Root beer, with its iconic and classic flavor, has been a beloved soft drink for nearly two centuries. This article aims to explore the best diet root beer options available, providing a detailed ranking and review based on extensive taste tests and ingredient analysis. The goal is to determine which brands offer the most satisfying and authentic root beer experience without the added sugar and calories.
Methodology
To create this ranking, a wide variety of diet root beers were purchased and subjected to blind taste tests. These tests were conducted on multiple occasions to ensure consistency and accuracy. The primary criteria for evaluation included flavor, aroma, texture, and overall drinking experience. Special attention was paid to how well each diet version replicated the taste of traditional, full-sugar root beer.
Ranking the Best Diet Root Beers
1. Diet Stewart's Root Beer
Diet Stewart’s stands out as the best diet root beer due to its exceptional flavor profile. It features a multitude of extremely small bubbles, creating a delightful texture. The spiced cinnamon or nutmeg quality adds complexity, and it remarkably avoids the artificial sweetener taste often associated with diet sodas. In fact, it leans towards the dryer end of the spectrum, a surprising and welcome characteristic.
2. Diet IBC Root Beer
Diet IBC offers a slightly fruity twist, setting it apart from other diet root beers. It has a tartness reminiscent of tart cherry juice and is heavily spiced, making it a flavorful choice. This root beer is also highly carbonated, providing a fizzy and refreshing experience. The flavor is notably good for a diet soda, with a round, cooked sugar taste and hints of winter spices. It finishes with a sweet note, almost like cream soda, effectively masking any artificial sweetener aftertaste.
3. Fitz's Root Beer
Fitz’s is characterized by its low carbonation, making it easy to drink quickly and appealing to those who prefer less fizz. It has a slightly bitter flavor, giving it a sophisticated, amaro-like quality. This unique profile makes it a standout option for those seeking a more complex diet root beer.
Read also: The Ultimate Guide to Male Diet Supplements
4. A&W Diet Root Beer (Discontinued, but Worth Mentioning)
Although Diet A&W has been discontinued, it's worth noting for its initial taste, which closely mimics a generic, fully sugared root beer. For the first 20 seconds, it successfully fools the taste buds, delivering a familiar and satisfying flavor. However, it is followed by a subtle metallic aftertaste, a common issue with diet sodas.
The Ones to Avoid
Several diet root beers fell short in the taste test, primarily due to artificial flavors, unpleasant aftertastes, or a lack of authentic root beer flavor. These included:
- Zevia's Creamy Root Beer: While it has a stronger root beer flavor than some other low-calorie options, the stevia aftertaste is noticeable. Its lack of added colors also results in a visually unappealing appearance, detracting from the overall experience.
- Health-Ade's SunSip Root Beer: This low-calorie option, sweetened with fruit juice, monk fruit, and cane sugar, suffers from a clash of indistinct flavors. The prominent apple juice flavor overshadows any semblance of root beer.
- Poppi Root Beer: The overwhelming taste of artificial sweetener and a lack of classic root beer flavor make this a less desirable choice.
- Olipop's Classic Root Beer: While it has a good, spicy aroma and a more authentic root beer flavor compared to the bottom-ranked options, it still doesn't quite measure up to the top contenders.
Other Root Beer Brands
Sprecher's Root Beer
Sprecher's Low-Cal Root Beer is brewed in a gas-fired kettle, which the company claims gives it a creamy, silky texture. While this may be true, it is hard to distinguish it from the others on the list. It is sweetened with a touch of pure honey and vanillin, alongside other natural and artificial ingredients.
Bundaberg Root Beer
Hailing from Australia, Bundaberg root beer offers a unique twist on the classic beverage. It is brewed to extract maximum flavor and incorporates cane sugar, molasses, ginger root, sarsaparilla root, licorice root extract, and vanilla bean extract. This combination results in a naturally spicy and flavorful soda with a distinct "beer" quality.
Virgil's Root Beer
Virgil's root beer is known for its strong, typical root beer flavor and high carbonation. It uses 15 roots and spices, along with cane sugar, to achieve a well-balanced sweet and spicy profile.
Read also: Meal replacement guide for women
Barq's Root Beer
Barq's, introduced in 1898, is a classic root beer that contains caffeine, setting it apart from most other brands. It uses high fructose corn syrup and artificial and natural flavors to create its distinctive taste.
Dr. Brown's Root Beer
Dr. Brown's is a classic root beer that delivers a sweet and spicy aroma and flavor, with hints of licorice and vanilla. It is a reliable option that consistently meets expectations.
Mug Root Beer
Mug Root Beer is known for its great texture, moderate carbonation, and foamy head, thanks to the inclusion of quillaia extract. It is a popular choice for root beer floats and delivers a satisfying overall experience.
A&W Root Beer
A&W Root Beer is known for its creamy texture, caramel, spicy flavor, and great foam.
Stewart's Root Beer
Stewart's Root Beer offers a sweet and spicy aroma that is amplified with each sip. It is sweetened with cane sugar and has spicy, earthy flavors from yucca extract. It also has a smooth, creamy foam and texture.
Read also: Chlorine Brand Comparison
The Science of Diet Soda Sweeteners
One of the biggest challenges in creating a great diet root beer is finding the right sweetener. Many brands rely on artificial sweeteners like aspartame, stevia, and sucralose. Each of these has its own unique flavor profile and potential drawbacks.
- Aspartame: Aspartame can provide a sweetness similar to sugar but is often criticized for its potential health effects and distinct aftertaste.
- Stevia: Stevia is a natural sweetener derived from the stevia plant. While it is a popular choice for those seeking a natural alternative, it can sometimes impart a bitter or licorice-like aftertaste.
- Sucralose: Sucralose is another artificial sweetener that is generally considered to be safe. However, it can sometimes have a slightly chemical-like aftertaste.
Some brands are experimenting with alternative sweeteners like monk fruit, erythritol, and allulose. These sweeteners offer a more natural taste and fewer potential side effects, but they can be more expensive.
Regional Variations and Availability
The availability of certain root beer brands can vary significantly depending on the region. Some brands, like Dad's, Red Arrow, and Frostie, are more regional and may not be widely available in all areas. Additionally, some brands may have different formulations depending on the region. For example, A&W Root Beer in Canada uses cane sugar instead of high fructose corn syrup.