# Your Favorite Root Beer **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** soda-softdrinks\ **Created:** [March 17, 2014, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-root-beer/683938 "2014-03-17T19:21:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2014, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-root-beer/683938/61 "2014-03-18T17:05:34Z")
A quick check on A&W, Barq’s, and Henry Weinhar **d** ’s root beers all show HFC as the sweetener. Thomas Kemper has none. ---
**Author:** ![Cabin\_Fever\_1](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cabin_fever_1/32/2908_2.png) [@Cabin\_Fever\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cabin_Fever_1)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2014, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-root-beer/683938/62 "2014-03-18T17:17:18Z")
> [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](#): > > My favorite root beer is no longer available. **Root Beer Kool Aid**. I was addicted to the stuff. I sincerely believe it was never very popular due to the fact that it wasn’t that great freshly made. But after a day or so in the fridge it was delicious. I’ve found I can come close to simulating Root Beer Kool Aid by buying the cheapest generic root beer pop and removing the carbonation. Fantastic chilled over crushed ice! Bolding mine. Wow, I forgot all about that! I guess I am showing my age. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Cabin\_Fever\_1](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cabin_fever_1/32/2908_2.png) [@Cabin\_Fever\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cabin_Fever_1)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2014, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-root-beer/683938/63 "2014-03-18T17:20:03Z")
> [@RobDog](#): > > Sadly, root beer isn’t really widely available in the UK. I can track down A&W if I’m lucky, but I prefer Bundaberg which is an Aussie brand. It’s got strong overtones of liquorice which I like. I was wondering last night, after I logged off, if Root Beer was widely known in other parts of the world besides the USA. ---
**Author:** ![RobDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f07891/32.png) [@RobDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RobDog)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2014, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-root-beer/683938/64 "2014-03-18T17:41:22Z")
> [@Cabin\_Fever](#): > > I was wondering last night, after I logged off, if Root Beer was widely known in other parts of the world besides the USA. I suspect that root beer is widely known about in the UK, if not widely available. We have a national grocery chain here called Waitrose, and most branches that I visit stock Bundaberg root beer. In London I can also find A&W in a variety of smaller stores and delis. London is a special case though, as due to our large immigrant population many stores stock a goodly range of soft drinks from around the world. Caribbean and Polish drinks are especially prominent where I live. This is a win for me as I love soda, even more so since I’ve had to virtually give up alcohol ☹ ---
**Author:** ![pkbites](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pkbites/32/204_2.png) [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2014, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-root-beer/683938/65 "2014-03-18T18:53:23Z")
> [@Hampshire](#): > > Sprecher is a little brewery near Milwaukee. It’s in Glendale in a building that used to be an elevator company or something like that. During the brewery tour (less than 1/2 hour and then 6 free beers, a free glass, and all the soda you can drink!🆒 ) the tour guide claims that they sell more root beer than all of their other products (beer & soda) combined!!! ---
**Author:** ![Wile\_E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c37758/32.png) [@Wile\_E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wile_E)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2014, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-root-beer/683938/66 "2014-03-18T20:20:33Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > My favorite root beer is only available via time machine, and could only be found in a tall frosted mug at the corner A&W, accompanied by a Teen Burger. Same here, except for the burger, I’d usually have a hot dog and a Freeze. Then we’d buy a gallon of root beer to go. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2014, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-root-beer/683938/67 "2014-03-18T22:32:50Z")
I remember when take-out root beer came in a [card board cone.](http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_f5b8t6c7nNc/SygKJwlSP5I/AAAAAAAAjuQ/FhOrRYPlkjU/s1600-h/Cones.gif) ---
**Author:** ![The\_Second\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbe5ce/32.png) [@The\_Second\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Second_Stone)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2014, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-root-beer/683938/68 "2014-03-18T23:08:16Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > A quick check on A&W, Barq’s, and Henry Weinhar **d** ’s root beers all show HFC as the sweetener. Thomas Kemper has none. That is just an argument for the superior ability of HFC’s in root beer. The taste doesn’t lie. Kemper’s is okay. ---
**Author:** ![OldGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/3bc359/32.png) [@OldGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OldGuy)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2014, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-root-beer/683938/69 "2014-03-19T19:28:22Z")
> [@Cabin\_Fever](#): > > I remember Dad’s Root Beer! I need to research the history. I always equated Dad’s=Hires for some reason. When I was a kid Dad’s and hires were my favorites, but they were quite different, and sometimes I wanted one and other times the other. Dad’s had a very soft mellow taste and generally had a lot of foam on top. Hires had a very sharp taste. ---
