A quick check on A&W, Barq’s, and Henry Weinhard’s root beers all show HFC as the sweetener. Thomas Kemper has none.
Bolding mine. Wow, I forgot all about that! I guess I am showing my age. 
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 
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!!!
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.
I remember when take-out root beer came in a card board cone.
That is just an argument for the superior ability of HFC’s in root beer. The taste doesn’t lie. Kemper’s is okay.
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.
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, but the best one I remember trying is the root beer 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, their Bishop’s Barrel #4, and Endeavour
Best root beer-ish substance on earth (and nectar of the gods) is the sassafras sold at the Renaissance Faire in Bristol, WI !!
Another root beer lover here. I go for diet A&W these days as my mainstream choice.
Could I borrow that time machine?
Suburban Baltimore pop manufacturer–“Drink Me” Pop 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.
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.
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.
A handmade brew, made by a pair of lesbians living on an island in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area.
A&W, IBC, and making its opening appearance in this thread… Faygo!
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.
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.
The best Root Beer I know of (that is still available) is the homemade root beer at Schilo’s 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:)