Root Beer is an American “non-alcoholic beer” suitable for children. It uses Sassafras roots instead of hops and malt. It is available in both alcoholic and non-alcoholic versions. However, even when fermented, the alcohol content does not exceed 0.5%. As a result, the drink is considered harmless and more like kvass.
By taste, root beer resembles a sweet soda with an herbal flavor. Some compare it to a marshmallow root infusion. Root beer’s natural ingredients are healthier than those in most non-alcoholic brands. People serve the fizzy drink with ice cream, juices, and alcohol to make fancy cocktails. Many consumers appreciate root beer’s characteristic large foamy head.
Root beer was created using medicinal decoctions prepared by the local Native Americans. Following their tradition, apothecary Heirs developed a special herbal tea. He sold it as an herbal mixture that buyers mixed with yeast and sugar. However, the invention was not very popular.
A close friend of the pharmacist advised selling the composition as soda. By mixing more than 20 plant extracts with carbonated water, Hires created a beverage similar to non-alcoholic beer that customers loved. The drink was first sold on tap and, 20 years later, in bottles. By the end of the 19th century, other producers began actively creating different types of root beer.
Root beer’s closest relative is small beer, which contains no more than 2.8% alcohol. Until the twentieth century, because most European cities lacked sewage systems, drinking ordinary water was dangerous. Therefore, servants, workers, and children were given table beer, a very light fermented drink (up to 1% alcohol), to quench their thirst. In some cases, it was unfiltered, and the thick mixture was considered a strengthening remedy for children and adults with poor health.
The following are 10 well-known, best-selling beer brands. Their composition and creation history are considered.
Barq’s Root Beer
The brand rode the wave of root beer’s popularity, which began its widespread distribution 22 years before BARQ’S was created. The founder named the product after his last name, although a business partner also created the recipe.
The business split offset the injustice. As a result, two BARQ’S existed in America. One was located in Louisiana and was managed by Jesse Robinson, while the other belonged to the founder’s family. However, problems arose only after Bark’s grandchildren sold the business. The new owners fought a long legal battle over the brand, which Robinson’s descendants won.
The family did not remain sole owners for long, and in 2000, the right to manufacture was transferred to The Coca-Cola Company.
BARQ’S was originally made from sarsaparilla. The brand’s first distinguishing feature was its caffeine content. The main emphasis was on the refreshing properties, enhanced by numerous prickly bubbles and reduced sweetness.
The modern drink is no longer considered useful. It is produced using natural flavorings reminiscent of the plant. A pleasant sweetness is achieved with corn syrup, and citric acid provides tartness. Consumers are offered the original and diet versions. The latter does not contain caffeine.
The logo’s white lettering, with a large, towering letter shadow, highlights the drink’s rich history and recipe changes over the years.
IBC
IBC is a now-defunct association of five breweries. Root Beer is the only beer left after all the syndicate companies ceased to exist, one by one. Founded in 1919, the brand changed hands several times before Keurig Dr. Pepper acquired it.
The main secret was the demand for soft drinks during Prohibition. This is evidenced by a line of 11 flavors: strawberry, berry, cherry, and peach, with cream or cream soda.
The company produces regular and diet root beer. The original recipe was changed to use cane sugar instead of corn syrup, making it healthier. Quillia extract has been added as a foaming agent.
The beer’s logo draws on history, combining a crown and coat of arms with commemorative dates.
Mug
The beverage has two names. The first one was the name it received when it was created in 1940. The company that introduced it into production immortalized itself in the name Belfast. The second, known today, came from a change of ownership. However, the rights to the root beer were not passed on to either company. The new Beverage company worked closely with PepsiCo, which eventually got the drink (1986).
PepsiCo made the beer’s symbol a dog holding a mug.
In addition to regular and diet versions of MUG, it also came in cream soda. Unusual ingredients include quillaja, ascorbic acid (which imparts tartness), and yucca.
This ornamental shrub has massive roots that resemble a large, elongated potato. The plant contains many useful components, including a basic vitamin and antioxidant complex. The fiber helps purify the body, and the saponins form foam. Therefore, MUG ROOT BEER with yucca is tasty and healthy.
