The Barq's that is dispensed from Coca-Cola Freestyle machines is caffeine-free. Barq's also contains sodium benzoate as a flavor protectant, which under the right conditions, is a precursor to the known carcinogen benzene. Regular Barq's has 22.5 mg of caffeine per 12 ounce serving (similar to green tea), while Diet Barq's has no caffeine. Since 1995, Barq's has marketed with the slogan 'Barq's has bite!' Television ads would typically feature a Barq's salesman (played by Nick Swardson) going door-to-door to tell people, 'Barq's has bite' at which point the subjects would take a sip and have an energetic reaction. It was mixed in an above ground swimming pool in the parking lot and consisted of 1,500 gallons of Barq's root beer and 1,000 gallons of vanilla ice cream. In 1990, Barq's partnered with the Pick N Save grocery store in Dekalb, Illinois to create the World's Largest Root Beer Float. The last family-held Louisiana Barq's was sold by Robinson's heirs to Coca-Cola in 2000. The legal battle went all the way to the United States Court of Appeals, 5th Circuit, which ruled in favor of the Robinson heirs. There were extended legal conflicts over the rights and ownership of the trademarks for Barq's, Barq's Sr. Their plans to market the brand nationally were complicated by the existence of the Louisiana-based Barq's companies which were owned and operated by Robinson's heirs. An aggressive television campaign was developed based on the 'Barq's Got Sparks' theme. In 1976, the Biloxi Barq's Company was purchased from the third generation of Barq family members by John Oudt and John Koerner. It's good,' which first appeared on the classic diamond-necked bottle, patented in 1935 by Ed Barq. The traditional slogan was the simple affirmation 'Drink Barq's. The formulation was sarsaparilla-based, contained less sugar, had a higher carbonation, and less of a foamy head than other brands.

It was also due to some differences from other root beers at the time. This was in part a desire to avoid legal conflict with the Hires Root Beer company, which was attempting to claim a trademark on the term 'root beer'. įor many decades, Barq's was not marketed as a 'root beer'. While there may have been minor formula differences, water was most responsible. There were also regional taste differences between the various Barq's bottlers. This was to distinguish ownership of bottles as blue labeled ones were returned to Mississippi and vice versa. A distinctive difference between the Biloxi-based root beer and the Louisiana's was that the Louisiana bottle was printed in red (versus Biloxi's blue). The two men remained close their entire lives, working on flavors and production challenges. In 1934 Barq and Robinson signed a contractual agreement on Barq's product rights allowing Robinson to make his own concentrate, uncommon in beverage bottling licenses. Robinson was mentored by Barq and later moved to New Orleans. īarq met a young boy on the Mississippi coast, Jesse Robinson, and employed him. By some accounts he debuted what was later to be known as 'Barq's root beer' the following year, but others maintain it was not produced until 1900. The following year he opened the Biloxi Artesian Bottling Works. Early on, their most popular creation was an orange-flavored soda called Orangine.Įdward Barq moved to Biloxi, Mississippi in 1897 with his new wife. The brothers bottled carbonated water and various soft drinks of their own creation.

The Barq's Brothers Bottling Company was founded in 1890 in the French Quarter of New Orleans, by Edward Charles Edmond Barq and his older brother, Gaston. Historical Marker at Edward Barq's Pop Factory, Biloxi, Mississippi, USA

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