Root Beer and Salad

Mr. Laura informed me this morning that he had tasted root beer for the first time this past weekend when he slept over at a friend's house. I asked him how he liked it. Evidently it was a tongue tingling, taste bud extravaganza that he thoroughly enjoyed. I stated that I had never liked root beer. I still vividly remember my first taste of root beer when I was six years old. It left an impression on me quite different from Mr. Laura's experience. He was really baffled that someone could not LOVE root beer and so the questioning began.....

Mr. Laura: Why don't you like root beer?

Ma: I don't know.

Mr. Laura (not satisfied with the answer): Yeah, but why don't you like it?

Ma: I just don't like the way it tastes.

Mr. Laura (still not satisfied): What don't you like about the taste?

Ma: I really don't know.

More questioning along these lines continued for what felt like hours and finally concluded with these last few exchanges.

Mr. Laura (getting exasperated): What do you mean you don't know?

Ma (getting equally exasperated): I just don't. Why don't you like brussel sprouts?

Mr. Laura (quite triumphantly): Because they taste like salad without sauce.

If I follow Mr. Laura's line of reasoning to its conclusion, then for me root beer tastes like a root without the beer. Perhaps this answer will satisfy him.