Does Barq’s Root Beer have Caffeine in it?

Founded by Edward Barq, Barq’s is a brand based in America. The brand has been operating since the 20^th century when it was bottled. An interesting fact is that Barq’s is owned by the Coca-Cola Company. Initially, it was known as “Barq’s Famous Olde Tyme Root Beer,” and the name was the same until 2012. Some of its drinks contain caffeine. This root beer has been made for over a hundred years and is a well-known brand. However, there still is confusion regarding the caffeine contained in Barq’s.

So, is there caffeine content or Barq’s or not?

Most root beers do not have caffeine; however, some specific root beers do, and Barq’s is one of them.

So, Yes, Barq’s does have caffeine content in it.

The regular Barq’s have around 22.5 Milligrams in every 12-ounce can. However, Barq’s also has a caffeine-free diet version. So if caffeine is an issue, you can go for the diet version. However, there’s one exception to all of this, which creates added confusion. Barq’s, when bought from a Freestyle Coca-Cola machine is absolutely caffeine-free.

Why Does Barq’s Have caffeine while other Root beers do not?

The answer to that isn’t all that simple. See, caffeine itself is somewhat tasteless, and taste isn’t the reason Barq’s add caffeine separately in their drinks. Back in the day, Barq’s advertised using wordplays like “Barq’s is the one with bite,” simply attributing to the fact that Barq’s had caffeine in it. It essentially meant that Barq’s was addictive because caffeine is addictive in nature, and this is precisely why Barq’s caffeine content is added separately. It’s not there because of the natural chemistry of the ingredients.

Caffeine and Root Beer

The history goes way back. Root beers usually do not have caffeine in them, and it is a well-known fact, but things changed when Barq’s entered the market. Let’s take a look at history when Charles Hines first commercially marketed root beer. He was a pharmacist and developed a sassafras-based beverage in 1875, which was being sold by the following year. At first, he wanted to call it “root tea” however realized that calling it beer would allow him to sell more to coal miners.

Barq’s beer’s Ingredients

The main ingredients of Barq’s beer are Carbonated Water, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Caramel Color, Sodium Benzoate (To Protect Taste), Citric Acid, Caffeine, Artificial, and Natural Flavors, Acacia.

Caffeine Chart for Popular Drinks

Drink	Serving Size	Caffeine
Barq’s Root Beer	12 oz.	22
Diet Barqs Root Beer	12 oz.	0
7-Up, Fresca, or Sprite	12 oz.	0
A&W Root Beer—diet or regular	12 oz.	0
Fanta Orange	12 oz.	0
Ginger ale, most brands	12 oz.	0
Mug Root Beer—diet or regular	12 oz.	0
Stewart’s Orange ‘n Cream—diet or regular	12 oz.	0
Stewart’s Root Beer—diet or regular	12 oz.	0
Pepsi Zero Sugar	12 oz.	69
Surge	16 oz.	68
Zevia Mountain Zevia	12 oz.	55
Mountain Dew—diet or regular	12 oz.	54
Diet Coke	12 oz.	46
Zevia Cola	12 oz.	45
Zevia Dr. Zevia	12 oz.	42
Dr. Pepper—diet or regular	12 oz.	41
Zevia Cherry Cola	12 oz.	38
Pepsi—diet or regular	12 oz.	35–38
Coca-Cola—regular or zero sugar	12 oz.	34
Pepsi True	10 oz.	32
Bang	16 oz.	300
Redline Cognitive Candy	12 oz.	300
Redline Max 300 7-Hour Energy Boost	2.5 oz.	300
Full Throttle Energy Drink	16 oz.	160
Monster Energy	16 oz.	160
NOS	16 oz.	160
Rockstar Original Energy Drink	16 oz.	160
Venom Energy—low calorie or regular	16 oz.	160
Mountain Dew Amp Original	16 oz.	142
Starbucks Doubleshot Energy	15 oz.	135
Zevia Energy	12 oz.	120
Coca-Cola Energy—regular or zero sugar	12 oz.	114
Steaz Energy	12 oz.	100
Mountain Dew Amp Game Fuel—regular or zero	16 oz.	90
Mountain Dew Kickstart Original Dew	16 oz.	90
Red Bull—regular or sugar-free	8.4 oz.	80
V8 +Energy	8 oz.	80
V8 Sparkling +Energy	11.5 oz.	80
Ocean Spray Cran-Energy	10 oz.	75

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