Last Updated on May 1, 2026 by Brian Kachejian
Feature Photo and Design by Brian Kachejian
We tested 25 root beers, and when it came down to the final championship, one brand separated itself in a way we didn’t expect. What started as a fun taste test turned into something much more serious once the best of the best were put side by side.
Our final round of this root beer test comes down to just a few flavors, flavors that survived challenges from many different brands.
When I was telling people that my son Cole and I were filming this root beer taste test and that we picked 25 root beers, one of the most common responses I got was, “There are actually 25 different root beers?” And I understood that reaction, because most people only know the big national brands.
Of course, you have names like Mug, A&W, and Barq’s, brands that everyone recognizes. Then you have others like Boylan and Dr Brown’s, which some people know, depending on where they live. But once I started digging into this, I realized just how many regional and lesser-known brands there are. There were even a few I wanted to include that I simply couldn’t get my hands on.
Supermarket space is limited, and that’s a big part of the story. Most stores focus on national brands, with maybe a few regional options mixed in. I was able to find some of the upstate New York brands like Saranac at places like Wegmans, and I picked up others at beverage distributors, but there were still some I couldn’t source at a reasonable price.
That matters to me because a big part of what I do is being a consumer advocate. I want to help people find the best tasting products and the best value. I’m not going to spend 50 or 60 dollars on a six pack just to include it in a test, because that doesn’t reflect reality for most people.
At the end of the day, this contest became a mix of national brands and regional standouts, which actually made it better.
And just as important as the root beer itself was the time spent doing this with my son Cole. We had a lot of fun putting this together. He brings a different perspective, a different energy, and, honestly, a great sense of humor that made this whole process even better. There’s a 40 year difference between us, and that actually helped us cover a lot of ground when it came to taste.
So now it all comes down to this. The final championship round.
If you missed the earlier rounds, check out our Best Probiotic and Prebiotic Root Beer Ranked Round 1 Taste Test, Best Canned Root Beer Ranked Round 2, and Best Bottled Root Beer Ranked Round 3 to see how we got here.
Championship Setup
After three full rounds, four root beers remained.
Hank’s
Saranac
Johnnie Ryan
Virgil’s
The bottled winners now face the canned champion in one final test to decide the best root beer overall.
Virgil’s Root Beer Championship Performance
We started the final round with Virgil’s, the reigning champion from the canned root beer round, to see how it held up against the bottled winners.
Right away, something felt different. After everything we had already tasted, the flavor shifted slightly. There was a sweeter note coming through, almost with an apple-like edge that stood out more than it had earlier in the competition.
That doesn’t mean it dropped off completely. It still had character and still felt like a strong root beer, but it didn’t hit with the same impact it had in Round 2.
When we came back to it after tasting Johnnie Ryan, it still held the edge, showing a bit more personality and a more interesting profile overall. But at this stage, it felt like it had leveled off rather than pushed forward.
Brian: 7.2
Cole: 7.5
In the end, Virgil’s remained solid, but it never took control of the championship round the way it had in the earlier stage.
Johnnie Ryan Root Beer Championship Performance
Johnnie Ryan entered the final round as the survivor of a weaker bracket, and this was its chance to prove it could compete with the top tier.
From the first sip, it showed that it could hold together. It was drinkable, steady, and didn’t have the off-balance issues that knocked out some of the other brands in its bracket.
But once it was placed directly next to Virgil’s, the difference became clear. It lacked depth, didn’t build in flavor, and never really developed into anything beyond a straightforward root beer.
There was nothing wrong with it, but at this level, being just okay isn’t enough. It needed more body, more presence, and more complexity to stay in the fight.
Brian: 7
Cole: 7
It did what it needed to do to get here, but against stronger competition, it couldn’t move any further.
With both Virgil’s and Johnnie Ryan evaluated, the path forward became clear.
Neither had the depth or presence needed to win the championship, and that left the final decision where it always seemed headed.
Saranac Root Beer Championship Performance
Saranac arrived at this final round through a completely different path, but with just as much credibility behind it. Produced by the F.X. Matt Brewing Company in Utica, New York, a brewery that dates back to 1888, Saranac carries a long tradition of beverage craftsmanship. That background showed up in its root beer, which consistently delivered balance, structure, and a classic flavor profile that never drifted too far in any direction.
Throughout the competition, Saranac proved something important. It didn’t need to be the boldest or the most complex to stand out. Instead, it focused on getting everything right. The carbonation was steady, the sweetness was controlled, and the body of the drink felt complete from start to finish. It was the kind of root beer that worked every time you went back to it.
When we brought it into this final comparison, it immediately felt right. Everything that makes root beer enjoyable was present and working together. There was no drop-off, no imbalance, nothing to question.
Brian: 9
Cole: 9
There was also something else happening here that’s worth acknowledging. Cole has a personal connection to Saranac. He spent time upstate, with the Saranac River right behind his dorm, and that kind of experience naturally creates an emotional connection to a brand. That’s part of food and drink. It’s not just taste, it’s memory, place, and experience.
But even with that connection, he approached this honestly. The score reflects that. It wasn’t just sentiment, it was consistency, balance, and performance in the glass.
Hank’s Root Beer Championship Performance
Hank’s came into this final round as one of the most impressive root beers in the entire competition. Founded in 1995 in the Philadelphia area, the brand was built around recreating a traditional, old-style root beer using cane sugar and a recipe designed to emphasize richness and depth. That focus showed up clearly throughout the earlier rounds, where Hank’s consistently delivered a smooth, full-bodied flavor with strong vanilla notes and a layered profile that stood out against nearly everything else we tasted.
What made Hank’s so effective was how complete it felt. It wasn’t just sweet, it wasn’t just creamy, it had multiple elements working together. You could taste the vanilla, pick up on the licorice, and feel that smooth finish carry through. In earlier rounds, that combination made it extremely difficult to beat. It wasn’t just good, it was built to compete.
But in the championship round, things shifted slightly. After everything we had already tasted, and especially when placed directly next to Saranac, Hank’s didn’t hit with quite the same force. The sweetness felt a little more muted, and while the texture and foaminess were still there, it didn’t feel as full in comparison.
That doesn’t take anything away from what it is. Hank’s is still one of the most well-crafted root beers in the entire group. But in this final moment, it didn’t quite reach the same level it had earlier in the competition.
Brian: 8.5
Cole: 8.5
The Final Decision
After 25 root beers, multiple rounds, and more sugar than we probably should have taken on, this came down to one last comparison that had to be right.
Hank’s brought depth, craftsmanship, and a layered flavor that made it one of the most impressive root beers in the entire competition. On a different day, in a different setting, that might have been enough to win it all.
But in this moment, side by side, sip for sip, Saranac simply delivered more.
It wasn’t about one flavor note standing out. It wasn’t about being sweeter or stronger. It was about everything working together at once. The carbonation, the balance, the body, the consistency from the first sip to the last. There was never a point where it dropped off, never a moment where it felt like it needed anything else.
And when you get to a championship round like this, that’s what decides it.
Saranac didn’t just compete; it held its ground against everything we threw at it and never gave anything back.
That’s why Saranac Root Beer is the winner of this 25 root beers taste test.
Watch the Full Video
Watch the full unedited championship round below to see every reaction as it happened.
Our Judges
Brian Kachejian
RockinFoodie Editor-in-Chief
and
Cole Kachejian
Photographer and contributing writer
