I love root beer. I have always loved root beer. But it’s a relatively free country. You’re welcome to your colas, your root beer that tries to be a cola (Barq’s), and your yellowish liquid which doesn’t resemble any condensation I ever saw in the mountains or elsewhere.
I enjoy a good root beer or ginger beer, and a good gourmet soda in general — once or twice a week, when I can.
For my own amusement and reference, for the eye-rolling of my family, and for the entertainment of friends both present and future, I keep this online list of root beers and selected other sodas I’ve enjoyed, with letter grades rating them.
For a more descriptive, higher-brow sets of root beer ratings and reviews, check out Eric’s Gourmet Root Beer Site and Rob’s Root Beer Review. And Utah readers, er, drinkers may especially enjoy this 2010 article on a “Root Beer Renaissance.”
Updated May 31, 2020.
The A’s
Root Beers
A
- Anchor Ginger Root Beer
- Olde Brooklyn Williamsburg Root Beer
A/A-
- Henry Weinhardt’s
- Sprecher
- Virgil’s Special Edition Bavarian Nutmeg Root Beer
A-
- A&W (fountain)
- Bandit
- Brigham’s Brew
- Dachshunds
- Dog n Suds
- Gale’s
- Hank’s (Philadelphia Recipe)
- Hippo Size Jumbo
- IBC
- Kutztown
- Maddox Birch Root Beer (available only at the restaurant in Perry, Utah)
- O-So Butterscotch Root Beer
- Old Red Eye
- Red Rock
- Saranac
- Sioux City
- Sparky’s
A-/B+
- Barrel Brothers
- Berghoff
- Bulldog
- Capone Family Secret
- Reading Draft
- River City
- Robusto
- Saranac
- St. John’s Virgin Islands
- SodaBeers Root Beer
- Stewart’s
Other Gourmet Sodas
A+/A
- Bundaberg Peach
- Henry Weinhardt’s Black Cherry Cream
- Old Jamaica Ginger Beer (Regular)
- Reed’s Stronger Ginger Beer (stronger than extra)
- Reed’s Extra Ginger Beer
- Stewart’s Key Lime
A
- Americana Black Cherry
- Henry Weinhard’s Orange Cream
- Reed’s Cherry Ginger Brew
- Reed’s Ginger Beer
- Stewart’s Cherries ‘n’ Cream
- Stewart’s Orange ‘n’ Cream
- Trader Joe’s Brewed Ginger Beer
A-
- Americana Orange Cream
- Apple Beer
- Bedford’s Ginger Beer
- Bedford’s Marionberry Creme
- Bedford’s Orange Cream
- Caruso’s Legacy Concord Grape
- Earp’s Original Sarsaparilla
- Flathead Lake Black Raspberry
- Henry Weinhard’s Vanilla Cream
- Nehi Grape
- O-So Grape
- O-So Strawberry
- Reading Strawberry Cream
- Reed’s Raspberry Ginger Brew
- Sprecher Strawberry
- Stewart’s Grape
- Vernor’s Ginger Ale
A-/B+
- Americana Honey Cream
- Americana Huckleberry
- Snake River Sarsaparilla
The B’s
Root Beers
B+
- Abita
- Americana
- Bedford’s
- Dad’s
- Dang! That’s Good
- Dang! That’s Good Butterscotch Root Beer
- Dr. Brown’s
- Foxon Park
- Frostie
- Frostop
- Johnnie Ryan
- Margo’s Bark
- New York Seltzer
- Reading Draft
- Red Arrow
- Route Beer 66
- Sea Dog
- Sioux City
- Teddy’s
- WBC Chicago Style
B
- A&W (can/bottle)
- Brownie Caramel Cream Root Beer
- Bulldog
- Bundaberg
- Capt’n Eli’s
- Cool Mountain
- Crater Lake
- Judge For Yourself!
- Thomas Kemper
B-
- Hansen’s
- Polar
Other Gourmet Sodas
B+
- Bedford’s Ginger Ale
- Caruso’s Blood Orange
- Filber’s Grapefruit
- Frostie Orange
- Grapefruit Kiss
- Nehi Orange
- Nesbitt’s (of California) Strawberry
- NuGrape Soda
- SodaBeers Ginger Beer
B
- Boots Strawberries ‘n Cream
- Nesbitt’s (of California) Orange
- Pennsylvania Dutch Birch Beer
- Private Selection Hopped Grapefruit Cream
B-
- Lemmy Sparkling Lemonade
- Nehi Peach
The C’s
Root Beers
C+
- Shasta
- Sprecher Honey Root Beer — didn’t like the honey taste; others will
C
- Tommyknocker — others may love the taste of maple; I don’t
Other Gourmet Sodas
C+
- Frostie Concord Grape
The D’s
Root Beers
D
- Barq’s
Other Gourmet Sodas
D-
- Rocket Fizz Dirt Soda (Yes, dirt. It’s barely drinkable — but is that good or bad for dirt soda?)
Coming Someday: My favorite places to get my favorite libations.
David Rodeback says:
I’ve promoted Anchor Ginger Root Beer to a straight A, after drinking a few more bottles.