Though many observers think of New Orleans as the home of Barq’s Root Beer, the popular soft drink got its start in Biloxi in 1898, when New Orleans native Edward Charles Edmond Barq invented the soft drink with a bite. A trained chemist, Barq worked on Louisiana sugar plantations in the winters and spent his summers in Biloxi, bottling artesian water and concocting “soda pop flavors.” Barq’s Root Beer was first bottled by the Biloxi Artesian Bottling Works and began to be distributed nationally in 1906.
In the 1930s, Barq chose to bottle the beverage in twelve-ounce bottles rather than the standard six- and eight-ounce bottles, and franchises began to spread, first to Mobile, Alabama, and then to New Orleans. According to one source, “By 1937, 62 bottling plants had been established in 22 states.” In 1976 businessman John Koerner and attorney John Oudt purchased the company from the Barq family and moved its headquarters to New Orleans.
The Coca-Cola Company purchased Barq’s in 1995. Slogans for the soft drink include “Barq’s Has Bite,” “Famous Ole Tyme Root Beer since 1898,” and “It’s Good.”
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Is Barq’s root beer Canadian?
Barq’s Root Beer (Canadian Premium Craft Soda Version) › Barq’s Root Beer (Canadian Premium Craft Soda Version) 
calculated at checkout. Barq’s is an American soft drink. Its brand of root beer is notable for having caffeine. Barq’s, created by Edward Barq and bottled since the beginning of the 20th century, is owned by the Barq family but bottled by the Coca-Cola Company. It was known as Barq’s Famous Olde Tyme Root Beer until 2012. : Barq’s Root Beer (Canadian Premium Craft Soda Version)
Where was root beer invented?
Root Beer 
Root beer originated in North America and remains most popular in North America. Historically made using the root of the sassafras plant with that being its primary flavour, there is no standard recipe. Root beer can vary from mild and easy drinking to strong and more challenging, but to give a very general definition it is a sweetened, carbonated beverage.
- The origins of root beer can be traced back to 18th century American farm brewers who adapted native North American recipes to make very low or non-alcoholic family drinks, known as a small beer.
- This was a widespread and popular practice and George Washington, Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin are all said to have had their own favourite root beer recipes.
These small beers were made from all sorts of herbs, barks and roots. Favourite ingredients were sassafras root, ginger, sarsaparilla, hops and birch bark, but wintergreen, vanilla beans, liquorice allspice, coriander, juniper, burdock root, dandelion root, spikenard, guaiacum chips, spicewood, wild cherry bark, yellow dock, prickly ash bark and dog grass were also used.
After extracting the flavours from these naturally occurring products by heating them in water to produce what is known as the wort, sweetener in the form of honey, maple syrup or molasses (which was cheapest and added flavour and colour), more water and yeast were added and the wort was then barrelled to ferment.
If a very low alcohol beverage was required the liquid was bottled and corked straight away and then cooled after a day or two to stop fermentation. The amount of alcohol in these instances would have been akin to what is found in a loaf of bread. Fermentation produced carbon dioxide as a by-product which resulted in some carbonation (fizzing) of the drink.
- Farming families believed that the beverages they made were good for them and given that they were brewed from boiled water from what might sometimes be a tainted source they probably often were a healthier option than water.
- What’s more, the tiny amounts of alcohol had an antimicrobial action as did the carbon dioxide.
Root Beer is first known to have been marketed commercially at the Philadelphia Centennial Exhibition in 1876 by a teetotal Philadelphia pharmacist named Charles Hires who is said to have discovered a recipe for a delicious herbal tea while on his honeymoon.
- He introduced a commercial version of the tea which he sold in 25-cent packets of powder, each of which yielded five gallons of root beer.
- He claimed the powder was a solid concentrate of sixteen wild roots and berries.
- In 1893, the Charles E.
- Hires Company began supplying Hires root beer in small bottles.
A & W Root Beer, which is still widely for sale today, is another early brand. It was created by Roy Allen, who began marketing root beer in 1919. Non-alcoholic versions of Root Beer were particularly popular during Prohibition and the constraints of the period probably contributed to preserving the domestic art of making traditional root beers.
- Sassafras extract from the roots of the very fragrant deciduous sassafras tree was once a primary ingredient in root beers.
