The recipe for the world's best-selling root beer may be a secret, according to A&W Harwich
Port, but the meaning behind the letters in the name is public knowledge — sort of.
A&W doesn't keep the information hidden, but it doesn't shout it from the rooftops either.
The letters are straightforward initials — "A" stands for Roy Allen, the originator of the
brand, and "W" stands for Frank Wright, his original business partner.
Allen didn't set out to be a root beer magnate. In fact, he was pushing 40 by the time he
served his first mug. We're not even sure how the Illinois native landed in Central
California. By some accounts, noted The Record, Allen was:
"[A] roving businessman who liked to buy old buildings and fix them up."
Allen was running a hotel in Flagstaff, Arizona, where he met a retired pharmacist who had
been experimenting with recipes for a soft drink made from an unusual blend of bark,
berries, herbs, and spices. According to some accounts, Allen bought the pharmacist's formula,
though it's not entirely certain. That was in 1918.
From what we can tell, Allen didn't initially have a brand name for his soda. It was just
root beer, a variation of an age-old concoction made from herbs, berries, and bark, according
to Renegade Brewing.
In fact, similar blends were already well-known by the time Allen entered the market, with
19th-century farm brewers across the United States creating their own recipes that incorporated
all kinds of tree barks blended with different flavorings ranging from juniper berries and
coriander seeds to vanilla bean and licorice.
While some made root beer for their own consumption, others — including Charles Elmer Hires of
Hires Root Beer fame — sold it as a cure-all elixir. So it makes sense that Allen got the
recipe for what would become A&W Root Beer from a retired pharmacist who had been experimenting
with different blends of root beers.
While the recipe remains a corporate secret — though probably didn't include a scoop
of vanilla ice cream — taste tests reveal hints to the tweaks Allen may have made.
"We know what'll make you feel better." "Hey Sam, how about a root beer float. We got someone
down in the dumps."
Eat Delights describes it as "creamy" with "hints of vanilla." Taste of Home points to
a clue in plain sight: The A&W brand lists, quote, "aged vanilla" on its packaging.
A few years after perfecting his recipe, Allen teamed up with Frank Wright, an employee at
one of his stores. The partners set their sites on expanding the business by offering
franchise opportunities. They named their venture A&W and opened a stand in Sacramento,
California. A&W went on to establish what is regarded as the United States' first franchise
restaurant chain.
Allen bought Wright out in 1924 and managed to trademark the brand name. When he retired
in 1950, he sold A&W to Gene Hurtz, who expanded the brand internationally during his roughly
14-year tenure, according to Amherst College.
A&W has changed hands multiple times since Roy Allen handed out that first mug of root
beer in 1919, but when the company celebrated its 100th anniversary, the milestone must
have been especially poignant for its owners, a group of franchisees who purchased A&W in
2011. Seems fitting in a back-to-its-roots kind of way.
Roy Allen was a stickler for details. As reported by The Record, an early licensee agreement
stipulated the coils on the refrigeration units used to store and serve Allen's root
beer had to be covered with at least 15 inches of chipped ice at all times to ensure a serving
temperature no higher than 40 degrees. Standards also called for the company's signature glass
mugs to be stored in chipped ice.
While the original drug store location on Pine Street in Lodi, California is long gone
— there's still an A&W in Lodi on Lodi Avenue, not far away from where Roy Allen served mugs
to returning World War I troops and parade-goers. And you can still get freshly made root beer.
According to the A&W website:
"It's still made fresh on site with real cane sugar and a proprietary blend of herbs, bark,
spices and berries."
Check out one of our newest videos right here! Plus, even more Mashed videos about your favorite
food brands are coming soon. Subscribe to our YouTube channel and hit the bell so you
don't miss a single one.