Avoiding accidental drunkenness is easier than you think. First, check the label: if it says “hard root beer” or “alcoholic root beer,” that’s a red flag—or a green light, depending on your vibe.
15 Popular Hard Root Beers
Second, look at the alcohol content. Anything with 5% ABV or higher is not for the kiddie table. Brands like Not Your Father’s Root Beer or Dad’s Root Beer (ironic names, right?) are the ringleaders of this boozy circus.
Finally, if the can looks like it belongs at a frat party and not a picnic, assume it’s hard. Unless you want to be that person who brings a “root beer” to a toddler’s birthday and accidentally becomes the life (and death) of the party. True story—it happened to my cousin.
The Weird History of Root Beer’s Boozy Past
Believe it or not, root beer has always flirted with alcohol. Back in the day, colonial Americans brewed “small beers” (low-alcohol drinks) from roots and herbs. They called it root tea or “birch beer,” and it usually had a tiny kick.
Then came Prohibition in the 1920s, when companies like Barq’s started bottling a carbonated, non-alcoholic version to keep the fun going without the fuzz. That’s the stuff we know today—a clever rebrand of a once-boozy tradition.
Fast-forward to now, and brewers are like, “Hey, let’s bring back the original recipe, but with more buzz.” And voilà—hard root beer is born again, like a zombie soda that’s way more fun at parties.
