In honor of #NationalRootBeerFloatDay what better way to enjoy a summer Saturday than with a refreshing treat and a quest to find the best root beer! Who doesn’t love root beer?
Growing up there was an A&W Root beer stand in my hometown. A dinner out was a treat but ordering from the car and having your food delivered on a window attached tray was icing on the cake. Or at least in my middle school memory it was amazing.
Those frosty mugs filled with draft foamy root beer or overflowing with a root beer float were the best and honestly can’t be beat. As I got older, I have tried other varieties but A&W takes the top spot still in my book. So when my son started to drink pop, I naturally introduced A&W.
The accessibility and variety of soft drinks today has expanded his horizons and he now prefers Barq’s. While I can’t see the appeal, it sparked interest to try the many varieties of root beer found and see how they compare. Our quest for the best was launched and it is a fun mama-son activity to boot.
Did you know there is an entire website dedicated to root beer? I did not.
- Check out https://www.root-beer.org/
Now that we have ventured out on this quest, whenever we’re out and about and find ourselves in place that sells beverages, the soda section is checked for a new brand to try. On a recent trip to BevMo! We found a variety box of root beer flavors. Sold! It took a few days but eventually, we popped all those tops and got to tasting. Follow the list below to for updates and to see who is the best root beer brand.
The ranked list of tried varieties by Titles and Jotters:
Updated Sept 2022
Still a house divided on the best root beer
T-1. Parent vote: A&W
- Smooth, and nostalgic. Best with ice cream
T-1. Kid vote: Barq’s
- Has a bit of a bite to it, good flavor. Kiddo is holding strong with this one even with some new contenders.
3. RC (Royal Crown) brand root beer
- Enjoyed from a fountain machine at a restaurant.
4. IBC Root Beer
- Points for being served in a glass bottle
- Full flavor
5. Frostie Root Beer
- Great flavor and smooth
6. Mug
- Trends more to the cream soda flavor
- Bonus for being caffeine free
7.Sarsaparilla by Tombstone Brewing Company
- Good flavored local variety
8. Great Value Root Beer
- Just meh. A 2 liter is $.96 so you get what you pay for
9. Henry Weinhard’s Root Beer
- It had OK flavor
10. Dad’s Root Beer
- Not a fan of the primary licorice flavor
11. Zia Root Beer
- Definitely too much licorice for these taste testers
12. Sparky’s Fresh Draft Root Beer
- Terrible aftertaste, was on the heavy licorice side
