While technically a coke product, Barq’s has a really fascinating history. Between being one of the first two major root beer brands to break into the market, the first one to use sassafras, beating “granddaddy of all root beers” Sioux city sarsaparilla by almost 70 years, the complicated battle between Edward Charles Edmond Barq, the split between him and Jesse Robinson, and ultimately ending up in coca-cola’s hands. I was actually inspired by the A&W episode to post this idea.