Root beer is not actually beer, it has no alcohol and no relation to brewing, but the biggest names in the category all trace back to real American history: pharmacist recipes, roadside stands, and family bottling companies that are still around more than a century later. Here are 10 real root beer brands and the stories behind their names.
10 Real Root Beer Brands and Their Names
| Brand | Introduced | Origin of the name |
|---|---|---|
| A&W Root Beer | 1919 | Named for founders Roy Allen and Frank Wright after Allen bought a root beer formula from a pharmacist and opened a roadside stand in Lodi, California |
| Barq’s | 1898 (as “Barq’s”) | Named for founder Edward Barq, who opened the Biloxi Artesian Bottling Works in Mississippi; for decades it was marketed without the words “root beer” at all to avoid a trademark fight with Hires |
| Dad’s Root Beer | 1937 | Named in honor of co-founder Ely Klapman’s father, and other fathers who traditionally brewed root beer at home for their families |
| Mug Root Beer | 1940, as Belfast Root Beer | Originally called Belfast Root Beer after the Belfast Beverage Company; renamed Mug in the 1950s and later bought by PepsiCo in 1986 |
| Hires Root Beer | 1876 | Named for pharmacist Charles Elmer Hires, who developed and sold the first commercial root beer extract |
| IBC Root Beer | 1919 | Stands for Independent Breweries Company, a name kept from the brand’s original bottling company despite having nothing to do with actual beer |
| Virgil’s | 1992 | Named by founders after a stylized, old-fashioned persona meant to evoke a traditional soda-fountain brand, not a real historical figure |
| Stewart’s Root Beer | 1924 | Named for founder Frank Stewart, who opened his first root beer drive-in stand in Mansfield, Ohio |
| Sioux City Sarsaparilla | 1990s | Named for Sioux City, Iowa, evoking an Old West sarsaparilla saloon image even though sarsaparilla and root beer are related but distinct drinks |
| Dog n Suds Root Beer | 1953 | Named directly after the drive-in restaurant chain that first served it, a hot dog and root beer combo that gave the brand its name |
Why They Are All Called “Root Beer”
The name predates modern root beer by a long way. Early American root beers were brewed, sometimes with trace alcohol, from a mix of roots, barks, and herbs, most commonly sassafras root and sarsaparilla vine, using fermentation techniques borrowed from actual beer brewing. Charles Hires is widely credited with turning that home-brewed tradition into a shelf-stable commercial extract in 1876, effectively launching root beer as a packaged product category. As commercial bottling took over, root beer became a soft drink in practice, carbonated and non-alcoholic, but it kept the “beer” name from its fermented origins.
Root beer is not actually beer and has never contained alcohol at these ABV levels, so it will not get you drunk. For the full explanation of why, see our Can You Get Drunk Off Root Beer? breakdown. If you want an actual alcoholic version, Not Your Father’s Root Beer is the original hard root beer, brewed at roughly 5.9% ABV.
A handful of these brands, including A&W, Dad’s, and Stewart’s, started as literal roadside stands before becoming national bottled products, which is part of why so many root beer names carry a founder’s actual name rather than an invented brand word.
FAQ
Is root beer actually beer?
No, root beer has no alcohol and is not brewed using malted grain like real beer. The name comes from its origins as a fermented root-and-herb drink using techniques borrowed from brewing.
What is the oldest root beer brand?
Hires Root Beer, launched by pharmacist Charles Elmer Hires in 1876, is generally credited as the first commercial root beer brand.
Why is Barq’s sometimes just called “Barq’s” instead of root beer?
For decades the brand avoided using the words “root beer” on its label, partly to sidestep a trademark dispute with Hires and partly because its recipe leaned more sarsaparilla than a typical root beer.
More Beer Facts and Guides
- Does Non-Alcoholic Beer Have Yeast?
- How Non-Alcoholic Beer Is Actually Made (And Why Some Taste Better Than Others)
