# root beer??? yeah, root beer...



## The Gabba Goul (Feb 11, 2005)

Okay...so I was craving some wings when I woke up this morning (don't ask me why)...so at lunch time, I got all done up in my finest morning dress (lest somebody at the chicken place think I was a ****)...and headed out to KFC...now, normally I prefer Popeyes, but I didnt feel like driving that far, but that's neither here nor there...any-who...the KFC that I went to is one of those KFC's and A&W all in one...when I went to get my soda, I noticed that next to the soda fountain, there was this thing...it looked like a beer tap, only it had A&W root beer, there was a little thing by it stating that only licensed A&W restaurants can serve this "official" root beer...so I decided to give it a try...I must admit that for whatever reason it tasted betteer than the root beer that you buy at the grocery store or wherever...it was kind of hard to tell through the paper cup, but it seemed to hold a "head" like real beer too, I've never really known ordinary rootbeer to do this...

sooooooooo...my question is this...is the brown rootbeer flavored carbonated drink that I've known all these years to be root beer really nothing more than root beer flavored soda pop??? Is there somehting to distinguish the real McCoy from the stuff you buy in 2 litre bottles down at the Sev-Lev??? Or was I just duped by the neat looking tap and the signage???

...and if there is a difference...what are some other readily available brands of genuine root beer out there???


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## Houndstooth (Mar 5, 2006)

Give Stewart's Root Beer a try.

https://www.drinkstewarts.com/index.html


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## Country Irish (Nov 10, 2005)

I prefer Dad's Root Beer to the other super market varieties but it is not available everywhere. Another good one is IBC. 
The advantage of either is that they are not as sweet as A&W but have a rich deep flavor.
Enjoy!


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## cgc (Jan 27, 2007)

Anyone recall the A&W chain stores? I would go to one in Miles City, Montana as a kid. Each table had a little jukebox that may have also been how you ordered - details are vague. The whole place was like a Dairy Queen with excessive amounts of corn syrup added. Good times.

At Whole Paycheck (er, Foods) they have root beer that costs as much or more than real beer.


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## Laxplayer (Apr 26, 2006)

The Gabba Goul said:


> Okay...so I was craving some wings when I woke up this morning (don't ask me why)...so at lunch time, I got all done up in my finest morning dress (lest somebody at the chicken place think I was a ****)...and headed out to KFC...now, normally I prefer Popeyes, but I didnt feel like driving that far, but that's neither here nor there...any-who...the KFC that I went to is one of those KFC's and A&W all in one...when I went to get my soda, I noticed that next to the soda fountain, there was this thing...it looked like a beer tap, only it had A&W root beer, there was a little thing by it stating that only licensed A&W restaurants can serve this "official" root beer...so I decided to give it a try...I must admit that for whatever reason it tasted betteer than the root beer that you buy at the grocery store or wherever...it was kind of hard to tell through the paper cup, but it seemed to hold a "head" like real beer too, I've never really known ordinary rootbeer to do this...
> 
> sooooooooo...my question is this...is the brown rootbeer flavored carbonated drink that I've known all these years to be root beer really nothing more than root beer flavored soda pop??? Is there somehting to distinguish the real McCoy from the stuff you buy in 2 litre bottles down at the Sev-Lev??? Or was I just duped by the neat looking tap and the signage???
> 
> ...and if there is a difference...what are some other readily available brands of genuine root beer out there???


I can't really answer your question about the difference between root beers, but I can tell you that a place here in St. Louis brews their own root beer. I think you may be right about the store brands being flavored since the root beer from Fitz's doesn't really taste anything like the store bought stuff. Anyway, here's the link:


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## Hobson (Mar 13, 2007)

*Root Beer*



Houndstooth said:


> Give Stewart's Root Beer a try.
> 
> https://www.drinkstewarts.com/index.html


Boylan's is quite good too.


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## huysmans (Nov 5, 2007)

Boylan's is definitely good, so is Dad's, so is IBC, but my favorite is without a doubt Stewart's, from a Stewart's stand of course! I agree though, root beer from a keg is different and much better than anything in a can, and even anything in a bottle. And that is not to mention birch beer from a keg!! Best soda on Earth! Too bad I don't drink soda anymore. 

Well, maybe once or twice a year.

As for your question, maybe read the wikipedia article on root beer, I am sure the answer is in there.


