Kevin JohnsonPerfectly frothy root beer can teleport anyone to the good old days. This sweet, carbonated beverage has a thick, foamy head similar to beer. However, root beers are non-alcoholic. Old-fashioned root beers were made using sassafra roots and bark. This ingredient delivers a unique flavor. Many brands switched to artificial sassafras flavoring after studies revealed the health risks of consuming safrole in sassafras roots and bark. Today’s root beers blend vanilla, cherry, wintergreen, licorice, molasses, sugar cane, and other ingredients.
Root beer brands refined their recipes to provide diet, zero-sugar, and low-cal versions for health-conscious drinkers. However, they retained their original nostalgic flavors. According to statistics, North America has a 39% root beer market contribution. The US, Canada, the UK, Germany, and France are top root beer consumers. Leading manufacturers include A&W Restaurants, Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, Keurig Dr Pepper, Sprecher Brewing, and Bundaberg. But which are the best root beer brands? [1]
Here is a comprehensive analysis of the 21 best root beer brands:
1. A&W
A&W, founded in 1919 by Roy W. Allen, doesn’t need an introduction in North America. Americans and Canadians have indulged in this root beer brand and its A&W restaurant chain since 1922. A&W is the #1 root beer in Canada. You can buy A&W root beer on Amazon. [2]
Image source: A&W
Pros: A&W has brewed tasty root beers for over 105 years. The brand produces the original A&W root beer using natural cane sugar and all-natural flavors. It also offers the A&W diet root beer for health-conscious consumers. Both are perfect for anyone seeking more of that classic sassafra flavor.
Cons: A&W root beer contains as much sugar as other sweeter-tasting alternatives. It has a deep, spicy sassafras flavor.
Price: $6.99/6-pack
2. Barq’s
They say Barq’s has bite! Edward Barq founded this American root beer brand in 1898 as Barq’s Famous Olde Tyme Root Beer. In 2012, the brand shortened its name to Barq’s under the Coca-Cola Company. Barq’s and A&W are very similar. Both are America’s favorite root beer brands, providing that classic sassafra flavor with deep, spicy tones. However, Barq’s tastes slightly more carbonated. You can buy Barq’s root beer on Amazon.
Image source: Coca-Cola
Pros: Barq’s has bottled root beers since the early 20th century. It is the go-to root beer brand for anyone seeking a sweet-tasting drink with a classic sassafras flavor. You can buy Barq’s Zero Sugar Root Beer to enjoy the same taste while keeping the calories down.
Cons: Barq’s original root beer is sugar-rich and caffeinated. If you don’t enjoy sugary sodas with a caffeine kick, drink Barq’s caffeine-free, zero-sugar root beer.
Price: $19.99/12-pack
3. Mug Root Beer
Mug is a PepsiCo brand and one of America’s top-selling root beers. It was created in 1940 by San Francisco-based Belfast Beverage Company and hit the market as Belfast Root Beer in the Bay Area. In 1986, Mug replaced On-Tap Draft Style as PepsiCo‘s root beer brand. Mug is manufactured by San Francisco-based New Century Beverage Company, a PepsiCo subsidiary. Visit the Mug Root Beer store on Amazon. [3]
Image source: PepsiCo/Mug Root Beer
Pros: Mug root beer appeals to the senses thanks to its light, foamy, refreshingly smooth taste and unique aroma. This fizzy drink pairs nicely with desserts and meals, like a slice of your favorite pizza. Caffeine-sensitive soda fans can enjoy Mug root beer because it is caffeine-free. The brand offers affordable price points.
Cons: Mug’s flagship root beer is sugar-rich. Fortunately, the brand also offers caffeine-free, zero-sugar root beer.
Price: $4.99/bottle
4. IBC Root Beer
IBC is an American root beer brand owned by Keurig Dr Pepper. The brand was founded in 1919 by the Independent Breweries Company in St. Louis, Missouri. Its root beer stands out thanks to its unique ingredients. For example, Quillaja Saponaria extract contributes to IBC’s satisfying foamy head. IBC also uses a proprietary natural and artificial flavor blend. This blend delivers classic root beer notes like sassafras, vanilla, wintergreen, and licorice. [4]
Image source: IBC Root Beer
Pros: IBC has produced delicious root beers for over 100 years. The brand is known for its unique flavor profile with classic sassafras, vanilla, wintergreen, and licorice notes. Its root beer is caffeine-free, perfect for anyone seeking a flavorful drink without this stimulant.
