Justine Sterling
This ranking of the best root beer brands might be our most controversial ranking. Just scroll down to the comments to see the ire it has inspired after every update. Okay, you’re back? Wild, right? People really do love their root beer and they have opinions when it comes to the question, what is the best root beer?
Some folks are immovable in their root beer opinions. A lot of those folks are going to be pretty angry that Dad’s got the boot from this list. Others are going to feel vindicated that Mug made it so high up the ranking. But we, the taste testers at Sporked, always come into our taste tests with an open mind. We simply have our qualifications in mind.
What we looked for in the best root beer:
- Actual root flavor. Root beer shouldn’t taste like cola. It should have a unique, root-like flavor. You may notice that Barq’s is not on this list. You might even be mad about it. But I dare you to drink one of the root beers on this list and then take a sip of Barq’s. All you will taste is Coca-Cola.
- Spritzy bubbles. While we did include some lower fizz root beers, we rewarded those that had delicate, delightful bubbles. That fizz helps elevate the flavor and keep you coming back for more.
- Sweet, sweet, sweetness. Root beer should be sweet. It’s not a dry soda. It’s a sweet soda. End of story.
Here’s our updated list of the best root beer brands to buy. Go ahead, commenters. Lemme have it.
Best Root Beers, Ranked
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- Poppi Root Beer
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In our most recent root beer taste test, we set out to find the best tasting prebiotic root beer. We also tasted a probiotic root beer and a protein root beer and you may notice those aren’t on this list. Hm, wonder why. Anyway, between Poppi and Olipop, Poppi took the title, hands down. Is it at all as good as any of the other root beers on this list? No! But does it taste like a pretty decent diet root beer? Absolutely! And it has all those delicious prebiotics for the probiotics to feast upon and only 5g sugar. If you’re looking to drink a “healthier” root beer, this is the best root beer to buy.
Credit: Liv Averett / Amazon
- Abita Root Beer
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“I grew up drinking this,” said Sporked’s Jordan Myrick, who spent part of their childhood in New Orleans. “I love this as a special treat.” One taster noted that it tasted a bit medicinal, but I think that’s par for the course with a more crafty root beer. To me, it tastes like Christmas. It’s filled with notes of cinnamon and clove. It’s not too sweet, but it is very aromatic with a gorgeously foamy head (thanks to the inclusion of yucca, apparently). If you’re looking for some seasonal cheer in a bottle, Abita is the best root beer brand.
Credit: Ryan Martin / Amazon
- Summit Root Beer
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Aldi’s Summit brand root beer is shockingly good, especially considering the fact that a four-pack costs as much as one bottle of some of the other root beers on this list. It has a sweet, concentrated spice flavor that goes heavy on the cinnamon notes. It actually left my tongue tingling. If you shop at Aldi or are just looking to save some dough, this is definitely the best root beer brand.
Credit: Liv Averett / Aldi
- Sprecher Root Beer
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If you are a child and you want to pretend you’re drinking beer, we found the best root beer for your purposes. (Do not do this, children, enjoy the innocence of your childhood.) It comes in an extremely pleasing, chonky-as-heck bottle. And the label features a fun-loving blackbird or crow or raven brandishing a frothy mug of root beer and a bottle. But it doesn’t just look good. It also tastes good, with a rich, dark quality. Perhaps that’s because it’s sweetened with honey.
Credit: Ryan Martin / Amazon
- IBC Root Beer
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Looking for a licorice punch? IBC is the best root beer for your palate. It’s light, definitely on the less-sweet end of the spectrum, and very, very fizzy. Personally, I love it. It doesn’t overwhelm me with sugar, which keeps me coming back for more. I would sip this on its own—almost as a replacement for an after-dinner digestif. It refreshes your palate and settles your tummy with its slight hint of bitterness. It’s been around since 1919 for a reason–but if you’re looking for the real deal sweet stuff, you’re going to want to keep scrolling.
Credit: Ryan Martin / Instacart
- Hank’s Diet Root Beer
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This is the best diet root beer we tried, for sure. It’s really fizzy, which helps keep the flavor bright and vibrant. Too often, diet sodas can taste flat from the lack of real sugar, so that extra carbonation goes a long way. On its own, I’m not sure you’d be able to even tell it was diet. Compared to the classic Hank’s, though, there is a bit of a difference—it’s less sweet. But that just makes it all the more refreshing.
