Root beer has been drunk in the United States since at least the eighteenth century. It has been sold in confectionery stores since at least the 1840s, and written recipes for root beer have been documented since the 1830s.[4]: 32  In the nineteenth century, it was often consumed hot and was often used with medicinal intent. It was combined with soda as early as the 1850s; at that time it was sold as a syrup rather than a ready-made beverage.[5] Beyond its aromatic qualities, the medicinal benefits of sassafras were well known to both Native Americans and Europeans, and druggists began marketing root beer for its medicinal qualities.[6] Drawing of a boy holding an empty glass asking for more root beer, evidenced by bad contrast superimposed text A Hires' root beer advertisement from 1894 Pharmacist Charles Elmer Hires was the first to successfully market a commercial brand of root beer. Hires developed his root tea made from sassafras in 1875, debuted a commercial version of root beer at the Philadelphia Centennial Exposition in 1876, and began selling his extract. Hires was a teetotaler who wanted to call the beverage "root tea". However, his desire to market the product to Pennsylvania coal miners caused him to call his product "root beer", instead.[7][8] In 1886, Hires began to bottle a beverage made from his famous extract. By 1893, root beer was distributed widely across the United States. Non-alcoholic versions of root beer became commercially successful, especially during Prohibition.[9][10]

Root beer is an all time favorite. I'm sure their aren't too many that does not like it. A&W is by far my favorite. So much more you can do with root beer...like root beer floats! Oh they are so good. Root beer on top of vanilla ice cream and or over orange sorbet. And it is caffeine free. It will make your who day smile!

Soda was flat!

Excellent

I’m just fed up with companies that continue to add unhealthy, cancer-causing ingredients like High Fructose Corn Syrup!

This is one of the best root beers that I have ever had. And that's saying something because I have had over 150 different root beer brands from around the U.S. A&W makes my top 10

I grew up with A&W root beer not laden with high fructose corn syrup. I will not consume the current recipe so long as fructose, sucrose or any of its derivatives are present.

Wish there was no caramel coloring in the Root Beer. I'm allergic to it, but I love the taste of Root Beer and would love to drink a Root Beer float again some day!

Wish you could get a$w root beer in more places and restaurants in 50 years I choose a$w over any other drink it is a delicious and satisfying product...

A&W Root Beer is a high quality soda pop when served On Tap or Keg. If you get if from a can or bottle the flavor changes and its god awful. It looses the richness and frothiness some how.