vespajet's User Profile - Atlas Obscura
Steam Beer
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Steam Beer

The unique style born out of the California Gold Rush blends the crispness of a lager with the flavor of an ale.
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Rauchbier
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Rauchbier

Only a few breweries still make smoky beer in this classic German style.
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Fresh Hop Beer
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Fresh Hop Beer

These seasonal brews gets made with an ephemeral ingredient.
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Beaujolais Nouveau
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Beaujolais Nouveau

When the clock strikes midnight on the third Thursday of November, fans gather to celebrate the release of this fresh, fruity wine.
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Necco Wafers
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Necco Wafers

Produced since 1847, these classic New England candies almost disappeared in 2018.
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Absinthe Spoon
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Absinthe Spoon

This flat, silver spoon holds an exalted place in the mystery and ritual of absinthe drinking.
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Pemmican
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Meats & Animal Products

Pemmican

Touted as the original energy bar, the bison-based mixture kept for months.
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Red-Eye Gravy
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Red-Eye Gravy

Once described as a “divine elixir,” this Southern sauce typically gets its spunk from coffee.
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Midas Touch Ale
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Midas Touch Ale

A brewery consulted drinking vessels found in the ancient king’s tomb to recreate a 2,700-year-old elixir.
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Chocolate-Covered Cinnamon Bears
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Sweets

Chocolate-Covered Cinnamon Bears

The gummies are taking over Utah.
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Boston Baked Beans
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Sweets

Boston Baked Beans

In the 1920s, confectioners thought the public wanted candy that looked like legumes—and they were right.
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Boiled Green Peanuts
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Prepared Foods

Boiled Green Peanuts

Roadside vendors in the Deep South soften fresh goobers with bubbling brine.
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Mortadella
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Meats & Animal Products

Mortadella

Baloney's predecessor is sweet, delicately spiced, and bigger than your head.
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Green Chartreuse
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Green Chartreuse

Only two silent monks know all 130 plants that go into this herbal liqueur.
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The Original McDonald's French Fry
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Prepared Foods

The Original McDonald's French Fry

The beef fat–fried version that first caught Ray Kroc's eye is now extinct.
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King Cake
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Sweets

King Cake

The Carnival cake comes with a hidden baby Jesus inside.
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Snow Cream
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Snow Cream

Ice cream made with fresh snow is a beloved Southern tradition.
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Moxie
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Moxie

This cure-all-turned-soda once outsold Coca-Cola.
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Orbitz
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Orbitz

This drink hasn't been produced since the late nineties, but still has a cult following.
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Deep-Fried Peanuts
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Prepared Foods

Deep-Fried Peanuts

You eat the shell, too.
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Birch Beer
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Birch Beer

This cousin of root beer has a long history and a surprisingly minty taste.
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Shit on a Shingle
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Prepared Foods

Shit on a Shingle

This is what happens when soldiers pick a new name for meat on bread.
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Cheerwine
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Cheerwine

A World War I sugar shortage led an inventor to make a very cherry soda that looks like wine.
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Montreal Steak Spice
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Ingredients & Condiments

Montreal Steak Spice

Pastrami fans will find the taste of this Canadian spice blend very familiar.
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