Hires Root Beer, almost extinct

[Craig234]

Hires is the original root beer. But it was sold to Dr Pepper Scwheppes, who also owns A&W, and they decided to only focus on A&W. Hires is now very difficult to find. Call the company and they can neither sell any directly, nor tell you anywhere you can buy it, only confirming they still make a very small amount.

Looking online, there are almost no sellers. I see one twelve pack of cans for $26, another small amount for over $50. Comments say it's sold in at most 5 states at all, maybe fewer. Anyone else see it for sale where they are in the country? Anyone had it in years?

 

[sandorski]

Haven't seen any for a long time, but it wasn't one I would look for either. All I ever see of major Brands are A&W, Mug, and Barqs.

 

[Craig234]

If people want 'premium' brands, I'd say look for A&W at the restaurant made fresh, Virgil's, some like Boylan's. I think the worst I've run across are Dad's and Shasta and generic store brands.

 

[sandorski]

If people want 'premium' brands, I'd say look for A&W at the restaurant made fresh, Virgil's, some like Boylan's. I think the worst I've run across are Dad's and Shasta and generic store brands.

Ya, A&W in restaurant in the frosted mug is the only way to drink it. Store bought doesn't compare. I have seen Boylans, but never tried it. Stewards is good. Of the majors I mentioned earlier I prefer Barqs from the Store.

There is a local Craft Root Beer that is really good called Captain Electro's Intergalactic Root Beer. It is a multiple layered root beer, one drink tastes peppery, next one clovey, another one minty, etc. I really like it, but only drink it occasionally so it won't get boring.

 

[BoomerD]

A cold, frosty mug of A&W is the omly rootbeer I'll drink.

 

[Craig234]

Ya, A&W in restaurant in the frosted mug is the only way to drink it. Store bought doesn't compare. I have seen Boylans, but never tried it. Stewards is good. Of the majors I mentioned earlier I prefer Barqs from the Store.

There is a local Craft Root Beer that is really good called Captain Electro's Intergalactic Root Beer. It is a multiple layered root beer, one drink tastes peppery, next one clovey, another one minty, etc. I really like it, but only drink it occasionally so it won't get boring.

Agreed on A&W in the restaurant, not a fan of Barq's.

That local one sounds a lot like Virgil's. It's probably the most distinctive taste, which you may or may not like. It looks like the local one doesn't ship.

 

[mopardude87]

I used to love Barqs, but my favorite was the Henry Weinhard brand of rootbeer.

 

[BoomerD]

I used to love Barqs, but my favorite was the Henry Weinhard brand of rootbeer.

I forgot about the Henry's stuff...that was decent as well.

 

[nakedfrog]

I remember drinking it in the 80s. I doubt very much that it's the "original" root beer.

 

[BudAshes]

I've never heard of Hires, but I'm in for all root beer except Dads. That root beer is awful.

 

[kranky]

Try Hank's root beer. 5 Stars. Costs a little more, well worth it.

 

[brianmanahan]

old city soda had the greatest root beer of all time, but then they went bankrupt

so red arrow is my current favorite

 

[kage69]

Hires is basic stuff. If it ain't Boylans or Virgils I don't want it. Sorry. Syrup in carbonated water does not suffice when I want a rootbeer, or a float. Rootbeers like Mug are quite lame.

I think Boylans is the best I've tried, and I've tried a lot.

 

[Charmonium]

Wow, not one mention of Stewart's root beer? Bunch of fucking troglodytes here. hehe

 

[brianmanahan]

stewart's is OK

 

[kage69]

stewart's is OK

Agreed. I was more interested in the restaurants honestly, like A&W. Still, at least it's real sugar instead of corn syrup. I was under the impression it was old school, turns out the root beer wasn't introduced until 1990?

 

[lxskllr]

Agreed. I was more interested in the restaurants honestly, like A&W. Still, at least it's real sugar instead of corn syrup. I was under the impression it was old school, turns out the root beer wasn't introduced until 1990?

A&W? Goes back to 1919. That's pretty old school...

A&W Restaurants - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[Craig234]

I used to love Barqs, but my favorite was the Henry Weinhard brand of rootbeer.

Henry's is very good root beer, but my favorite Henry's is their orange, the best orange I know of. I consider it a candidate for best soda.

 

[Craig234]

A&W? Goes back to 1919. That's pretty old school...

I don't think any of these products that old are the same products. For example, Hires was originally made with Sasafras root and Cuban cane sugar. Who knows how different it was from today.

 

[Craig234]

Still, at least it's real sugar instead of corn syrup.

It's not clear how much that matters. In most taste tests I've heard of, people are pretty evenly split.

 

[Craig234]

Wow, not one mention of Stewart's root beer? Bunch of fucking troglodytes here. hehe

I *love* Stewart's grape. I haven't had the root beer in a long time, but don't remember anything bad about it.

 

[Craig234]

I remember drinking it in the 80s. I doubt very much that it's the "original" root beer.

It's the original root beer going back to the 19th century, though of course it's changed. It used to be a very big seller, the dominant brand of root beer as I understand.

 

[brianmanahan]

I *love* Stewart's grape. I haven't had the root beer in a long time, but don't remember anything bad about it.

do you drink cough syrup for fun?

 

[Craig234]

do you drink cough syrup for fun?

Actually, I have bought cherry cough drops for pleasure.

 

[lxskllr]

I don't think any of these products that old are the same products. For example, Hires was originally made with Sasafras root and Cuban cane sugar. Who knows how different it was from today.

Sassafras contains safrole, which can cause cancer in sufficient quantity. That ingredient has been banned by the FDA, and I imagine most manufacturers decided chemistry was a better solution than removing safrole from natural ingredients.