Cons: IBC root beer may not satisfy the thirst of those seeking that caffeine kick.
Price: $4.50/6-pack
5. Sprecher
Sprecher is a premium, handcrafted root beer brand. Its root beer collection includes Fire Brewed, Rev’ed Up, Maple, Low-Cal, Oak Creek Blonde, and Custom Label. The company also offers beers, sports and energy drinks, and sodas, including O2 Hydration, Juvee, Green River, Caruso, and Olde Brooklyn. However, Sprecher is known for its iconic root beer. You can buy Sprecher root beer on Amazon. [5]
Image source: Sprecher Brewery
Pros: Sprecher is the only American brewery that fire-brews root beer with raw honey. Its all-natural approach delivers craft root beer with satisfying, complex flavor. The brand offers a wide variety of gourmet sodas.
Cons: Sprecher root beer may be too complex for beginners.
Price: $19.99/12-pack
6. Bundaberg
Bundaberg is an Australian family-owned beverage company founded in 1968. The brewer is known for its premium drinks, including root beer made from sarsaparilla roots, licorices, vanilla beans, and molasses. Bundaberg root beer is based on a genuine family recipe. In May 2024, Bundaberg launched premium sparkling lemonade in the US. Visit the Bundaberg store on Amazon. [6]
Image source: Bundaberg
Pros: Bundaberg has refined its root beer family recipe since 1968. The brand uses natural sarsaparilla root, licorice, vanilla beans, and molasses to craft drinks with rich color and flavor.
Cons: Bundaberg doesn’t offer diet or zero-sugar root beer.
Price: $9.56/12-pack
7. Zevia
Zevia is a Los Angeles-based beverage company founded in 2007 by Ian Eisenberg, Derek Newman, and Jessica Newman. Its spicy Zevia Ginger Root Beer is naturally sweetened, with zero sugar and zero calories. In Jun 2021, the brand launched its Zevia Creamy Root Beer. This drink is made with plant-based ingredients. [7]
Image source: Zevia
Pros: Zevia is a leading natural beverage brand offering zero-calorie, sugar-free, gluten-free, vegan root beer. Its better-for-you kosher products are certified by The Non-GMO Project. Zevia Ginger is the best diet root beer for health-conscious consumers.
Cons: Most people expect their root beers to be brown to golden and foamy. Yet Zevia’s root beer is colorless. Drinking clear root beer for the first time may feel awkward for some people.
Price: $27.90 per 24-can case
8. Dad’s
Dad’s is a root beer brand founded in the 1930s by Barney Berns and Ely Klapman. It was America’s second top-selling root beer in the 1980s, behind A & W. At that time, Dad’s sold 12 million cases annually. Dad’s Old Fashioned Root Beer contains wintergreen, licorice, and vanilla. The brand also offers Dad’s Diet Root Beer. This drink has the same taste as Old Fashioned but with zero calories. You can buy Dad’s root beer on Amazon. [8]
Image source: Dad’s Root Beer
Pros: Dad’s has produced its Old-Fashioned root beer since 1937. This drink is known for its unique and delicious flavor, perfect for hardcore drinkers. You can buy Dad’s Diet root beer to enjoy the same taste as Old Fashioned without the calories.
Cons: Dad’s Old-Fashioned root beer has a high sugar content.
