it here in 25 years I'll bet, maybe longer. But I did just see it at Central Market in Texas, and I'm sure you can order it from Galco's in Pasadena, CA. www.sodapopstop.com

Hank's of Philadelphia is good. Try Giant or Wegmans.

Signman, I was afraid you'd say that! I'll just have to keep my eyes out in my travels I suppose. It's hard to justify spending money to have root beer shipped to me, despite my lvoe for the drink.

kungpow12- post your question at bevnet.com/bevboard, there are several members on there that have knowledge of what is availible a bit outside the Baltimore area if you willing to drive to DC or upper Deleware.

I found some confirming info on other websites that the Costcos in Maryland carry Frostie. From Mount Vernon just take Mulberry Street, which is route 40, east bound about ten miles and you'll be at the Costco. Of course, you'll have to join the Costco.

Kungpow, e=mail me. I have a friend who makes a weekly trip to Costco on Saturdays. I'll have him check it out and pick some up this weekend. I'm up near Hopkins.

I have found Frostie rootbeer at the Freshmarket in Quarry Lake. It's off of Greenspring Ave between Smith Ave and the Beltway. They have a nice selection of different rootbeers there including Frostie, Berghoff and AJ Stephans. I recommend sampling all 3 as they each have their strengths. Only down side is they are only available in single serve bottles. They only carry IBC and Stewarts in a 4 or 6 pack.

I tried the Berghoff root beer the other night. It was great, a bit sweet, not as creamy tasting as I really like, but a good overall root beer. Damn good. Made with real sugar. Also had the Frostie a few days earlier, more of bite than I remembered. Made with HFCS, and for me not nearly as good as the Berghoff.

kungpow12 (if, in fact, that's your real name), here's my advice: Forget every single thing above and get in your kungpowmobile and drive due south less than 60 miles and to La Plata, Maryland's 49-year-young Twin Kiss restaurant (7415 Crain Highway [Route 301], La Plata, Maryland, 301 / 934-4025) for some of the best hand-crafted root beer around.



Just south of Waldorf but before the famed Johnny Boy's Ribs, you will find this celebrated place and its homemade brew.

Everytime I'm in that neck of the woods and right before I exclaim to myself, "what the Hell am I doing in this neck of the woods?," I order what appears to be a 24-ouncer to go and marvel at the heavily caramel flavored and wispy vanilla accents of this perfectly and lightly carbonated brew.

Seriously. Leave Charm City. Travel south and drink-up. Cheers.

i95 - Do you know if it's just the LaPlata Twin Kiss that makes their own root beer? There's a Twin Kiss in Finksburg and Eldersburg (both about halfway between Baltimore and Frederick). I believe they are the same owners.

I will investigate but if you already know, it saves me the effort.

Thanks,

Kevin

Sadly, I don't. And I know that there's an entire history regarding these early franchisee drive-ins that specialized in ice cream and homemade root beer but I, unfortunately, am not the purveyor of such knowledge.

[img]http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2171/1510499248_1380375019.jpg?v=0[/img]


I would, however, love to learn more about these roadway dining stalwarts. signman?

I forgot there's also a Twin Kiss in Westminster, attached to the Plum Crazy Diner. I've had soft serve there and it's good, nothing special. I've had a chili dog at the Finksburg Twin Kiss, and they make a good chocolate shake. I'll have to check into the root beer.

Maybe Robearjr has some info?

Kevin

I'm still lamenting the closing of the Reisterstown Twin Kiss, and it's homemade root beer that you took home in glass gallon jugs.

And I used to love their pizza, too. It was probably the first (and still best of course) soft ice cream I ever had starting in the mid 50's.

The Twin Kiss was the mating of the chocolate and vanilla ice cream, and they finished it off with a unique flat tip. No curly cues here.

The Twin Kiss in Eldersburg has homemade root beer.

And for those of you looking for the LaPlata Twin Kiss, and heading south on 301 towards Virginia, it's on the right side of the highway just past the mile 13 marker. Johnny Boy is just a little further down on the left.

I drive past the Twin Kiss in Finksburg everyday, but I've never stopped there. And I work in Westminster, and I've never been to that Twin Kiss either. I really should visit both locations.


Also, someone mentioned Fresh Market, I can't remember seeing Frostie Root Beer there, but they do have a lot of soda brands that are not normally sold around here.

Nice to see the familiar photo of the Twin Kiss sign near Avoca, NY. When I took that photo last year the place was closed. Not sure if it was closed for the season or closed for good.

Didn't think there would be so much interest in root beer, but here is what I privately e-mailed Kungpow over a week ago.

I hit the jackpot today at the Fresh Market on Greenspring Ave in Quarry Lake.

