The Popular Soda Company That Owns Mug Root Beer

Once upon a fizz, Mug Root Beer was the loyal underdog of the soda aisles in grocery stores and supermarkets. It did not need a fancy ad campaign or celebrity endorsement to convince anyone to grab a can. The frosty bulldog mascot did all the talking, his foam-tipped mug raised high like a working-class hero of carbonation. But beneath that creamy head of nostalgia there is a corporate twist worthy of a soft drink soap opera. The brand that now owns Mug is none other than PepsiCo, which picked it up in 1986.

Before Pepsi got its hands on Mug, the root beer had humble beginnings in San Francisco during the 1940s, where it was brewed by the Belfast Beverage Company. Back then, Mug was sold in brown glass bottles with the kind of gritty authenticity that made it feel like a soda your granddad would drink after mowing the lawn. It was strong, foamy, and sweet enough to give dentists nightmares. When PepsiCo stepped in, the root beer's logo was changed from a literal mug to the bulldog we know today. Mug went national, showing up at backyard barbecues, drive-in theaters, and gas stations from coast to coast. Its frothy head and no-nonsense flavor became the taste of summer road trips, childhood sugar highs, and burger joint nostalgia. For a while, Mug sat comfortably beside Pepsi's other beverage titans like Mountain Dew and Sierra Mist as the brand's answer to A&W and Barq's.

Despite its bark, Mug never quite dethroned its competitors. Maybe it was too polite. Maybe it was too sweet. Or maybe Mug was the victim of a changing beverage scene that left traditional root beers looking like relics in a world obsessed with zero-sugar seltzers and kombucha. But the brand kept its loyalists. Online forums still buzz with heated debates about Mug versus A&W, as if one could measure nostalgia with a carbonation meter. Some fans swear Mug's smoother, less spicy flavor makes it the true king of the root beer world. Others call it the "Pepsi of root beers" — dependable but never wild.

Data from the 2025 root beer market paints a clearer picture of why Mug stayed an underdog. According to industry analysis, Mug Root Beer generated around $150 million in revenue in 2025, placing it eighth among the top root beer brands. In contrast, Barq's pulled in around $200, while PepsiCo's overall root beer portfolio reached $1 billion through its beverage network.

PepsiCo seems to know Mug's charm lies in its consistency. The formula has hardly changed, and its bulldog mascot still grins from the label like he knows something the modern soda drinkers have forgotten. Recently, PepsiCo has also stirred up the soda scene by introducing a bold new flavor: Mug Root Beer Floats Vanilla Howler. This innovative take on the classic root beer is inspired by the "dirty soda" trend, which combines soda with cream and flavored syrups for a sweet, creamy beverage.

Mug remains the kind of drink that never tries too hard. It is there when someone needs a popular root beer float that tastes like 1995, or a can that pairs perfectly with legitimately crispy fries and no conversation. It is proof that not every beverage needs a wellness angle or eco-conscious bottle design to endure. Sometimes, all it takes is a loyal bulldog, a sturdy can, and that satisfying hiss that says the world is about to get just a little bit sweeter.