Barq's
Product brand
UnclaimedAn American root beer brand distinguished by its characteristic flavor and, in some formulations, caffeine.
Last updated August 21, 2026
Overview
Barq's is an American soft-drink brand best known for root beer. Its origins trace to the Barq family’s bottling activities in New Orleans and Biloxi, Mississippi, at the turn of the twentieth century. Edward Charles Edmond Barq and his older brother, Gaston, established the Barq's Brothers Bottling Company in New Orleans's French Quarter in 1890, initially producing carbonated water and several house-made soft drinks. Edward later relocated to Biloxi, where he opened the Biloxi Artesian Bottling Works in 1898. Historical accounts differ on whether the first drink recognizable as Barq's root beer appeared in 1898 or around 1900. The brand developed a profile that differed from many contemporary root beers. Its early formula was sarsaparilla-based, less sweet, more highly carbonated, and less foamy than competing products. For many years the drink was not consistently marketed using the term “root beer,” partly because of trademark concerns involving the Hires Root Beer company and partly because the product was positioned as a distinctive type of carbonated beverage. The brand's traditional bottle carried the affirmation “Drink Barq's. It's good.” The diamond-necked bottle design associated with the brand was patented by Ed Barq in 1935. Barq's remained connected to the Barq family for much of the twentieth century. In 1976, the Biloxi Barq's Company was acquired from the third generation of the family by John Oudt and John Koerner. The new owners pursued broader distribution and developed the “Barq's Got Sparks” advertising platform. Expansion was complicated by separate Barq's businesses in Louisiana operated by descendants of the Robinson family, leading to prolonged disputes over rights to names including Barq's, Barq's Sr., and Barq's Root Beer. The litigation reached the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, which ruled in favor of the Robinson heirs. Coca-Cola ultimately acquired the last family-held Louisiana Barq's business from those heirs in 2000, bringing the relevant operations under common ownership. Under Coca-Cola ownership, Barq's has been sold through retail packages, food-service channels, and Coca-Cola Freestyle dispensers. The regular product has historically contained caffeine, while Diet Barq's was formulated without caffeine. The brand has also offered zero-sugar, cream-soda, birch-beer, and other limited or regional variants. In 2022, Diet Barq's Root Beer was rebranded as Barq's Zero Sugar Root Beer. Formulation and availability can vary by package, market, dispensing system, and region; for example, the Barq's beverage dispensed through Coca-Cola Freestyle machines is caffeine-free, and caffeine-free versions have been common in Utah. Barq's has maintained a recognizable advertising identity through campaigns built around its sharper taste and energetic character. Since 1995, the central “Barq's has bite!” slogan has been used in advertising that often depicts a salesperson introducing the product and consumers reacting energetically after tasting it. Earlier promotions used topical cultural references, including a 1992 “Soviet Union Going Out of Business Sale” and a 1994 sweepstakes connected to publicity surrounding the O. J. Simpson murder trial. The brand also participated in a large root-beer float event in Illinois in 1990. Today, Barq's remains a Coca-Cola-owned soft-drink brand positioned around heritage, distinctive taste, and its association with root beer rather than as a standalone beverage company.