Price: $37.99 per 12-pack
9. Stewart’s
Stewart’s is a Keurig Dr Pepper root beer brand founded in 1924 by Frank Stewart. Frank developed and sold his root beer to supplement his schoolteacher’s income. This drink enticed customers across the Midwest and Northeast thanks to its top-secret, great-tasting flavor. In Jun 2024, Stewart’s celebrated its centennial birthday. You can buy Stewart’s root beer on Amazon. [9]
Image source: Drink Stewart’s
Pros: Stewart’s has perfected its recipe of secret ingredients for 100 years, creating a smooth and creamy taste with no caffeine. The brand offers unique flavors to cater to all consumers. Its collection includes Root Beer, Orange ‘n Cream, Diet Root Beer, Cream Soda, Birch Beer, Wishniak Black Cherry, Key Lime, Grape, and Cherries ‘n Cream.
Cons: Stewart’s root beer may not be the best option if you don’t enjoy a spicy, old-timey flavor with a peppery kick. However, it isn’t too spicy or sweet.
Price: $27/12-pack
10. OLIPOP
Although OLIPOP was launched in 2018, it is already giving top root beer brands a run for their money. OLIPOP offers prebiotic root beer and soda in many flavors. In 2022, OLIPOP grew by 223%, making it America’s fastest-growing refrigerated functional beverage brand. OLIPOP Classic Root Beer uses sweet birch, smooth-vanilla bean, and naturally sourced burdock root extracts. Visit the OLIPOP store on Amazon. [10]
Image source: OLIPOP
Pros: OLIPOP offers low-calorie, gut-friendly prebiotic root beer, and soda made with natural ingredients. For example, OLIPOP Classic Root Beer has carbonated water, cassava root fiber and syrup, chicory root, and Jerusalem artichoke. It also has extracts from Nopal cactus, marshmallow root, calendula flower, and kudzu root. These ingredients deliver nutritional value and unique flavors.
Cons: OLIPOP isn’t your traditional root beer brand. It doesn’t offer classic root beer flavors.
Price: $35.99 per 12-can case
11. Saranac
Saranac should be on your list if you crave a distinctive brew with pure vanilla, licorice, and sarsaparilla. Its family-owned parent company has produced delicious beverages for over 135 years. The Matt family discontinued Saranac’s root beer and soda business for years. In 2020, the brewery reintroduced Saranac 1888 Soft Drinks. You can now access root beer based on the Matt family’s original recipes. Check Saranac’s root beer collection on Amazon.
Image source: Saranac
Pros: Saranac combines pure vanilla, licorice, and sarsaparilla, creating distinctive root beers with an unforgettable flavor. Its drinks are handcrafted in small batches to guarantee quality.
Cons: Saranac’s handcrafted root beers can be pricey.
Price: $3.50-$6/bottle
12. Bulldog
Bulldog has produced premium root beer since 1997. The brand developed its recipe for two years to deliver the best flavor. Its root beer doesn’t have corn syrup like other varieties. This drink only uses cane sugar for sweetness and honey for flavor and aroma. Another ingredient is maltodextrin for body and mouth feel. You can buy Bulldog root beer on Amazon.
Image source: Bulldog Root Beer
Pros: Bulldog root beer uses cane sugar and honey with no corn syrup. This combo delivers unique sweetness, flavor, and aroma. Its root beer is similar to IBC’s. However, Bulldog is the best option if you prefer a sweeter drink from an iconic soda brand.
Cons: Bulldog root beer is sucrose-rich, not the best option for people who don’t drink sugary drinks.
Price: $5.99 for a 4-pack
13. Sioux City
Sioux City is a craft soda brand manufactured by New York-based White Rock Beverages. It offers the Sioux City sarsaparilla, root beer, and cream soda in western-themed amber bottles. The sarsaparilla is unique because it doesn’t contain anise, a licorice-type ingredient in most craft sodas. It combines root beer and cream soda in one drink, known for its creaminess. Since its launch, Sioux City has been voted America’s No. 1 root beer by the Root Beer Report for several years. [11]
Image source: Sioux City
Pros: Sioux City uses traditional ingredients and pure cane sugar. Its root beer, cream soda, and sarsaparilla have a rich flavor, smooth texture, and a well-balanced blend of sweetness and herbal notes. These drinks embrace the classic essence of sarsaparilla. You can buy Sioux City Sarsaparilla to enjoy its harmonious flavor and creaminess.
Cons: Sioux City sweetens its root beer with cane sugar. Sugary drinks aren’t recommended for everyone.
