Julian Vrieslander wrote:

> When I was growing up in South Florida, there was a local chain of
> fast-food restaurants (Royal Castle) that offered birch beer. This was
> a soft drink, similar to root beer but a bit spicier. I liked it.
> Don't know if the flavor is derived from (or related to) birch syrup.


Royal Castle! My dad would take us to the one on Dixie Highway and 27th
Avenue when Mom was out of town for a weekend conference. I can picture
it perfectly-- the stools at the counter, the orange decor, the griddle
to the left, the heavy handled glasses for birch beer. I loved that
stuff. It was a treat.


To my memory, birch beer and root beer were the same thing. Now I'm
learning about birch syrup (which I may spend the money to try) and
wondering which root the root beer was supposed to be from.


All this time, I assumed that Royal Castles were everywhere. I didn't
know it was a local chain.


--Lia