- Hank’s
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It’s been a few years since I had A&W from the tap, but this is the best root beer that approximates that flavor as I remember it. It’s quite sweet with lots of very fine bubbles. It’s not too herbaceous at all, but it still has that signature root beer twang. Drink this with a burger instead of Coke—preferably out of a frosted mug.
Credit: Liv Averett / Total Wine
- River City
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River City advertises this root beer as being the best root beer made for ice cream. And, guess what? They did it. It has a ton of vanilla flavor to welcome in the ice cream and a nice, sharp fizz to cut its creaminess. Plus, it has a riverboat on the label, so you feel like you’re down at the docks, swiggin’ an old-timey sodee pop in your best seersucker suit. That’s what I’m looking for in a root beer.
Credit: Ryan Martin / Albertsons
- Stewart’s
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I love the toasty, holiday smell of this root beer. I wish I could have potpourri that smelled like Stewart’s root beer. It tastes like a grown-up root beer, with a pleasant balance of sweet and herbal. I feel like the only place I ever really see Stewart’s is in the fridge at the deli, and that makes sense. This is a perfect deli sandwich root beer—it’s not too cloying so it won’t overwhelm all the meat flavors. Grab a cold one and enjoy it with your Italian sub and tiny bag of kettle chips at a picnic table while staring out into the distance and mulling over what it means to be an adult.
Credit: Liv Averett / Amazon
- Mug
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I understand this is a controversial pick. People who love Barq’s really love it. And, yes, A&W from the tap is extremely good. But I encourage you to do your own side by side of the big bottled brands and then come back to me. Barq’s tastes like Coke. And A&W (not on tap) is just a bit lackluster with not enough fizz. Mug, though, tastes like real, classic root beer. It holds onto that signature bite and has some herbaceous notes. If you want to buy a big, giant bottle of root beer or are catering for a child’s pizza party, Mug’s is the best root beer to buy in bulk.
Credit: Ryan Martin / Amazon
- Teddy’s Root Beer
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This Washington-born root beer is the best root beer for people who really do want to taste that spice. It goes hard on the clove and nutmeg and cinnamon flavors. Those flavors could be heavy, but the tingly little bubbles in this root beer keep everything bright and zippy. Plus, you get some really good froth from this guy. And it’s named after Teddy Roosevelt. I’m a big fan of Teddy’s. I’ll be coming back to this uniquely shaped bottle again.
Credit: Liv Averett / Amazon
- Frostie
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You can’t deny the appeal of the packaging. It features a loveable little old man who might be one of the forgotten dwarves from Snow White—Frostie, one assumes. To me, this tastes the way the best root beer is supposed to taste. It’s like a better version of your childhood memories of root beer (I can only assume, having been afraid of root beer, as I mentioned). “This is perfect root beer,” Sporked managing editor Gwynedd Stuart said. And, in our first taste test, it was the best root beer. But it has since ceded the crown to…
Credit: Ryan Martin / Instacart
- Dr. Brown’s
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Yes, Frostie is a pretty perfect root beer, but Dr. Brown’s is just a touch better than perfect thanks to an added layer of spice and intrigue. It still has the sweet, sweet goodness of Frostie’s, but then there’s this celery seed earthiness that just keeps you coming back sip after sip. I really could not get enough while we were tasting it. Congratulations, Dr. Brown’s. You are the best root beer—now if only you were easier to find.
Best Prebiotic Root Beer
Best Spiced Root Beer
Best Cheap Root Beer
Best Bottle
Best Not Super Sweet Root Beer
Best Diet Root Beer
Best in a Frosted Mug
Best for Root Beer Floats
Best Deli Root Beer
Best Big Mainstream Root Beer Brand
Best Froth
Runner-Up Best Root Beer
Best of the Best
Other root beers we tried:
Bundaberg, A&W, Virgil’s, Great Value, Maine, Barq’s, Henry Weinhard, Bulldog, Signature Select, Shasta, Saranac, Boylan, Olipop, Rat Bastard, Jones, Route 66, Faygo, Fitz’s Diet, Boyland Diet, Dad’s, Reed’s, Olipop, Don’t Quit Protein Soda Root Beer
Gwynedd Stuart
Joe Rumrill
Will Morgan
