For date night Friday night, my wife and I strolled downtown to a great video store to pick up some discounted movies. We rented The Hulk and Giant Robo. As we were moving through der Ausgang, I mentioned to my wife the underground root brews they were packing in their refrigerator.

She caved.

For the same price we paid for the two movies, my wife and I picked up a bottle of Buckin' Root Beer. courtesy of Jackson Hole Soda Company.

I'm really not much of a carbonated beverage fan. As a matter of fact they tear up my insides pretty well. This concoction is evidently the exception to the discomforting rule.

The flavor was smooth and the aftertaste was rather refreshing. At a price of $2.00 per bottle, it seemed steep, but the quality was on par with Henry Weinhart's. The label takes a nod from Jones, but pays tribute to "the Pioneer Spirit of the Old West." My wife has pioneer stock in her heritage, but I found the branding & positioning to be the most impressive of any of the overly marketed products on shelves.

Ultimately, my wife had no problem finishing off the bottle, but I wished we had gotten two, just so I could have enjoyed more than a few sips.

As for Giant Robo, if you enjoy anime, you owe it to yourself to track down a copy of this 1991 anime and give it a view. Though it has many of the standard fares of contemporary giant robot shows, it is an update of the 1967 production that set the standard.

Some of the Tenchi Muyo-like relationship issues creep in, but the mystery and energy-fueled drama make for a fun caper. My wife enjoyed watching it, which is (in itself) a testament to its quality.