- Unfortunately it was found that the safrole (also once used as a fragrance in perfumes and soaps, food and for aromatherapy) contained in sassafras is a carcinogen and Root Beer took a terrible hit in 1960 when the United States Food and Drug Administration banned its use in commercially mass-produced foods and drugs.
Commercial root beer brewers had to reformulate their recipes, either balancing out the missing sassafras with other roots or synthetic flavours or by removing the safrole from the sassafras root oil. In 1994, the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act removed the ban on sassafras oil and microbrewers once again began to use sassafras, but it is now unlikely to be found in big commercial brands.
- Most mainstream brands of root beer are unadventurous in their ingredients, fairly ubiquitous in taste and are often very sweet.
- More interesting variations are made by many North America microbrewers and the home brewing tradition survives to this day.
- Flavourings commonly included in the more interesting modern root beers include vanilla, wintergreen, cherry tree bark, liquorice root, sarsaparilla root, burdock nutmeg, acacia, anise, cinnamon, dandelion, ginger, juniper and cloves.
Modern sweeteners include aspartame, corn syrup, honey, maple syrup, molasses and most commonly, sugar. Many brands of root beer contain sodium benzoate as a preservative. Most are caffeine-free but one or two contain caffeine. Both alcoholic and non-alcoholic root beers can have a head, to any degree of thickness and foam when poured.
This is often enhanced by the addition of yucca or Auillaja saponaria extracts. Most modern root beer brands are artificially carbonated by injecting carbon dioxide gas or mixing the root beer syrup with carbonated water (as with a soda fountain). Sarsaparilla, a soft drink, originally made from the Smilax regelii plant, can be classified as a root beer, and some consider it to be the father of root beer.
: Root Beer
What makes Barq’s root beer different?
Learn about the origins of one of America’s favorite sodas, Barq’s Root Beer, which got its start in Biloxi, Mississippi. Did you know one of America’s favorite soft drinks was created in Mississippi? Edward Barq had his first taste of flavor fame at the 1893 World’s Fair in Chicago, where he won a gold medal for a drink he created called “Orangine.” Five years later, Barq moved to Biloxi, Mississippi, and opened up his own bottling company, Biloxi Artesian Bottling Works.
He set to work on perfecting a new drink flavor: Barq’s Root Beer, The flavor of Barq’s differed from other root beers on the market, as it used sarsaparilla instead of sassafras and incorporated more caffeine and less sugar than other brands, giving it a bit of a “bite.” Over the years, the drink grew in popularity and was ultimately acquired by Coca-Cola in 1995.
The famous slogan printed on Barq’s bottles since the early days is still part of its packaging today and rings true for fans who love the all-American taste: “It’s good.”
Did Coca-Cola buy Barq’s root beer?
Born in New Orleans, Bred in Biloxi – 08-10-2018 The story of Barq’s began in the French Quarter of New Orleans when Edward Barq was born in 1871. After studying as a sugar chemist at Tulane University, Barq moved to Biloxi, Miss., where Barq’s started as a mixture made in backyard tubs. In 1995, The Coca‑Cola Company purchased Barq’s, making history with the company’s first purchase of a carbonated beverage in the U.S. The brand has continued to expand nationally and globally, but regional roots are still behind the offbeat charm of this 120-year-old brand.
Somewhat of a local icon, Barq’s is deeply intertwined with the vibrancy of the region’s culture through its relationships with food and festival culture. If you travel down to the Gulf Coast, it’s easy to see how the “Barq’s Bite” ties into the unique dining experiences of the region. Barq’s was also experiencing growth of its own as it expanded throughout sandwich shops in the Gulf Coast, around the same time the po’ boy sandwhich was created.
To this day, many locals still embrace the tradition of washing down a po’boy with a Barq’s. “In New Orleans, Barq’s is iconic with lunch. An alligator po’boy and Barq’s make the perfect pair,” says Kel Villarrubia, vice president of government relations, Coca Cola United.
Is root beer a Canadian thing?
Commercial root beer is now produced in Canada and every U.S. state.
Why is Barq’s root beer so good?
Do you know why? Well, it’s unique Barq’s spice is what makes this root beer soda truly original and truly tasty, complete with a caffeine kick. Not to mention the full-bodied flavor that is so distinct and different it can only be Barq’s. Since 1898 Barq’s root beer has had a simple slogan – DRINK BARQ’S.
