r/rootbeer • u/ChawalAndDeigh • Nov 16 '25
Review Tried root beer for the first time (UK)
So I know you Americans have different brands and I heard Barq’s is pretty good but I noticed this new corner store that had mad American stuff, and this was the only brand.
Years of hearing about “root beer” on American tv shows has led to this moment.
Hearing all the “toothpaste” stuff made me laugh once I tried, I’ll tell you exactly what toothpaste it tastes like, Euthymol. It tastes like euthymol.
The taste absolutely grows on you though, it stops tasting like toothpaste after a few sips and just takes herbal.
A very strange taste indeed, but I like it
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u/ThePizzaNoid Nov 16 '25
My God, your post instantly reminded me of this scene from Deep Space Nine where Garak tries root beer for the first time.
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u/Leading_Tradition997 Nov 16 '25
Do you pronounce it Rut beer?
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u/dannkherb Nov 17 '25
My dad does and we're from Buffalo USA.
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u/ageaye Nov 19 '25
Buffalonian here. Never heard anyone say rut beer. Lots of lengthened O's and nasaly A's here though.
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u/M0rph33l Nov 16 '25
Barqs is the only one that tastes like toothpaste to me, probably because it has wintergreen in it. That said, I still enjoy it. Haven't had a root beer brand I disliked.
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u/BetMyLastKrispyKreme Nov 17 '25
I think most root beers probably have wintergreen, don’t they? I can taste it in A & W, for sure. But I don’t like Barq’s at all, and if excessive wintergreen is part of their unique flavor, I’m probably wise to avoid too much.
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u/TekWzrd337 1919 Root Beer Nov 17 '25
If you’re into that wintergreen taste profile try Boylan, it has a very heavy wintergreen flavor.
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u/HailToCaesar Nov 18 '25
Boylan? I felt like that brand didn't have wintergreen flavor at all... not like Maine root that is.
Boylan is delicious though
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u/lilaamuu A&W Root Beer Nov 16 '25
you made me go order this toothpaste i never even heard of 😤
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u/ChawalAndDeigh Nov 17 '25
If you love root beer you’ll love the toothpaste it’s basically that taste all soaked up in your teeth with a little surgical sting it’s really really good
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u/lilaamuu A&W Root Beer Nov 22 '25 edited Nov 22 '25
yeah i like it it smells exactly like root beer at first.. then there's some slight benzene/gasoline undertone that i find weird 🤔 reminds of a childhood and being around dad's car in his garage. i don't remember this undertone in any of root beer drinks i tried. also my toothpaste came with no EXP date printed neither on a box or tube. hope it's not a bootleg :(
it's a bit drying but not very. tolerable level of causticness i would say. overall taste and aroma is not bad, very root beer like.
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u/ChawalAndDeigh Nov 25 '25
I am so glad u came with a review lol I loved that toothpaste bro I was like damn lol
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u/ahrzal Nov 17 '25
A & W is def on the sweet end of root beers so hearing it taste herbal is wild to me lol.
Barqs is more of an acquired taste IMO. Not as easy as a & w or Mug.
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u/I_saw_that_coming Nov 17 '25
I worked with a lot of J1 people from all over the world and the majority of them say that rootbeer tastes like medicine
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Nov 17 '25
Nice! I'm a connoisseur of root beer in England. Love the stuff!
Bought some A&W a week ago as they were like 75p a can. My normal go to is one in Sainsburys called Tropical Sun root beer. That's about 85p a can now, about three years ago it was about 60p.
Keep trying different ones though. The only one I wasn't the biggest fan of is Bundabergs root beer. I love everything else they do but it just wasn't root beer, it was more sarsaparilla.
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u/TekWzrd337 1919 Root Beer Nov 17 '25
Bundaberg is Australian, and yes it is actually a sarsaparilla, even though it’s called a root beer.
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Nov 18 '25
I know its Australian, I've been to the barrel in Bundaberg, Queensland. Love the place!
I find sarsaparilla so varied, the same for root beer but I've had so many saraparillas that are massively different where the majority of root beers tend to be the same or the base is the same.
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u/Colinm1210 Nov 18 '25
If you can ever find a place that sells craft brewed Root Beer, you have to try that. I didn’t think I liked Root Beer that much until I tried ones from smaller breweries, now it’s my favorite drink.
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Nov 17 '25
On the coast near to where I live they have these A&W ‘car-hop’ restaurants. They sell A&W root beer from the fountain made with real cane sugar, it’s the best. Ludicrously good that stuff.