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## Hobson (Mar 13, 2007)

huysmans said:


> Boylan's is definitely good, so is Dad's, so is IBC, but my favorite is without a doubt Stewart's, from a Stewart's stand of course! I agree though, root beer from a keg is different and much better than anything in a can, and even anything in a bottle. And that is not to mention birch beer from a keg!! Best soda on Earth! Too bad I don't drink soda anymore.
> 
> Well, maybe once or twice a year.
> 
> As for your question, maybe read the wikipedia article on root beer, I am sure the answer is in there.


Where are there Stewart's stands? I would love to visit one and try the hard to find varieties.


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## huysmans (Nov 5, 2007)

There are a couple in NJ that I know of. There is one in Kendall Park/Franklin on Rt 27, and there is one in Whitehouse on Rt. 22 right by Round Valley Reservoir. That is the one I have been going to for almost my whole life. I believe there is one in North Jersey somewhere as well, which might be a shorter trip for you. Did you look and see if they have a website? Probably has a store locater.


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## huysmans (Nov 5, 2007)

https://www.agilitynut.com/eateries/stew.html

Some info.


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## samblau (Apr 2, 2005)

"Real" rootbeer was originally made with the root of Sassafras which is now illegal because it is a carcinogen.


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## yachtie (May 11, 2006)

Sprecher and Goose Island are both good 'brewed' root beers. Also Deerfield Trading RB ( at Walgreens) is sweetened with sugar rather than corn syrup and is good as well.


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## rip (Jul 13, 2005)

samblau said:


> "Real" rootbeer was originally made with the root of Sassafras which is now illegal because it is a carcinogen.


We used to make our own sassafras rootbeer, a commonplace in Southern New Jersey, where the sassafras trees seem to outnumber even the dandelions, and grow at least as quickly.


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## rip (Jul 13, 2005)

huysmans said:


> There are a couple in NJ that I know of. There is one in Kendall Park/Franklin on Rt 27, and there is one in Whitehouse on Rt. 22 right by Round Valley Reservoir. That is the one I have been going to for almost my whole life. I believe there is one in North Jersey somewhere as well, which might be a shorter trip for you. Did you look and see if they have a website? Probably has a store locater.


There are quite a number of Stewarts in South Jersey, spread across the width of the state from Philly to the shore.


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## etp777 (Nov 27, 2007)

Man, birch beer. LOVE that stuff, but can't seem to ever find it anymore. I'll give another vote for Goose Island, and one for Dog And Suds but only from the actually drive-ins, their bottled stuff at stores isn't as good.


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## StevenRocks (May 24, 2005)

Sprecher, IBC, Tommyknocker or if you're feeling ambitious, Bundaberg.


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## DukeGrad (Dec 28, 2003)

*San Antonio*

Gentlemen

Have been here so much, it is Army medical command and Air Force as well, there is a local deli in San Antonio, that makes their own root beer, in the summer, it is the best. Can not place the name my friends

Merry Xmas


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## topbroker (Jul 30, 2006)

Point Premium Root Beer is heavenly, although I'm not sure if it's available outside Wisconsin.

For the root beer enthusiast, "Luke's Root Beer Pages" are worth checking out:

https://www.lukecole.com/Root Beer/lukes_root_beer_home.htm


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## Rossini (Oct 7, 2007)

We have great Ginger Beer on this side of the pond


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## hcivic91 (Aug 29, 2006)

Finally a question I know a little something about!

For two weeks at the end of every summer my family becomes the largest soda seller on the planet and root beer makes up about 50% of our sales. The other 350 days of the year we are bankers, doctors, attorneys and chemists. So, it is with some authority I can answer your question.

It is likely that the root beer you experienced is little different from that you have had before, in terms of the recipe. The way it was handled is what contributed to its abnormal (good in this case) taste. I can't speak specifically about the restaurant you visited but I hope to lend some insight none-the-less.

First, it is very likely that you were drinking the root beer from a keg rather than bag-in-box. Why does this matter? Because from a keg A&W controls all of the variables of the process. The water to syrup mixture as well as the carbonation and other things as well. Other sodas are mixed and carbonated at the restaurant's fountain. While mixing on-site is ok, it leads to inconsistency. What you experienced is A&W root beer the way it was intended, rather than the way it happened to come out. Soda fountains at gas stations and restaurants are not quality controlled nearly as tightly as those at A&W proper for instance. A Pepsi rep might visit the store once a month or even less frequently, unless a problem is reported. During that time constant usage slowly knocks the fountain out of spec, leading to less than optimal results. There are other variables as well.