**Author:** ![Gray\_Ghost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c0e974/32.png) [@Gray\_Ghost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gray_Ghost)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2014, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-root-beer/683938/70 "2014-03-19T20:45:56Z")
I’ll have to retaste them to be sure, but I’ve had Weinhard’s, a few varieties of Virgil’s, Sprecher’s, and [Abita Brewing Company’s root beer](http://abita.com/brews/our_brews/abita-root-beer), but the best one I remember trying is the [root beer](https://www.saintarnold.com/beers/rootbeer.html) from Houston’s Saint Arnold Brewing Company. It can be found at, e.g., Whole Food’s in the large cities of Texas. Frankly, I like their root beer more than I like any of their beers, with the exception of a few of the [Divine Reserves](https://www.saintarnold.com/beers/divine.html), their [Bishop’s Barrel #4,](http://www.saintarnold.com/bb/) and [Endeavour](https://www.saintarnold.com/beers/endeavour.html) ---
**Author:** ![telma2fist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@telma2fist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/telma2fist)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2014, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-root-beer/683938/71 "2014-03-19T21:24:23Z")
Best root beer-ish substance on earth (and nectar of the gods) is the sassafras sold at the Renaissance Faire in Bristol, WI !! ---
**Author:** ![Chicken\_Fingers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@Chicken\_Fingers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chicken_Fingers)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2014, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-root-beer/683938/72 "2014-03-19T22:24:20Z")
Another root beer lover here. I go for diet A&W these days as my mainstream choice. ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2014, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-root-beer/683938/73 "2014-03-19T22:38:56Z")
Could I borrow that time machine? Suburban Baltimore pop manufacturer–[“Drink Me” Pop](http://www.etsy.com/listing/73282340/vintage-maryland-drink-me-pop-bottle) had the best root beer, birch beer and even sarsaparilla. They must have had 40-50 different flavors of soda pop, which is probably what did them in. I think their distribution system wasn’t so hot, either. ---
**Author:** ![Full\_Metal\_Lotus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/df705f/32.png) [@Full\_Metal\_Lotus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Full_Metal_Lotus)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2014, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-root-beer/683938/74 "2014-03-19T23:48:38Z")
Dad’s Old fashioned or, if I get inspired, I have made my own using the Hire’s Brand concentrate a richer flavour with a pleasantly musty undertone. ---
**Author:** ![Old\_Time\_Hockey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/a9adbd/32.png) [@Old\_Time\_Hockey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Old_Time_Hockey)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2014, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-root-beer/683938/75 "2014-03-20T03:59:56Z")
> [@The\_Second\_Stone](#): > > That is just an argument for the superior ability of HFC’s in root beer. The taste doesn’t lie. Kemper’s is okay. As much as I oppose HFCS, Weinhards and Stewarts, both sweetened with that evil stuff, are my favorites. As was said earlier, Boylans Birch beer is awesome as well, whereas their Root Beer is just ok. ---
**Author:** ![chacoguy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/50afbb/32.png) [@chacoguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chacoguy)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2014, 4:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-root-beer/683938/76 "2014-03-20T04:24:12Z")
A handmade brew, made by a pair of lesbians living on an island in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area. ---
**Author:** ![ekedolphin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ekedolphin/32/10003_2.png) [@ekedolphin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ekedolphin)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2014, 5:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-root-beer/683938/77 "2014-03-20T05:43:03Z")
A&W, IBC, and making its opening appearance in this thread… Faygo! ---
**Author:** ![Khendrask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3e96dc/32.png) [@Khendrask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khendrask)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2014, 9:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-root-beer/683938/78 "2014-03-20T09:56:26Z")
Stewart’s, #1, even the bottled is good, with IBC as a second choice. I still prefer Stewart’s to A&W, and always have. ---
**Author:** ![Shark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/73ab20/32.png) [@Shark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shark)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2014, 1:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-root-beer/683938/79 "2014-03-20T13:01:16Z")
I prefer Triple XXX, which I understand is hard to come by, or Dog 'n Suds rootbeer. Why yes, I do live in a time warp, but at least the rootbeer is good here. ---
**Author:** ![bunyupp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7cd45c/32.png) [@bunyupp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bunyupp)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2014, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-root-beer/683938/80 "2014-03-20T14:22:57Z")
The best Root Beer I know of (that is still available) is the homemade root beer at [Schilo’s](http://schilos.com) Delicatessen on the River Walk in San Antonio, TX. It uses egg in the recipe and you can only drink it there, you can’t get it to go. But it is amazingly good:) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-root-beer/683938.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-root-beer/683938.md?page=5)