Commentary

Some 50 root beers were tasted by four panels, whose preferences showed a fair degree of consistency.

The top pick was Sioux City Sarsaparilla, favored for its "rich, classic" root beer taste and its spiciness. "Root beer that should be," one panelist commented.

Chicago brand Canfield's was close behind in points, however, and it was first in the tasting conducted in the Chicago Tribune test kitchen. The company likes to credit its triple-filtered Lake Michigan water as well as its generosity with vanilla, which lends creaminess. Tasters liked the drink's spiciness and well-balanced flavor, though there was little agreement as to its creaminess -- a difference of opinion that extended to most of the brands tested.

Detroit's Faygo (whose parent, National Beverage Corp., also makes Shasta soft drinks) placed second the two times it was in competition, winning favor with its "smooth," "mainstream" and "balanced" flavor.

(Like several of the brands tested, Faygo can be hard to find. A&W, Barq's, Dad's, Canfield's and IBC grab supermarket shelf space because they are distributed by major bottlers. Other brands are more likely to turn up at smaller groceries, liquor stores, drugstores and convenience stores.)

IBC, owned by Dallas-based Dr Pepper/Seven Up Cos., was another consistent performer, its sharp, spicy flavor and strong fizziness placing it third both times out. "It almost hurts," one taster said.

Among other top brands, Dog n Suds finished twice in the top half. Based in Lafayette, Ind., the brand has a rich vanilla flavor, though some found it light on bite.

A&W, Hires and Dad's turned in mixed performances, as did Barq's. A&W was strong, perhaps too strong, in the wintergreen department, while Hires may have been too sweet for its own good. One fan thought Dad's was "crying out for ice cream," others found its wintergreen or floral aspects pushing it over into the "mediciney" category. One taster said "Nice nose. Smell it, don't drink it." Barq's was colalike, with its heavy carbonation pleasing some tasters while putting off others.

Snapple's root beer turned in a dismal performance, finishing last in one test and in the bottom five in another. In general, health-oriented brands did poorly, while a handful of local root beers performed respectably.

Clover Club, like Canfield's a Chicago label, tied for third in the Tribune test. It's a far smaller brand, however, notable for its tall, deposit quart bottles (a design shared by Filbert's draft product). Tasters found a mild, natural flavor and a pleasing aftertaste. It is made with sugar, not corn syrup.

The regional brands that did well were led by Frostie, which finished first in a field of 21 on the strength of its even root beer taste -- called one-dimensional by a critic, well-balanced by a fan.

Other popular local and regional brands included New York's C&C, Thomas Kemper from Seattle, Dr. McGillicuddy's from New Orleans and Kansas' Lost Trail.