Barq bought the Biloxi Artesian Bottling Works on Keller Avenue in Biloxi in 1897. Here Edward Barq, Sr., developed the formula for and first bottled the now-famous Barq's Root Beer in 1898.
Barq’s Root Beer was first bottled by the Biloxi Artesian Bottling Works. By day Barq and his wife sold the drinks, and then spent the rest of their time mixing the formula for them and refilling glass bottles.
Although root beer was never as popular as the cola products, Barq’s nevertheless spread throughout the United States and branched out with flavors such as Grape, Moon-Glo, Imitation Strawberry, and red creme soda.
The drinks popularity was unstoppable. By 1931 the enterprise had begun to expand seriously, having opened plants in New Orleans and Mobile. In 1936, Barq's operation was moved from Keller Avenue to a larger plant at 604 Lameuse Street, also in Biloxi.
By 1937, 62 bottling plants had been established in 22 states. The numbers peaked in 1950 at about 200, but by that time the "root beer" had been forced to undergo changes.
The first came in 1938 when the federal government banned caffeine in root beer. Barq simply changed the name of his drink to Barq's Sr. and then set about developing a caffeine-free root beer.
When the government reversed it caffeine ban in 1960, Barq's Sr. disappeared, and the original recipe once again appeared, as root beer. This created some confusion about what to call the drink. Many had inadvertently called it Barq's Root Beer, but it wouldn't take long for the old man to gracefully straighten one out by saying "Barq's son. Just Barq's". In 1995 The Coca‑Cola Company acquires the Barq’s root beer brand.
Barq’s root beer