History
Barq's emerged from a family bottling enterprise established in New Orleans in 1890 by Edward Charles Edmond Barq and his older brother, Gaston. The Barq's Brothers Bottling Company produced carbonated water and several soft drinks, including the orange-flavored Orangine. Edward Barq moved to Biloxi, Mississippi, in 1897 and opened the Biloxi Artesian Bottling Works the following year. Sources differ over whether the first Barq's root beer was introduced in 1898 or 1900, but the brand's development is generally associated with this Biloxi operation. The early beverage differed from many root beers of its era. It was based on sarsaparilla, used less sugar, had relatively strong carbonation, and produced less foam. The company also avoided consistently calling it “root beer” for many years. One reason was the risk of conflict with Hires Root Beer over attempts to protect the term as a trademark; another was that Barq's formula and taste were not identical to the conventional root beers with which consumers were familiar. The brand's historic packaging included a distinctive diamond-necked bottle, and the phrase “Drink Barq's. It's good.” became a longstanding product affirmation. The company remained family-associated for decades. In 1976, John Oudt and John Koerner purchased the Biloxi Barq's Company from the third generation of Barq family members. They developed an ambitious expansion plan and promoted the brand through the “Barq's Got Sparks” television campaign. National growth was complicated by separate Louisiana Barq's companies connected to descendants of the Robinson family. Disputes over the use and ownership of Barq's-related marks, including Barq's Sr. and Barq's Root Beer, produced extended litigation. The matter reached the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, which ruled for the Robinson heirs. In 2000, Coca-Cola acquired the final family-held Louisiana Barq's business from those heirs. Marketing became an important part of the brand's modern identity. In 1990, Barq's partnered with an Illinois grocery store for a very large root-beer float. During the early 1990s, it experimented with promotions tied to contemporary entertainment and news events, including a film-screening coupon program in 1991, a Soviet Union-themed promotion in 1992, and a 1994 sweepstakes referencing the O. J. Simpson trial. From 1995 onward, the “Barq's has bite!” platform emphasized a sharper, more energetic product personality. Advertising commonly showed a representative offering the drink to unsuspecting consumers, whose lively responses dramatized the brand's claimed bite. Coca-Cola's ownership expanded the brand's distribution across retail and food-service channels. Barq's has been offered in packaged root beer, diet or zero-sugar formats, and a range of cream-soda and regional flavors. Regular Barq's has historically contained caffeine, while Diet Barq's did not. The Coca-Cola Freestyle version is caffeine-free because the system uses a common concentrated ingredient and differentiates regular and diet versions through sweetener. Caffeine-free availability has also been associated with Utah. In 2022, Diet Barq's Root Beer was renamed Barq's Zero Sugar Root Beer. Other products documented in the brand's portfolio include Red Crème Soda, French Vanilla Crème Soda, Spiced Cherry in Canada, and Birch Beer. Some variants, including Barq's Floatz and earlier cream-soda products, have been discontinued.
- 2022
Diet Barq's is renamed Barq's Zero Sugar
[1]The diet root-beer product adopts the Barq's Zero Sugar Root Beer name.
- 2000
Coca-Cola completes acquisition of family-held Louisiana Barq's
[1]Coca-Cola acquires the last family-held Louisiana Barq's business from Robinson family heirs.
- 1990
Large root beer float event
[1]Barq's participates in a large-scale root beer float event in DeKalb, Illinois.
- 1976
Biloxi Barq's Company changes ownership
[1]John Oudt and John Koerner acquire the Biloxi operation from the third generation of the Barq family.
- 1935
Diamond-necked bottle design is patented
[1]Ed Barq patents the distinctive diamond-necked bottle associated with the brand.
- 1898
Biloxi Artesian Bottling Works opens
[1]Edward Barq opens a bottling operation in Biloxi, Mississippi, where the beverage later identified with Barq's is developed.
- 1890
Barq's Brothers Bottling Company is established
[1]Edward Barq and his brother Gaston establish a New Orleans bottling company producing carbonated water and house-made soft drinks.
Products and positioning
A heritage American soft-drink brand centered on a distinctive, highly carbonated root-beer taste, with regular and zero-sugar offerings and selected regional or food-service variants.
Root beer · 1898
Barq's Root Beer
The flagship Barq's beverage. Its documented historical profile is sarsaparilla-based, relatively highly carbonated, and less sweet and less foamy than many traditional root beers. Regular versions have historically contained caffeine, although formulation and dispensing format can differ by market and channel.
Zero-sugar root beer · 2022
Barq's Zero Sugar Root Beer
The zero-sugar version of the brand's root beer. It was introduced as the rebranded successor to Diet Barq's Root Beer in 2022 and is described as caffeine-free in the documented product lineup.
Crème soda
Barq's Red Crème Soda
A red crème-soda variant sold under the Barq's name. The brand has also offered a diet version, while an earlier yellow crème-soda product was discontinued.
Crème soda
Barq's French Vanilla Crème Soda
A vanilla-oriented crème-soda extension of the Barq's portfolio. The documented lineup distinguishes this product from an earlier diet French Vanilla Crème Soda that was discontinued.
Flavored soft drink
Barq's Spiced Cherry
A spiced-cherry flavored Barq's product associated with the Canadian market.
Birch beer
Barq's Birch Beer
A birch-beer variant documented among the brand's offerings.
Frozen dessert
Barq's Floatz
A discontinued licensed product developed to evoke the taste of a root-beer float. J&J Snack Foods Corporation previously licensed the Barq's name for ice-cream squeeze tubes.
