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T he Guide up-rooted THE MET BACK BAY GIVES A CHILDHOOD FAVORITE AN ADULT KICK. by jessica laniewski R ecapture the spirit and flavor of childhood with a grown-up version of a root beer float. The Met Back Bay offers a twist on the tradi- tional ice cream parlor drink with its inventive Met Root Float, made with Root spirit, house-made Cracker Jack ice cream, orange vodka, house-made vanilla syrup, and rimmed with crushed, salted peanuts. Root, which is made in California by Philadelphia- based artists collective Art in the Age and just recently became available in Boston, is a certified organic, 80-proof dark spirit based on the recipe that became root beer. Its retro flavor comes from 13 different spices and herbs, including birch bark, cinnamon, cardamom, and anise. "I reinvent a lot of the classics at our restaurants, and since root beer floats were a childhood tradition of mine, it only made sense to put one on our menu with the warmer weather approaching," says Todd Winer, the culinary director at The Met Back Bay. "Root has a beautiful earthy and herbal flavor to it, and I wanted to balance that with some other nostal- the very best of month this devour: oyster bars imbibe: spicy cocktails acquire: top bags relax: massages gic novelties like the sweetness of house-made Cracker Jack ice cream and the savory salted peanut rim." So indulge a little this spring and enjoy this refreshing salty-sweet cocktail while basking in the sun on the restaurant's patio. 279 Dartmouth St., 617-267-0451; metbackbay.com BC Eat, drink, shop, and unwind bostoncommon-magazine.com 127 photography by anthony tieuli