How much sugar is in Root Beer? Root beer. It’s that distinctive sassafras-based soda that you either love or hate. But exactly how much sugar is in root beer? I have already written an article looking at 10 of the best sugar-free root beers which you read here – Which Root Beers Contain the Least Sugar? Let’s Find Out. But how about the full-sugar root beers? Exactly how much sugar is in them? That is the question I am going to answer in this post.
In order to answer his question, I selected 10 of the most popular root beers and looked at the sugar content of a 12oz serving (and pro-rating the sugar content where relevant).
So, let’s dig in – how much sugar is in root beer?
How Much Sugar is in Root Beer?
As a general rule, there are 38g-46g of sugar in a 12oz serving of root beer. There are many sugar-free versions of root beer available which contain 0g of sugar per serving.
1. A&W Root Beer – 46g of Sugar
First up is one of the most well-recognized root beer brands out there – A&W root beer. Well, A&W is actually a higher-sugar root beer coming in at 46g of sugar per 12oz can. This is the same sugar content as a can of Mountain Dew Original (you can read more about how root beer compares to other sodas here – Which Soda Contains the Most Sugar?).
Of course, if you love A&W root beer but are watching your sugar intake then you should definitely try their diet version. You can read all about it here – Which Root Beers Contain the Least Sugar? Let’s Find Out.
2. Barq’s Root Beer – 45g of Sugar
One of the other most well-recognized root beer brands is Barq’s. Well, Barq’s sugar content is slightly lower than A&W but it is still on the high side at 45g of sugar in a 12oz can.
3. Bundaberg Root Beer – 44g of Sugar
Next up is Bundaberg. Bundaberg Root beer comes in a 375ml bottle and there are 47g of sugar in a bottle. To make it a fair comparison I apportioned this sugar content, so it is applicable for a 12oz serving.
There are 44g of sugar in a 12oz seeing if Bundaberg Root beer.
4. Dad’s Root Beer – 43g of Sugar
Dad’s Root Beer comes in slightly lower in the sugar department at 43g of sugar in a 12oz can.
If you want to ditch the 43g of sugar whilst still enjoying Dad’s Root beer, then you should definitely try their sugar-free version. You can read more about it here – Which Root Beers Contain the Least Sugar? Let’s Find Out.
5. Mug Root Beer – 43g of Sugar
There is the same sugar content in 12oz of Mug root beer as Dad’s Root Beer. This root beer contains 43g of sugar per can.
6. Boylan Bottling Co Root Beer – 43g of Sugar
It’s the same sugar situation with Boylan Bottling Co Root beer as well, containing 43g of sugar in a 12oz can.
7. Virgil’s Root Beer – 42g of Sugar
Guess how much sugar is in a 12oz serving of Virgil’s Root Beer? Well, if you guessed 43g of sugar you would be wrong – there are 42g of sugar in a 12oz serving of Virgil’s root beer.
8. IBC Root Beer – 40g of Sugar
IBC root beer contains 40g of soda in a 12oz serving. Do you think this is less or more than most orange sodas? To find out the answer check out the following post I researched – Which Soda Contains the Most Sugar?
9. Screechers Root Beer – 38g of Sugar
OMG, a root beer with less sugar than a can of Coke? Yes, that is right there are 38g of sugar in a 12oz serving of Screechers Root Beer. In comparison, there are 39g of sugar in a 12oz serving of Coke. You can read more about how different sodas compare next to each other here – Which Soda Contains the Most Sugar?
Just to be clear, Screechers root beer comes in 16oz bottles. There are 51g of sugar in a bottle but to keep this comparison I prorated the sugar content, so it was applicable to a 12oz serving.
10. Stewart’s Root Beer – 38g of Sugar
The other lower-sugar root beer is Stewart’s Root Beer, also coming in at 38g of sugar in a 12oz serving. Now bear in mind, 38g of sugar is still a lot of sugar. But it is 8g lower than a can of A&W. So if you just must have a full sugar root beer, at least you save 8g of sugar with a can of Stewart’s. And at least it’s marginally less sugar than a can of Coke.
If 38g of sugar is still too much for you (let’s face it, it is still a lot) then Stewart’s also makes a sugar-free root beer. You can read more about it here – Which Root Beers Contain the Least Sugar? Let’s Find Out.
Summary Table of Sugar in Root Beer
Below is a summary table of all the root beers I mentioned above. For each entry, I list the sugar content per serving.
| Root Beer Brand | Sugar in a 12oz Serving |
|---|---|
| A&W4 | 46g |
| Barq’s | 45g |
| Bundaberg | 44g |
| Dad’s | 43g |
| Mug | 43g |
| Boylan Bottling Co | 43g |
| Virgil’s | 42g |
| IBC | 40g |
| Screechers | 38g |
| Stewart’s | 38g |
FAQs – Sugar Content and Root Beer
How Much Sugar is in a 12oz Can of A&W Root Beer?
There are 46g of sugar in a 12oz can of A&W root beer.
How Much Sugar is in a 16oz A&W Root Beer?
There are 61g of sugar in 16oz of A&W root beer.
How Much Sugar is in a 12oz Can of Mug Root Beer?
There are 43g of sugar in a 12oz can of Mug root beer.
How Much Sugar is in Barq’s Root Beer?
There are 45g of sugar in 12oz of Barq’s root beer.
What Contains More Sugar – Root Beer or Coke?
As a general rule, most root beer brands contain more sugar than Coke. There are 39g of sugar in a 12oz can of Coke and 38g-46g of sugar in a 12oz serving of root beer.
What Contains More Sugar – Root Beer or Mountain Dew?
As a general rule, Mountain Dew contains more sugar than most brands of root beer. There are 46g of sugar in a 12oz can of Mountain Dew Original and 38g-46g of sugar in a 12oz serving of root beer.
How Much Sugar is in Root Beer? – The Final Bite
How much sugar is in root beer? What have we learned from the above? Well, firstly most root beers will contain more sugar than a regular Coke. So, if you are watching your sugar content then you need to be particularly careful when picking out your favorite root beer. However, if you want to really lower your sugar intake and still have root beer then your best option is to pick a diet root beer. Which, let’s face it, is the case for all regular sodas.
And Remember…
Ingredients and/or manufacturing processes may change. Always double-check ingredient lists and nutritional information before purchasing any food items.
WANT TO FIND MORE LOW SUGAR OPTIONS?
Do you want to learn about some other low-sugar options at your favorite coffee chains, fast food, or restaurant joints, or just while you are shopping for groceries? If you do, then check out some of my other articles below:
