Root beer is a carbonated beverage originally brewed using sassafras. It's one of America's most popular soft drinks. On June 20, 1919, while the citizens of Lodi, California, held a parade honoring returning World War I veterans, a young entrepreneur named Roy Allen set up a roadside drink stand to cure the thirst of the spectators. His new thick and creamy drink concoction, root beer, was an instant success at a nickel per glass mug. So favorable was customer response for his root beer beverage that Allen immediately took on his first partner, Frank Wright. With his drink-stand success, Allen wasted little time in opening a root beer stand in Stockton, California. He soon followed with five stands in nearby Sacramento, home of the country’s first “drive-in” featuring “tray-boys” for curbside service. Success was rapid and Allen opened two more units in Houston during 1922. It was here that Allen first introduced “A&W” as the brand name of his root beer. Much has changed since Roy Allen first sold root beer on that summer day in 1919, but the one thing that hasn't is the rich, smooth taste of A&W Root Beer. INGREDIENTS: Carbonated water, caramel color, aspartame, phosphoric acid, artificial and natural flavors, sodium benzoate (preservative), caffeine, phenylanine.