Is Barq’s actually root beer?
Barq’s – Wikipedia Root beer manufactured by The Coca-Cola Company Barq’s Root Beer TypeManufacturer Country of origin Introduced1898 ; 125 years ago ( 1898 ) Variants
- Diet Root Beer
- Red Crème Soda
- Cherry Bite (Spicy Cherry cola)
- Diet Red Crème Soda
- French Vanilla Crème Soda
- Birch Beer
- Diet French Vanilla Crème Soda
- Floatz (Discontinued)
- Peach (Discontinued)
Related products,,, Website Barq’s ( ) is an American brand of created by Edward Barq and bottled since the beginning of the 20th century. It is owned by, It was known as “Barq’s Famous Olde Tyme Root Beer” until 2012. Some of its formulations contain,
Why is it called Barq’s root beer?
Though many observers think of New Orleans as the home of Barq’s Root Beer, the popular soft drink got its start in Biloxi in 1898, when New Orleans native Edward Charles Edmond Barq invented the soft drink with a bite. A trained chemist, Barq worked on Louisiana sugar plantations in the winters and spent his summers in Biloxi, bottling artesian water and concocting “soda pop flavors.” Barq’s Root Beer was first bottled by the Biloxi Artesian Bottling Works and began to be distributed nationally in 1906.
In the 1930s, Barq chose to bottle the beverage in twelve-ounce bottles rather than the standard six- and eight-ounce bottles, and franchises began to spread, first to Mobile, Alabama, and then to New Orleans. According to one source, “By 1937, 62 bottling plants had been established in 22 states.” In 1976 businessman John Koerner and attorney John Oudt purchased the company from the Barq family and moved its headquarters to New Orleans.
The Coca-Cola Company purchased Barq’s in 1995. Slogans for the soft drink include “Barq’s Has Bite,” “Famous Ole Tyme Root Beer since 1898,” and “It’s Good.”
Did McDonald’s sell root beer?
The selling of root beer was restricted to a small number of McDonalds restaurants by 1992, due to poor sales, and stopped completely in 1993.
Did Barq’s remove caffeine?
Neither Barq’s diet root beer nor the non-diet version dispensed from Coca-Cola’s Free Style machines includes caffeine. Regular Barq’s root beer contains around 22 mg of caffeine in each 12-ounce (355-ml) can.
Do non Americans like root beer?
10. Rocky Mountain Oysters – 
Image Credit: Shutterstock. Despite the name, Rocky Mountain oysters are not seafood but rather bull or calf testicles that are breaded and deep-fried. This unique delicacy is popular in some parts of the United States, but it can be incredibly shocking for non-Americans.
Is root beer a Canadian thing?
Commercial root beer is now produced in Canada and every U.S. state.
Is root beer a Canadian drink?
A&W Restaurants – Main articles: and A&W Restaurants logo Shortly after Allen bought out Wright’s portion of the business he began franchising the product. His came from a small franchise fee and sales of concentrate. There was no standard food for franchises until 1978.
By 1960 the company had 2,000, In 1989 A&W made an agreement with -based chain Carousel Snack Bars to convert that chain’s 200 locations (mostly kiosks in shopping malls) to “A&W Hot Dogs & More”. Some A&W Hot Dogs & More locations are in operation today. Many A&W locations that opened in the U.S. during the Yum! Brands ownership years (2002–2011) were co-branded with Yum!’s other chains—,, or,
As of December 2011 A&W was under new ownership and its world headquarters was moved back to, Since then, in the United States and Southeast Asia, A&W has been a franchisee-owned company.
Is Barq’s actually root beer?
Barq’s Root beer manufactured by The Coca-Cola Company Barq’s Root Beer TypeManufacturer Country of origin Introduced1898 ; 125 years ago ( 1898 ) Variants
- Diet Root Beer
- Red Crème Soda
- Cherry Bite (Spicy Cherry cola)
- Diet Red Crème Soda
- French Vanilla Crème Soda
- Birch Beer
- Diet French Vanilla Crème Soda
- Floatz (Discontinued)
- Peach (Discontinued)
Related products,,, Website Barq’s ( ) is an American brand of created by Edward Barq and bottled since the beginning of the 20th century. It is owned by, It was known as “Barq’s Famous Olde Tyme Root Beer” until 2012. Some of its formulations contain,