Comments on: Soda Review: Which is the Best Root Beer?

By: Bill in TX

Bill in TX — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 22:52:48 +0000

Henry Weinhards is the King of rootbeer. I have tried almost everyone on the list. I can’t believe people would list IBC and A&W with these gourmet rootbeers. They must not have tasted the real thing before. And I have not seen Hanks on this list. It is a close 2nd after HW. Here is my order:
1) Henry Weinhards
2) Hanks
These two are way ahead of the following:
3) Sprecher
4) Virgils
5) Fitz’s

By: Seth B

Seth B — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 15:55:01 +0000

Virgils is easily the best that’s around. Super complex, lots of flavors make for one of the most enjoyable drinking experiences I’ve ever had as far as taste. Easily beats everything I’ve ever tasted

By: Paul Osborne

Paul Osborne — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 06:47:19 +0000

Made with cane sugar and honey. There is a constant fight among everyone I know of which is the best root beer here in the PNW and Tomas Kemper is always at the top of the list.
http://www.tksoda.com/our-sodas/root-beer
Most store out here in Washington carry it.

By: Gwiz

Gwiz — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 17:39:09 +0000

The best place I have found to get Virgil’s is Trader Joes. They usually have it for a couple dollars less than anywhere. Also Hansen’s Root Beer is good and also available at Trader Joes. It only comes in a can though. But it has real cane sugar and wintergreen. I haven’t had Bulldog or Henry Wienhard’s but I’ll get right on that.

By: Mike

Mike — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 18:53:01 +0000

You really should have “Sprecher” root beer on your list. If you haven’t tried it, it’s one of the most popular root beers in Wisconsin. It has a very smooth rich taste, not too sweet with a vanilla like aftertaste. Each sip is lip-smackingly delicious. It is brewed and bottled in Glendale Wisconsin. http://www.sprecherbrewery.com. This is what root beer tastes like.

By: James

James — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 03:27:10 +0000

Oops: edit on my last post- it’s not ginger beer I’m thinking of, its Birch beer. Tasty soda that looks like Root beer, but with a slightly red tinge to the color and a great flavor that I already described.

By: James

James — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 02:40:05 +0000

I’ve tried Virgil’s- it’s too strong for me, I don’t enjoy it. My favorites are A&W and IBC (yeah, I know- icky HFCS). Hansen’s is okay. Here in PA, I also like gingerbeer (kind of Root beerish, I’d say in between Root beer and sarsaparilla) and sarsaparilla when I can get it. I believe that Whole Foods carries Virgils, if you’re looking for it.

By: Jay

Jay — Sun, 17 Jan 2010 00:52:05 +0000

As far as no HFCS rootbeers that I have had..Bulldog is my favorite, only sold at Cost Plus World Market. If you add HFCS then Henry Weinhard rivals Bulldog. Americana is good but not as good. VIrgil’s, which everyone raves about, was very disappointing…the licorice flavor was overpowering. Thomas Kemper is sub par. Frostie: so-so, and so on. Anyone that thinks Barq’s is good has seriously no taste for root beer. Currently have an australian brew in the fridge that I haven’t tried yet: Bundaberg. Also got a new local Denver brew called Oogave which is sweetened with organic agave nectar. Haven’t seen many of the sorts listed in the review article.

By: Bob Mcfly

Bob Mcfly — Fri, 01 Jan 2010 22:55:43 +0000

SARANAC

By: Sean Lopez

Sean Lopez — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 20:38:52 +0000

1919 is hands down the best root beer around. Only available on tap

By: Brian

Brian — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 21:30:40 +0000

I’m going with the top two for me as I sometimes have trouble deciding which is THE BEST–perhaps it has to do with Uranus being in the Big Dipper or something. (Sorry, a moment of 12-year-old-boy spiking up there….)

Weinhardt’s (I get an undertone of butterscotch?) and Virgil’s–just yummy good!

I’d like to give a shout out to the Dr Pepper Museum in Waco, TX–not specifically a root beer museum, but they do have extensive collections and history of some of the bigger root beers. Also, they are the only major soft drink that houses it’s museum collections in an original bottling building.

By: Kurt

Kurt — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 14:47:56 +0000

How about Saranac? Not sure if it was excluded for HFCS (I don’t think it has it) but I prefer it to Virgil’s, which would be my second favorite.

By: Steven

Steven — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 19:54:34 +0000

IBC wasn’t included because it is HFCS, as is Henry Weinhard’s, Stewarts, and the like.

But it is also “soda sacrilege” to not include Virgil’s on this list. I ordered Virgil’s in ponykegs in the past.

Also, one might find Sprecher very appetizing if they like their root beer on the creamy side – alongside cane syrup it uses honey as a sweetener adding a unique flavor.

By: Papou Paul

Papou Paul — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 04:06:13 +0000

Hope someone mentioned IBC Root Beer. It used to me limited to the St. Louis area, but over the last decade or so has moved further north. They make a great creme soda as well. We used to drive further south from college to get where they served IBC.

By: Mike

Mike — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 14:47:28 +0000

Web site to Galco’s – http://www.sodapopstop.com/home.cfm

I’ve never been there, but check out the youtube clip http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gPbh6Ru7VVM This guy LOVES his job, and I’d assume it reflects in his business.