I would rather buy the SDC Vanilla Ice Cream made on site. But I understand if kiddos want the "fun" ice cream.
I am a Root Beer afficianado.I have sampled literally over one hundred varierties, and I cannot pass up a new Root Beer without sampling it. Some are clearly better than others, and A&W is about middle of the road on my list. The brand was started in 1919, so officially it is an anachronism. Hires calls itself “America’s original root beer” because its originator, pharmacist Charles Hires, concocted a “root tea” and then a root beer he introduced at the 1876 U.S. Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia. Hires sold kits of dry extract so families could make root beer at home...Needless to say Root Beer fits the bill, and I'll drink A&W if there are no others there (please don't even attempt to sel Barq's or MUG those are even lower than A&W!)
On that note, White Rock-the Parent Company of the Sioux City brands (the sarsaparilla sold at the General Store) was started in 1871, although they sold spring water and other drinks... sarsaparilla and root beer were not on that list, they were added later. But I Love that brand just because of the memories of SDC from the (19)80's.