Hires Root Beer facts for kids
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| Type | Root Beer |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | Keurig Dr Pepper |
| Country of origin | 117-119 Arch Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Introduced | 1876 |
| Discontinued | 2010s |
| Color | Caramel |
| Related products | A&W Root Beer, Dad's Root Beer, Mug Root Beer, Barq's |
Hires Root Beer was a popular American brand of root beer. It was made by a company called Keurig Dr Pepper. First introduced in 1876, Hires Root Beer was one of the oldest soft drinks in the United States that was made continuously for a very long time.
Contents
The Story of Hires Root Beer
How Hires Root Beer Began
Hires Root Beer was invented by Charles Elmer Hires, a pharmacist from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The common story says that Hires first tried root beer, a traditional American drink, during his honeymoon in 1875. However, exactly when and where he discovered it might be a bit of a mystery!
By 1876, Hires had created his own special recipe. He started selling packets of powder for 25 cents. Each packet could make about 1 gallon (3.8 liters) of root beer. At the Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia in 1876, he gave away free glasses of his root beer. This helped him find many new customers. Hires said his root beer was made from 16 wild roots and berries. He even claimed it could "purify the blood" and give people "rosy cheeks."
In 1884, Hires began making a liquid extract and a syrup. These were used in soda fountains, which were popular places to get drinks. Soon, he was shipping root beer in large barrels. He also made a special dispenser called the "Hires Automatic Munimaker." By 1890, his company, the Charles E. Hires Company, was officially formed. They started selling Hires root beer in small bottles. By 1891, over a million bottles had been sold!
Naming the Drink
Hires faced a challenge because of the word "beer" in his product's name. Some groups, like the temperance movement, were against alcohol. They worried about any drink with "beer" in its name. Hires had his root beer tested in a lab. The results showed that a glass of his root beer had less alcohol than a loaf of bread. Hires then promoted his drink as "The Temperance Drink." He also called it "the Greatest Health-Giving Beverage in the World." Hires believed strongly in advertising. He famously said, "doing business without advertising is like winking at a girl in the dark. You know what you are doing, but nobody else does."
Ingredients and Safety
One important ingredient in early root beer was sassafras oil. This plant extract was used for its flavor. In 1960, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) stopped the use of sassafras oil. This was because it contained a chemical called safrol, which was found to be unsafe. However, scientists later found a way to remove the harmful chemical from sassafras oil while keeping its flavor. This made it safe to use again.
Before these changes, Hires' ingredients included carbonated water, sugar, and plant extracts. These extracts came from birch, sassafras, licorice, vanilla, and ginger, among others.
Hires Root Beer in the 1900s
From the early 1900s through the 1980s, Hires sold root beer kits. These kits allowed people in the United States and Canada to make their own root beer at home. They would mix an extract with water, sugar, and yeast. However, most people preferred to buy bottled Hires root beer.
In the mid-1960s, Hires had a fun advertising campaign. It featured catchy songs sung by jazz singer Blossom Dearie. She sang in a playful voice: "Hires Root Beer! Hires Rootin' Tootin' Root Beer! Hires Rootin'-Tootin' Rabble-Rousin', lion-roarin', Roman-candle-lightin' Root Beer!"
Over the years, the Hires company was bought by different large companies. In 1960, Consolidated Foods bought it from the Hires family. Two years later, it was sold to Crush International. Then, Procter & Gamble bought Crush in 1980. In 1989, Cadbury Schweppes bought Crush. Finally, in 2008, Cadbury sold its soft drinks part, and the company became Dr Pepper Snapple Group.
In Canada, Keurig Dr Pepper no longer sells the Hires brand. Other root beer brands, like Mug Root Beer, have taken its place since the 1990s. In Canada, the Hires brand is now sold by Canada Dry Motts as an alcoholic drink, Hires Root Beer and vodka.
In the U.S., Hires Root Beer slowly became less available. This happened as the same company, Dr. Pepper, started promoting other root beer brands they owned, like A&W Root Beer.
Hires Root Beer Today
As of 2023, the Keurig Dr. Pepper website no longer lists Hires among its brands. This means the classic Hires Root Beer is no longer widely available from its original maker.
See also
- Chester teapot, a giant teapot made from an old Hires Root Beer barrel sign.
