Updated July 2026
There is no official best root beer. Grocery root beer is 0% soda, not a malt beverage. Hard root beer is a different bottle brand ABV, can. US TTB “non-alcoholic” on a malt beverage needs the adjacent “less than 0.5 percent alcohol by volume” line. Under 0.5% cannot say beer (7.145). Official A&W and other grocery ABVs unused as a ranking. No 2026 crown.
Related: does root beer have alcohol, low-alcohol beer class, ginger beer labels.
Soda vs hard
| Language | 12 oz drinks |
|---|---|
| Grocery root beer | 0 |
| Hard root beer | Read the can |
| TTB non-alcoholic | ~0 |
| Best brand | — |
Read the can, not a 2023 ranking. Pour math: beer drinks.
Sources
- 27 CFR 7.65 / 7.145.
- NIAAA December 2025.
- (27 CFR 7.65)