We sell a proprietary product which begins life as well known syrup and is served transformed. One of the things we do is constantly quality control the product. Each of the spigots is tested <daily, usually several times a day. They don't always need it but we do it to ensure a superior product. We also use a proprietary cooling system which is the largest of its kind in the world. It is way over designed and ensures that we can continue to pour without stopping all day long and always serve the product at <31 degrees. Fountains at restaurants can't serve one soda an hour at 32 (thus the use of ice) and we can serve hundreds of gallons an hour. Can you begin to see the difference? When the soda is cooled properly it also accepts the carbonation differently and does not require ice to cool it, thus watering it down.

But I love fountain soda you say. I say, hunger is the best sauce. 
When you are thirsty fountain stuff tastes great, but compared to a properly chilled can it seems average. Not only is the chemistry right the bubbles are right, not so with fountain soda.

There are other things but I’ve gone on long enough and by now I’m sure you get the point. If you have other questions feel free to post them, it is a subject close to my heart and one I’ve done a lot of research on.


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## Ben R. (Jan 31, 2008)

Virgil's is perhaps the best root beer I've ever had.


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## agnash (Jul 24, 2006)

*A cold bottle of Barq's*

and a plate of fried Gulf Coast seafood, with just a touch of hot sauce. I am actually looking forward to Lent.


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## Preu Pummel (Feb 5, 2008)

Most mass sodas are totally awful... get an education, son:

https://www.sodapopstop.com/

When I lived in LA years ago I went there and purchased one or two of every bottled soda they had. Took a while to get through them, but had proper tastings. Great stuff!

I loved THOMAS KEMPER. Stewarts, A&W, Henry Weinhard's, IBC were all excellent as well. After those the rest were rather undrinkable in my opinion. Frosty was ok, but middle-of-the-road.

Stewarts makes brilliant sodas. Something called KENTUCKY NIP was amazing but I believe is now cancelled.

If you want wonderful gingerale with bite, try the Blenheim hot-hot. yowza. Vernor's was an excellent mixer for vodka or other liquors! Mmm.... now I am hungry for soda.


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## Mike Petrik (Jul 5, 2005)

hcivic91 said:


> Finally a question I know a little something about!
> 
> For two weeks at the end of every summer my family becomes the largest soda seller on the planet and root beer makes up about 50% of our sales. The other 350 days of the year we are bankers, doctors, attorneys and chemists. So, it is with some authority I can answer your question.
> 
> ...


I agree on all counts. In my youth I worked at as a short order cook at an A&W in suburban Chicago. One of my jobs was to "make" the root beer, which involved pouring the concentrate, sugur, etc into a huge tank in the basement from which the root beer was "pulled" to the taps by CO2. It was perfectly chilled and wonderful. Anyone who thinks that ordinary fountain or canned root beer is comparable is just plain wrong.


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## WhoKnows (May 29, 2007)

IBC is my favorite.


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## dragon (Jan 28, 2006)

A & W rootbeer is the bomb.


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## Beachcomber (Apr 6, 2008)

Another vote for Virgil's - has a nice subtle vanilla taste.


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## trentblase (May 14, 2008)

I'll second Henry Weinhard's... my absolute favorite guilty-pleasure beverage. It's quite a bit sweeter than others, with a nice honey character. The head is pretty nice as well.


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## cowboyjack (May 18, 2008)

For widely distributed fare, IBC and Barqs were long my favorites.

Any locally brewed Root Beer from a microbrewery is always worth a sample in my book.

But as I have aged I can no longer consume much sugar, causing a termination in the consumption of my favorite beverage. 

But, alas, all is not lost, my wife and I have found Hansen's Diet Creamy Root Beer to be a wonderful elixir; creamy, not overly carbonated, and with a real root beer taste and... NO sugar, no calories, and no caffeine.


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## dwebber18 (Jun 5, 2008)

So, hcivic, any chance we can get some of your mouthwatering root beer if we are not in your area?? And I agree with everyone that the keg style A&W is absolutely amazing, I drink way too much of that stuff. Also, being from Orlando, I dont know that anyone else will know this, in the Wilderness Lodge at Disney, they have a family style buffet restaurant in their lobby. In that restaurant they do, or atleast did, serve some of the best birch beer I have ever had. It was where I first got hooked.


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## Regent1879 (Jan 14, 2016)

Sprecher Root Beer.


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