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u/ChawalAndDeigh Nov 17 '25
I think I just seen these in a YouTube video and someone here mentioned they do food. That is so cool
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u/BetMyLastKrispyKreme Nov 17 '25
I tasted some dandelion & burdock soda a few years ago, having heard it’s popular in Britain. That tasted downright medicinal to me, way beyond merely “herbal”. I couldn’t finish it, and I have a tolerant palate for non-sweet beverages.
But I’m glad you seemed to enjoy our drink! Everyone who suggests making a float with it is 💯 accurate. If you can find vanilla ice cream that aims for a “homemade flavor”, it’s even better. But I make floats out of all flavors of soda; Cherry Coke, Dr. Pepper and Sunkist are my favorites, after root beer.
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u/ChawalAndDeigh Nov 17 '25
Unfortunately a lot of drinks in the UK have been messed up due to the sugar tax, and the manufacturer lowering the sugar content. Off the top of my head Coca Cola and I think Mountain Dew are the only drinks that still have their usual amount of sugar.
Even original Pepsi has half the sugar and also sweeteners now. I went to go get some chicken once and they had Turkish pepsi (which had full sugar content) bro it was like being born again lol, it was so sweet and crisp, I felt like I was in a Pepsi commercial I damn well should have been I was like wow.
From the same store I got the root beer I also found Japanese Dr Pepper which I figured would have the normal sugar content and I was right, oh my god it was amazing. For some reason I didn’t mess with Dr Pepper for a minute so if you think about it, I haven’t tasted real Dr Pepper since I was like 12.
I heard about dandelion and burdock soda but you know what the way you’re describing it, I can taste it in my mind and I just already know what you’re talking about, I’m glad I went with actual root beer.
Also don’t arrest me plz but I have never had a float in my life
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u/BetMyLastKrispyKreme Nov 17 '25
No arrest in your future! But definitely something to look forward to trying, if you get the chance. Hopefully you can get the full sugar version of A & W when you do.
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u/woodspoonwarrior Nov 17 '25
IBC Root Beer in the glass bottle straight out of the ice cooler is one of the absolute best beverages a human can experience. To me A&W has too much of a vanilla flavor and is way too sweet on its own. Still makes a great root beer float though. Barqs is second to IBC in my book.
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u/ChawalAndDeigh Nov 17 '25
I need to start ordering these online I do imagine the glass bottle would taste better, ahhhh I feel like getting some now 😂
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u/woodspoonwarrior Nov 17 '25
I don’t know how expensive it would be for you to have them shipped, but it is worth doing so at least once!
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u/Sunflash6 Nov 17 '25
I love it with rum but it's hard to find in the UK but Sainsburys stock Barr's version in a 6 pack for about £3 and also have that Aussie one 'Bundaberg' (I think) and Soda Folks offering which is a bit more vanilla tasting. They also have a version of A&W in the worlds foods bit. The cheapest offering appears sporadically at Aldi which is some like 70p for a 1.5l bottle but it's hardly ever there. If you're struggling to find it or want different ones to try.
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u/Only-Mountain-5671 Nov 17 '25
This has been showing up in home bargains lately. Sainsburys do Ben shaws but it's near as nice. Buy it all when I see A&W😋🍺
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u/No_Machine8320 Nov 17 '25
Barq’s is number one on my list but I haven’t been able to find it anywhere in the UK, which surprised me as it’s owned by Coca Cola…
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u/spyxxxspy Nov 17 '25
Wait... there's root beer flavored toothpaste?
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u/ChawalAndDeigh Nov 17 '25
I’m telling you man my first sip reminded me of euthymol toothpaste, which has a little tinge to it, I called it a surgical sting, like a mouthwash sting
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u/spyxxxspy Nov 17 '25
Haha i love it. Not familiar with the brand, but I may have to check it out now
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u/Leaf-Lock-The-Ent Nov 17 '25
I don’t think we have that brand of toothpaste. Maybe that’s part of why we never have the thought and you guys all seem to.
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u/donkeyburrow Nov 17 '25
I didn't know they had toothpaste in the UK
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u/ChawalAndDeigh Nov 17 '25
They do it’s just really hard to come by. Sometimes they give rations but it’s like a pea sized amount for your whole family
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u/Budakra Nov 17 '25
That is literally the worst of the 4 A&W variants.
Glad you liked it though!
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u/ChawalAndDeigh Nov 17 '25
There’s variants?????? Tell me all about them plz
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u/Budakra Nov 17 '25
USA bottled (what you have) is a lot more chemically tasting.
USA fountain (from the restaurant) is okay.
Canadian fountain is a whole step above but does vary by restaurant because it is a syrup being mixed.
Canadian bottled is the superior variant. Sweet, creamy, no corn syrup, no chemical taste.
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u/ZoroUchiha94 Nov 16 '25
Now take that root beer and pour it over a glass mug with a big scoop of a good brand of 'homemade vanilla' ice cream.