Picked up a bottle of Frostie and of Chicago's Berghoff Restaurant. They also had IBC, Stewarts, one called Sparky's , Dr. Brown's and maybe one or two more. These were individual bottles in the refrigerated case. The only multipaks I saw for sale were Stewarts, IBC and Boylans. This is not a very big store.

quote:

Originally posted by signman

I tried the Berghoff root beer the other night. It was great, a bit sweet, not as creamy tasting as I really like, but a good overall root beer. Damn good. Made with real sugar. Also had the Frostie a few days earlier, more of bite than I remembered. Made with HFCS, and for me not nearly as good as the Berghoff.

I completely agree with that assessment. The Berghoff's was the superior rootbeer hands down.

First off, I'm surprised at the second life this post has received.

i95: Kungpow12 is in fact my real name...it's a painful part of my childhood for which I have yet to forgive my parents, MongolianBeaf31 and 4Seasons44.

I'm pleased to hear that the Twin Kiss in Eldersburg has homemade root beer, as driving to La Plata would cost somewhere around $900 according to gas prices. Eldersburg is a little more economial.

Signman, I'm grateful for your e-mail from last week and am making a trip to the Fresh Market tomorrow evening to see what they have and expand my horizons. Have you heard anything more from your friend about root beers found at Costco?

For that matter, has anyone found larger stores (12 packs or the like) of good root beer at places like Costco, etc?

Kurt, you gotta like this guy.

Kungpow12, I am hoping to be at Costco this Saturday to check things out. If I see anything worthwhile, I will buy it and then we could meet and split things up.

Does anyone know if you can purchase bottles of Twin Kiss's rootbeer to take home? I may be going up past Eldersburg this weekend for Father's Day and would love to pick some up if possible. But at least I plan on stopping and tasting the brew even if I can't buy any to take with me.

They sell it by the gallon for 3.00.

quote:

Originally posted by Greymo

They sell it by the gallon for 3.00.

You're going to need a couple of these:

KP, how did your visit to Fresh Market go?

I was able to stop there again yesterday, and found the shelves full this time so I was able to purchase more than one bottle of the Berghoff root beer ($1.39 ea). But after tasting one of my other purchases, AJ STEPHANS from Boston ($.99 ea), that's the one that I should have bought more of. I also brought home a bottle of SPARKYS ($1.99 ea) but haven't opened it yet. They also had DAD'S, in reg and diet and a redpop type as well.

Also on the shelves were 2 types of MOXIE, GREEN RIVER, NESBITT'S ORANGE, BUBBLE UP, and Mexican COKE made with sugar ($1.99 ea). And I may have missed a few others.

And to go with all that soda, I saw for the first in Baltimore, VIENNA BEEF brand hot dogs, in 2 size packages......a 12 ounce pak with 8 dogs, and 6/1 pak of bigger ones.

And, I also was at the Pulaski Highway COSTCO yesterday, and I didn't see anything that even resembled root beer, much less Frostie.

quote:

Originally posted by signman

I'm still lamenting the closing of the Reisterstown Twin Kiss, and it's homemade root beer that you took home in glass gallon jugs.

And I used to love their pizza, too. It was probably the first (and still best of course) soft ice cream I ever had starting in the mid 50's.

The Friendly's in Reisterstown closed, too. My daughter and I noticed last week. We wound up at a Dunkin Donuts/Baskin Robbins instead, with their ice cream shakes. I noticed that 95% of their interior signeage features Oreos. They must have some sort of deal with Oreo.

As to root beer, funny story. My husband (whom some of you may remember from the old crab cake fest years back) is English. When he came to the US for the first time in 1991, he'd never had root beer, but had heard of it as a uniquely American treat. Someone poured him a glass, and . . . AACK! He had no idea it was a sweet soda! He thought it was some sort of rooty-tasting beer! He's never had it since, and thinks it's gross that I love it. lol

Bought a gallon jug of the root beer over the weekend at the Twin Kiss in Finksburg. It was $5 or $6 and they gave it in a sealed plastic jug. I was giving it to a friend whose dad used to make root beer and when he cracked it open two days later, he said it was excellent.

I don't know if they will give a discount if you bring your own container, but I thought it wasn't too bad at the $5 or $6 price.

Had a good chili footlong while I was waiting for the root beer. I still have to check if they sell the root beer at the Westminster Twin Kiss.

Frostie is now owned and made by Leading Brands. Their website should be helpful:

http://www.leadingedgebrands.com/

Do a Google search on "Don has that" they got it!

Kind of ironic that Frostie is so hard to find considering it was first made here in Catonsville, MD. The nearest retailer is 40 minutes west at the Giant Eagle Supermarket in Frederick, MD. They have Root Beer, Vanilla Root Beer, Orange, Red Cream and Cherry Limeade in four-packs of glass bottles. I bought some RB last weekend and it was as good as ever.

quote:

Originally posted by i95

Forget every single thing above and get in your kungpowmobile and drive due south less than 60 miles and to La Plata, Maryland's 49-year-young Twin Kiss restaurant (7415 Crain Highway [Route 301], La Plata, Maryland, 301 / 934-4025) for some of the best hand-crafted root beer around.

I just stopped by this mecca-
to-suds a few hours ago...




...and it is still divine. FYI.

Now that looks good to me !!