Price: $5.99 for a 4-pack
14. Hank’s
Hank’s is a gourmet soda brand founded in 1995 in Philadelphia. Its “Philadelphia Recipe” root beer has a cult-like following. The brand also offers premium craft non-alcoholic drinks. In May 2024, Hank’s launched its new Natural Gourmet soda made with cane sugar and no artificial flavors, colors, or preservatives. [12]
Image source: Hank’s Beverages
Pros: Hank’s offers a comprehensive collection of soft drinks, from root beer to gourmet sodas. Its “Philadelphia Recipe” root beer has a classic, rich flavor, perfect for consumers who appreciate sophisticated premium drinks.
Cons: Hank’s specializes in gourmet sodas. It offers only one root beer option.
Price: $29.99 per 12-pack
15. Virgil’s
Virgil’s is an American root beer brand founded in 1994 by Edward and Jill Crowley. Its root beer uses sugar cane and a unique blend of spices and natural flavors, such as vanilla, anise, and cloves. These ingredients are globally sourced and selected to create a rich and complex flavor profile. Then, herbal extracts add depth and character. Visit Virgil’s store on Amazon. [13]
Image source: Virgil’s
Pros: Virgil’s root beer recipe blends 15 roots and spices for a rich, creamy flavor. The brand only uses natural ingredients, including sugar cane and herbal extracts. Its small batch production process ensures high-level quality and craftsmanship. You can buy Virgil’s zero-sugar root beer to enjoy its creamy flavor without worrying about calories.
Cons: Virgil’s herby and spicy flavor may be too complex for some drinkers.
Price: $49.99 per 24-can case and $45.50 per 12-bottle pack
16. Boylan
Boylan is an American gourmet soft drink brand founded in 1891 and based in New York. It is one of America’s oldest soda makers. Boylan’s root beer is known for its rich, creamy flavor. This drink has a unique taste of wintergreen, birch, anise, and vanilla.
Image source: Boylan
Pros: Boylan has over 130 years of root beer brewing experience. The brand has perfected its blend mimicking sassafras oil’s rich, smooth herbal flavor using cinnamon, sweet birch, vanilla, and wintergreen oil. Its comprehensive collection includes root beer, diet root beer, ginger ale, black cherry, ginger beer, and birch beer.
Cons: Boylan offers classic root beer with traditional flavor. It is perfect for seasoned root beer fans rather than novice sippers.
Price: $41.75 per 12-pack
17. Dog n Suds
Dog n Suds traces its history to 1953 in Champaign, Illinois when Don Hamacher and Jim Griggs. Their hot dog and root beer stand expanded into one of America’s most successful fast-food franchises in the 50s, 60s, and 70s. If you live in West Michigan, visit the Dog n Suds Montague location at 4575 Dowling St. to enjoy this iconic root beer. The restaurant is known for its comfort foods. You can also buy Dog n Suds root beer on Amazon. [14]
Image source: Amazon/Dog n Suds
Pros: Dog n Suds root beer is known for its smooth, creamy flavor. The brand has refined its recipe for over 70 years.
Cons: Dog n Suds may be a little too sweet for some drinkers. The brand doesn’t offer diet or zero-sugar versions.
Price Range: $55.60 for a 12-bottle pack
18. Dang! That’s Good
Dang! That’s Good is a root beer brand founded in the early 1960s and produced by Imperial Flavors Beverage. The brand uses pure cane sugar to brew its flagship root beer, red cream soda, butterscotch root beer, and Italian cherry soda. Its root beer variants have diet versions. You can buy Dang! Root Beer on Amazon.
Image source: Imperial Flavors/Dang!
Pros: Dang! That’s Good! Root beer is known for its uniquely refreshing taste. The brand offers diet versions of its flagship and butterscotch root beers.
Cons: Dang! That’s Good! Butterscotch root beer isn’t for everyone. This drink has a deep butterscotch flavor.