A&W
A&W, founded by partners Allen and Wright, began selling root beer in its restaurants in 1922. Before that, Allen had distributed the beverage to passing drivers for three years. Hired boys carried beer on trays and offered it for a nickel to quench thirst.
With Wright’s financial backing, the business grew. Two years later, Allen bought out his partner’s share and expanded the restaurants and brewery through franchises. By 1960, there were 2,000 outlets.
The company’s success comes from its diverse customer base. For example, it is a beer without sodium and caffeine for hypertensive people, without sugar for diabetics, and for people with thinning hair, etc.
Now, three companies own the right to produce the drink. Worldwide, Keurig Dr. Pepper owns the rights; in Canada, A&W and Coca-Cola do.
The difference is not only in the owners but also in the recipes. Canadian root beer has virtually no sugar or syrup. Instead, natural herbs such as sassafras, licorice, anise, and birch are used, giving it a more mixed flavor.
In the U.S., the brand also produces TEN low-calorie root beer and cream soda. The oval logo showcases the balanced flavor.
Bundaberg Root Beer
Australia is the birthplace of this beverage. BUNDABERG is a family-owned production company that creates non-alcoholic and low-alcohol brands using unique heirloom recipes. The logo reflects the value of healthy concentrates: sun rays illuminate the company’s barrels.
Root beer’s composition is entirely natural, unlike most well-known varieties. As in the first recipe, it includes sassafras flavored with licorice, vanilla, and ginger. Molasses adds additional sweetness. The company processes all components for three days to maximize active-ingredient extraction. The result is a rich, dark, sweet, concentrated root beverage.
The company’s products are supplied to 30 countries worldwide.
Sprecher
The Wisconsin-based brewery was founded by a brewing doctor named Sprecher. He opened the brewery, gathered the necessary equipment, started operations, and then sold the company to a group of local investors who have run it ever since.
The brewery’s collection includes 13 beers, lagers, and over 20 carbonated beverages. Its recipes haven’t changed since they were created. The logo’s shield and heraldic animal emphasize tradition and a strong work ethic.
One secret to this brand’s main root beer is natural honey. Another peculiarity is that all components are brewed in a kettle over an open flame. The flame promotes caramelization and increases the drink’s saturation.
In addition to the classic local composition, root beer with caffeine and maple syrup is available.
Sioux City
Beverages owns the line, which has been produced since 1987. It comes in dark glass bottles and is positioned as a saloon drink. Rugged local sheriffs drink root beer on vacation. The advertising gives the drink an energetic, masculine appeal. The daring cowboy on the store’s entrance logo complements the brand image.
The beer’s main ingredient is sassafras. The company claims that this plant is the ancient component that gave rise to all modern root beers. The plant is complemented by caramel syrup.
Virgil’s Root Beer
The Crowley family created this root beer brand 100 years ago. Edward Crowley revived the forgotten recipe in 1994. For his creation, the master chose an ancient beer-style font.
The rich natural composition speaks volumes about the product’s quality. It blends herbal infusions with aromatic spices such as anise, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves, plus balsamic, allspice, and cassia oils. All components are of the highest quality and are sourced from abroad. Cane sugar is used as a sweetener. The diet version contains a sugar substitute made of stevia and erythritol. The company’s beverages have won the Outstanding Beverage award multiple times.
WBC Chicago Style Root Beer
The beer is better known as a “Chicago” style beverage. WBC stands for Wit Beverage Company, the manufacturer’s name.
The creamy vanilla root beer has triple carbonation, making it pricklier. The lack of cloying sweetness and the sharp sensation express the creators’ vision of the city. The drink contains no molasses or syrup. The light sweetness is imparted by cane sugar.
The recipe was created during Prohibition. The drink’s water comes from Lake Michigan, on which the city sits. The logo features stars from the Chicago flag.
Saranac
The first batches of this brew were made in 1888, making it the oldest root beer among those sold today. Matt Brewing Company is the second-oldest brewery in the United States. The red lettering on the logo conveys a sense of premium quality, since the soda was originally handcrafted. However, since its inception, the recipe has changed significantly. The drink no longer contains any natural ingredients. The flavors of vanilla and licorice are created through flavorings. As a sweetener, less-useful corn syrup is used.