Marketing campaigns
- 1995Barq's has bite!
United States
A long-running advertising platform presented a Barq's salesperson, played in the documented television execution by Nick Swardson, offering the drink to consumers and emphasizing their energetic reactions.
Outcome. Established “bite” as the brand's central personality and taste claim.
- 1994Get Out of the Country sweepstakes
United States
A scratch-card sweepstakes used publicity surrounding the O. J. Simpson murder trial and invited consumers to match DNA for a chance to win a trip to Ixtapa.
Outcome. Connected the brand to a highly visible current-event news cycle.
- 1992Soviet Union Going Out of Business Sale
United States
The brand created a topical promotion using the political transition surrounding the end of the Soviet Union, offering memorabilia in exchange for proof-of-purchase materials.
Outcome. Created a news-driven promotional hook; the documented campaign budget was approximately $2.5 million to $3 million.
- 1991Freddy's Dead coupon promotion
United States
Barq's attached coupons to three-dimensional glasses distributed at screenings of Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare.
Outcome. Used a film tie-in to generate trial and promotional engagement.
- 1976Barq's Got Sparks
United States
Following the purchase of the Biloxi Barq's Company, the new owners developed an aggressive television campaign built around the idea that Barq's delivered a lively, sparking sensation.
Outcome. Supported the owners' effort to expand the brand beyond its traditional regional base.
Brand decisions
2022
Rebrand Diet Barq's as Barq's Zero SugarOtherBackground
The brand maintained a no-sugar root-beer offering alongside its regular product.
Action taken
Diet Barq's Root Beer was renamed Barq's Zero Sugar Root Beer.
Aftermath
The product continued under the zero-sugar naming convention.
2000
Acquire the remaining family-held Louisiana Barq's businessM&ABackground
Separate Barq's-related businesses and trademark claims had produced extended disputes involving the Barq and Robinson families.
Action taken
The Coca-Cola Company acquired the last family-held Louisiana Barq's business from Robinson family heirs.
Aftermath
The acquisition brought the remaining documented family-held Louisiana Barq's operation under Coca-Cola ownership.
1976
Pursue broader distribution after Biloxi ownership changeStrategyBackground
John Oudt and John Koerner acquired the Biloxi Barq's Company and sought to move the brand toward national distribution.
Action taken
They developed an aggressive television campaign centered on “Barq's Got Sparks” and attempted to expand the brand beyond its established regional market.
Aftermath
Expansion encountered complications because separate Louisiana Barq's companies continued to operate under related family ownership, contributing to trademark litigation.
Recent events
- 2022
Diet Barq's Root Beer is rebranded as Barq's Zero Sugar Root Beer[1]
Product generation · Product launch
The diet root-beer product was rebranded under the Barq's Zero Sugar Root Beer name.
- 2000
Coca-Cola acquires the last family-held Louisiana Barq's business[1]
M&A
Coca-Cola bought the remaining family-held Louisiana Barq's business from heirs of the Robinson family after years of disputes involving Barq's-related trademarks and business rights.
- 1995
Barq's adopts the “has bite” advertising platform[1]
Campaign
Barq's began using the “Barq's has bite!” slogan in advertising featuring a salesperson presenting the drink and consumers displaying energetic reactions after tasting it.
- 1994
Barq's introduces O. J. Simpson trial-related sweepstakes[1]
Campaign
The brand used publicity surrounding the O. J. Simpson murder trial in a scratch-card sweepstakes that invited participants to match DNA and compete for a trip to Ixtapa.
- 1992
Barq's launches Soviet Union-themed promotional sale[1]
Campaign
Barq's ran a promotion themed as a Soviet Union “going out of business sale,” allowing customers to exchange proof-of-purchase materials for memorabilia.
- 1991
Barq's uses film tie-in promotion involving three-dimensional glasses[1]
Campaign
The brand attached coupons to three-dimensional glasses distributed at screenings of Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare as part of a promotional effort.
- 1990
Barq's participates in a record-scale root beer float[1]
Campaign · Other
Barq's worked with a Pick N Save grocery store in DeKalb, Illinois, to combine approximately 1,500 U.S. gallons of root beer with 1,000 U.S. gallons of vanilla ice cream in an above-ground swimming pool.
Sources1 sources
Cite this profile: Cite the canonical profile. /brand-wiki/barqs · Editorial policy · How profiles are compiled