Price: $45.26 for a 12-bottle pack
19. Maine Root
Maine Root produces craft root beer using wintergreen, clove, and anise extracts. The brand is committed to the principles of sustainability and fair trade. Its root beer is made with organic sugar cane from Brazil rather than corn syrup. You can buy Maine root beer on Amazon. [15]
Image source: Maine Root
Pros: Maine Root sweetens its root beer with Fair Trade Certified Organic sugar. Its drinks are caffeine-free with light herbal and anise notes.
Cons: Maine Root doesn’t offer zero-sugar or diet root beer.
Price: $68.24 for a 24-bottle pack
20. Hosmer Root Beer
Hosmer is a root beer brand manufactured by Hosmer Mountain Bottling, founded in 1912. The parent company produces soft drinks with over 30 unique and fun flavors. Its premium Antique line includes the award-winning Hosmer root beer with brown sugars. The company also offers clear birch beer and a dark crimson sarsaparilla. You can buy Hosmer root beer on Amazon.
Image source: Amazon/Hosmer
Pros: Hosmer root beer is caffeine-free, gluten-free, Kosher, and flavorful.
Cons: Hosmer only uses glass bottles and produces its root beer with cane and brown sugar. The brand doesn’t offer diet zero-sugar root beer or canned drinks.
Price: $41 for a 12-bottle pack
21. Red Arrow Root Beer
Red Arrow is a root beer brand born in Michigan and bottled in Mukilteo, Washington, by Orca Beverage. The name honors the brave guardsmen from Michigan and Wisconsin who fought in WWI and II. This root beer combines wintergreen, licorice, and spice to deliver a unique flavor. You can buy Red Arrow root beer on Amazon.
Image source: Orca Beverage
Pros: Red Arrow is known for its authentic root beer flavor. Its caramel root beer is light on carbonation, smooth, and creamy, with subtle wintergreen and licorice tones.
Cons: Red Arrow’s flagship root beer contains sugar. The brand doesn’t offer zero-sugar or diet versions.
Price: $55 for a 12-bottle pack
References & more information
- Technavio (2024, Jun 22). The Root Beer Market size is set to grow by USD 143.6 million from 2024 to 2028. Yahoo Finance
- A&W Food Services of Canada, Inc. (2024, Jul 2). A&W’s Free Root Beer Day is back on Jul 6 across Canada. Newswire
- Guerrero, S. (2022, Oct 3). The brief story of how one of America’s favorite root beer brands started in San Francisco. SF Gate
- Glover, R. (2024, Jun 21). Does IBC Root Beer Have Caffeine? Discover the truth in 2024. Grand Lake Coffee
- Best, D. (2024, Jul 1). Sprecher Brewing Co. buys O2 Hydration stake. Just Drinks
- Bundaberg Brewed Drinks (2024, May 14). Bundaberg Brewed Drinks adds a Premium Sparkling Lemonade to the US Product Lineup. BevNET
- Nowakowski, M. (2021, Jun 8). Zevia Launches New Creamy Root Beer Flavor. VegOut Magazine
- Dad’s (2022, Sep 20). Dad’s Root Beer: Our history. DadsRootBeer.com
- Stewart’s Root Beer (2024, Jun 17). Stewart’s Root Beer Marks Centennial Anniversary. Keurig Dr Pepper
- Kilmister, A. (2023, Mar 8). OLIPOP’s Prebiotic Root Beer is now more popular than A&W. VICE
- Yamada, C. (2024, Feb 6). How the Sioux City Sarsaparilla came to be. Sioux City Journal
- Hank’s Gourmet Beverages (2024, May 6). Hank’s Gourmet Beverages Unveils New Line Of Natural Gourmet Sodas. BevNet
- Admin (2024, Aug 6). What Sets Virgil’s Apart: The Ingredients and Craftsmanship behind the Brand. Virgils.com
- Jewell-Hammie, S. (2023, Nov 18). Michigan’s Best Local Eats: Dog n Suds is the place for nostalgic comfort food in Montague. MLive
- Veloz, A. (2024, Feb 22). Maine Root Beer: Creating a gentle experience. Medium
- Featured Image by David Trinks
Tell us what you think? Did you find this article interesting? Share your thoughts and experiences in the comments section below.
Add comment