Barq's Root Beer
intro
Bold, crisp Barq's-style root beer with signature spicy bite and bright fizz, a nostalgic, lightly caffeinated cold drink ideal for warm-weather sipping.
Ingredients
Steps
Make simple syrup base
Pour 400 ml (1.7 cups) of filtered still water into a small 1-liter saucepan, add 400 grams of granulated white sugar, heat over medium-low heat (burner set to 130°C/265°F) for 5 minutes, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon until sugar fully dissolves with no grainy residue left on the pan bottom. Do not bring the syrup to a rolling boil to avoid caramelizing the sugar.
Blend in flavorings
Remove the simple syrup from heat, let it cool for 10 minutes until it reaches 70°C/158°F, then stir in 30 ml Barq's-style root beer concentrate, 5 ml vanilla extract, 1.25 ml wintergreen extract, 2 grams citric acid, and 120 mg food-grade caffeine powder. Whisk for 30 seconds until all powders are fully dissolved with no clumps remaining.
Chill syrup thoroughly
Pour the warm flavored syrup into a sealed 1-liter glass mason jar, place it on the middle shelf of your refrigerator for 2 hours until it reaches a consistent 4°C/39°F. Ensure the syrup is completely cold before mixing to prevent fizz loss.
Combine with carbonation
Pour the fully chilled syrup into a large 2.5-liter glass pitcher, slowly pour 1400 ml of ice-cold club soda down the inner side of the pitcher (rather than pouring directly into the center) to minimize fizz bubble disruption. Stir very gently with a long bar spoon for 10 seconds to combine; do not stir vigorously, as this will flatten the carbonation.
Taste and adjust
Draw a 30 ml sample of the mixed root beer into a small tasting glass to test flavor. If the drink is too sweet, stir in up to 100 ml extra cold club soda in 25 ml increments; if it lacks Barq's signature sharp bite, add up to 1 extra gram of citric acid in 0.5 g increments, stirring gently after each addition.
Serve over crushed ice
Place 150 grams (1 cup) of crushed ice into each of 6 tall 350 ml (12-oz) highball glasses, pour the prepared root beer over the ice, leaving 1 cm (1/2 inch) of headspace at the top of each glass to prevent fizz overflow. Add a paper straw and serve immediately.
Tips
2.Omit the caffeine powder when serving to children or people with caffeine sensitivity; the spice and flavor profile will still match classic Barq's.
3.For an authentic soda fountain experience, chill serving glasses in the freezer for 30 minutes before pouring to slow ice melt and keep root beer crisp longer.
OMG this tastes EXACTLY like the Barq's I grew up chugging at summer cookouts! I made a double batch for our neighborhood block party last weekend and every single person asked for the recipe. The little bite from the sassafras? Perfect, no weird artificial aftertaste at all. 10/10 will be making this all summer long.
My kids loved it! I was tired of buying soda full of weird additives at the grocery store, and this was so easy to throw together after work. The 20 minute cook time is no joke, I had the syrup done before our pasta finished boiling for dinner. We served it over vanilla ice cream for root beer floats last night and the kids went back for seconds (and thirds, oops).
SO good! I packed a chilled growler of this for our day hike to the alpine lake last weekend and it was the perfect post-hike pick-me-up. Way more refreshing than the sports drinks I usually bring, and the flavor was spot on to the original Barq's. Already texted the recipe to my whole hiking group.
Really solid copycat! The flavor is almost perfect, I think I added a touch too much wintergreen my first go around so it tasted a little like toothpaste for a second, but I dialed it back on the second batch and it was chef’s kiss. Super easy even for someone who burns toast half the time, no fancy equipment needed.
Game changer! I brought this to our office potluck yesterday and people were literally coming over to my desk all afternoon asking where I bought the fancy craft root beer. No one believed I made it from scratch in 20 minutes. I added a little extra vanilla per my grandma’s old root beer recipe and it was *chef’s kiss*.
It’s pretty good, but it’s not quite Barq’s for me. I think I missed that signature sharp bite Barq’s has? Maybe I didn’t add enough of the bitter root? Not sure, but it’s still a decent homemade soda, I’ll probably tweak it a few more times to get it right. It was easy enough to make, so that’s a plus.
Made this for our 4th of July cookout (yes I know I’m late leaving a review, been busy eating leftovers) and it was the star of the spread next to the ribs. We used it to make spiked root beer floats for the adults with a little spiced rum, and regular floats for the kids, everyone was raving. Way better than store bought, will be a staple from now on.
Obsessed!!! I’m a college student on a super tight meal plan budget and this was so cheap to make, way cheaper than buying a 12 pack of Barq’s every week. I keep a jar of the syrup in my mini fridge and mix it with seltzer whenever I want a soda, it’s saved me so much money already. 10/10 no notes.
Tastes exactly like the root beer I used to get at the old soda fountain in my hometown as a kid! I have one of those at-home carbonation machines and this syrup works perfectly with it, no weird clogs or off flavors. I’ve already made three batches this month, I can’t get enough.
So happy this recipe is naturally gluten free! I’ve been craving root beer floats forever but a lot of store bought sodas have weird hidden gluten additives, so being able to make this at home with ingredients I can control is a total win. My only note is I wish the chill time was a little shorter, but it’s so worth the wait.
Made this for my daughter’s soccer team snack after their game last Saturday and the kids went wild. Parents were asking me for the recipe left and right, even the coach asked for a copy. So easy to make, no fancy stuff, and it’s way better than the sugary sports drinks they usually get after games. Total home run.
Made this for my at-home date night with my boyfriend last night, we did root beer floats with homemade chocolate chip cookies on the side and he said it was better than any restaurant date we’ve been on lately. Who knew homemade root beer was that easy? I thought it would be some super complicated brewing project, nope, 20 minutes on the stove and done.
Y’all, this is SO good. I grew up drinking Barq’s at my grandma’s house every Sunday after church, and this tastes exactly like what she used to pour in those little glass bottles for us. I made a batch for our Sunday family dinner last weekend and my mom swore I bought it from the old general store downtown. Absolute perfection.
Total meal prep win! I make a big batch of the syrup every Sunday, portion it out into little mason jars, and grab one on my way to work with a can of cold seltzer. It’s the perfect afternoon pick me up, way less sugary than the soda from the office vending machine, and it saves me so much money during the work week. 10/10, added to my regular rotation.
As someone who collects vintage soda recipes and makes homemade sodas as a hobby, I was really impressed with this copycat! The flavor balance is spot on, the only thing I changed was adding a tiny bit of molasses to get that deeper, richer Barq’s color, but that’s just a personal preference. Super accessible for beginners, which is awesome, more people should try making soda at home.
Made 3 gallons of this for our pool party last weekend and we didn’t have a single drop left! We had a little float station with vanilla ice cream, whipped cream, and cherries, and both kids and adults were lined up the whole party. It was 95 degrees out and the cold, fizzy root beer was exactly what everyone needed. Will be making this for every pool party from now on.
So happy this recipe is easy to make vegan! I swapped the regular sugar for organic cane sugar and used dairy free vanilla ice cream for floats, and it was absolutely delicious. No weird animal products, no weird additives, just that classic Barq's root beer flavor I’ve been missing since going vegan. So good, I’ll be making this all the time.
Brought a cooler of this to the tailgate before the college football game last weekend and my friends were begging for the recipe by the first quarter. We mixed a little bourbon into some of it for the adults, and the kids had the regular stuff, it was the perfect tailgate drink. Way better than the cheap beer and soda everyone else brought, I was the most popular person in the parking lot.