The Complete History of Root Beer: Story of How It Became America’s First Soda
Darrien EouseA nostalgic journey through the brands, mugs, signs, and memories that shaped America’s most iconic soft drink.
Root beer began long before, soda fountains, or supermarket shelves. In fact, long before America fell in love with Coca-Cola or Pepsi, American's first love was root beer — a foamy, herbal treat born from homemade recipes, apothecary counters, and early American kitchens.
It would become the nation’s first widely beloved soda, and eventually a cultural icon tied to drive-ins, diners, frosty mugs, and some of the most recognizable advertising in mid-century America.
For anyone who remembers these from back-in-the-day, the nostalgia surrounding root beer is more than flavor. It’s the signs, the logos, the mascots, and the memories. And it all started with a simple promise: a cold drink made “the way it used to be.”
From “Root Tea” to America’s First Soda
Long before mass-produced soft drinks existed, families brewed their own “root tea” using:
- Sassafras
- Sarsaparilla
- Licorice root
- Molasses
- Various Herbs
These homemade mixtures were believed to have medicinal benefits, but more importantly, they tasted good. When soda fountains began appearing in pharmacies across America in the 1800s, root-based beverages quickly became favorites.
This early popularity and familiarity with, one branded root drink or another — Led to the birth of America’s first true soda industry.
Hires Root Beer and the Rise of Commercial Bottling
Although many small makers sold root-based drinks, it was Hires Root Beer that turned root beer into a national product.
Introduced in the late 1870s, Hires capitalized on the booming soda fountain era and helped root beer become the first soda that families recognized coast-to-coast.
Hires advertising was groundbreaking for its time. Early signs, branded labels, and promotional artwork portrayed root beer as an everyday luxury — cold, refreshing, and wholesome.
For most history buffs and those dedicated to learning and preserving our American story, Hires memorabilia and marketing represents the spark that started the entire American soft drink story.
Root Beer Goes Mainstream: The Golden Age of Drive-Ins and Diners
By the early 20th century, root beer wasn’t just a beverage anymore — it was a cultural experience. It became deeply tied to car culture, family nights out, and summertime traditions.
A&W Root Beer
A&W was more than a soda brand. It was a destination. Beginning with roadside stands and evolving into full drive-ins, A&W turned the root beer float into a national ritual. Families pulled in, headlights glowing, waiting for frosty mugs that came straight from the freezer. Those mugs — thick, heavy, ice-rimmed — became as iconic as the drink itself.
Dad’s Old Fashioned Root Beer
Founded in Chicago in the 1930s, Dad’s Root Beer leaned into family nostalgia decades before retro marketing became a trend. With its Old Fashioned branding and friendly tone, Dad’s became a staple on grocery shelves across the Midwest and beyond. Vintage Dad’s signs and packaging are some of the most recognizable pieces from root beer’s golden age.
Frostie Root Beer
One of the most collectible names in the category, Frostie emerged in the late 1930s with winter-themed graphics and cheerful holiday advertising. Frostie’s snow-covered bottles and Christmas-season promotions created a seasonal connection that collectors still love today. Frostie represents a time when brands weren’t afraid to be playful — and when soda advertisements doubled as holiday decorations.
Mug Root Beer
Mug began as a regional brand before becoming part of the Pepsi family. Its bulldog mascot and bold typography made it stand out on shelves and signage. For many collectors, Mug represents the transition from small regional root beer makers to the big national brands that dominated the mid-20th century.
The Regional Classics: Brands You Remember If You Grew Up in the Right Place
Beyond the major names, dozens of smaller brands helped write the story of American root beer — and they’re often the ones that spark the strongest memories.
Ma’s Old Fashioned Root Beer
A true throwback, Ma’s Root Beer leaned heavily into the “homemade” tradition, evoking the flavors and imagery of early family recipes. Surviving bottles and advertising pieces from Ma’s tap directly into pre-WWII Americana.
Dr. Swett’s Root Beer
A lesser-known but historically rich brand, Dr. Swett’s was popular in specific regions and is now a favorite among collectors of obscure soda memorabilia. Labels, crates, and thermometers with the Dr. Swett’s name are snapshots of a soda world that existed before national consolidation.
Dog n Suds Root Beer
Though known today mainly through signs and memorabilia, Dog n Suds was once one of America’s most charming drive-in chains. With neon signage, classic carhop culture, and frothy root beer served under glowing lights, Dog n Suds neon signs and premium quality reproductions capture the magic of the 1950s like few others.
IBC, Stewart’s, Sioux City, and Other Nostalgic Names
Root beer fans also remember IBC’s brown bottles, Stewart’s orange stands, and Sioux City’s Western-style branding. These regional and craft-style brands added texture to the American soda landscape — each with its own loyal following and distinct advertising style.
Frosty Mugs, Root Beer Floats, and the Ritual of Ordering a Soda
More than the brands themselves, what most people remember is the experience of root beer.
The thick glass mugs.
The clink of ice.
The foam spilling over the top of a perfectly poured float.
A&W made the frosty mug famous, but nearly every drive-in and diner adopted the tradition. And with each mug came a memory — kids sharing floats, families celebrating small victories, teenagers lingering long after sunset.
This is why collectors gravitate to root beer advertising today. A porcelain sign or artistic, colorful neon lighted panels don't just display a logo — it brings back the ritual itself.
Root Beer in Advertising: A Culture of Color, Character, and Craftsmanship
Root beer brands embraced bold mascots, hand-drawn lettering, and colorful enamel signs. Holiday campaigns, diner menus, soda fountain displays, and roadside billboards all captured the same promise:
A simple moment of happiness.
The design language of root beer advertising went on to influence soda advertising as a whole — including Coke, Pepsi, and countless regional brands. It represented small-town America, weekend drives, and an era when even simple products had personality.
Why Root Beer Signage is More Desired by Collectors
For today’s collectors — especially men in their 40s, 50s, and beyond — root beer is more than nostalgia. It represents:
- Family memories from diners, drive-ins, and small-town soda shops
- American craftsmanship, from enamel signs to heavy glass mugs
- Early branding and advertising history
- The beginning of soda culture itself
Root beer was America’s first soda, but it also became its most sentimental one. And that emotional connection is why collectors proudly display root beer signs, neon logos, and vintage advertising pieces in garages, man caves, and showrooms today.
Conclusion: Root Beer Is The Original Soda Pop That Started It All
Root beer’s story is uniquely American. It began with homebrewed herbal mixtures, grew into the nation’s first commercial soda, and found its identity in the glow of neon signs and the frost of a chilled mug.
From Hires to A&W, from Dad’s to Frostie, from Mug to Ma’s and Dr. Swett’s, every brand tells a piece of the story — a story built on craftsmanship, community, and the simple joy of sharing a cold drink with the people who matter.
Way before The Cola Wars Between Coke vs. Pepsi even began.
Root beer wasn’t just America’s first soda.
It became part of our memories, our culture, and our nostalgia — and that’s why its advertising remains some of the most collectible artwork of the 20th century.
