Mug Root Beer[2] (sometimes stylized as MUG Root Beer) is an American brand of root beer that was originally produced in 1940 under the name Belfast Root Beer. It is now produced by New Century Beverage Company of San Francisco, California, which was acquired by PepsiCo in 1986.[3][4]
History
Mug Root Beer was originally sold under the name Belfast Root Beer in 1940 by the Belfast Beverage Company in San Francisco, California. The company had been known for making sparkling water and ginger ale since 1877. Belfast Beverage Company was purchased around 1925[5] by New Century Beverage Company, which had successfully launched Crush Soda in 1918.
In 1936, New Century Beverage Company was granted permission to franchise Pepsi-Cola products, and about four years later, it launched Belfast Root Beer.