Editing Mug Root Beer

{{Short description|American carbonated beverage}}
{{More citations needed|date=February 2013}}
{{Infobox brand
| name           = Mug Root Beer
| logo           = Mug root beer logo.png
| logo_size   = 200
| image          = 
| image_size   = 200
| caption        = 
| producttype    = [[Root beer]]
| currentowner   = [[PepsiCo]] (1986–present)
| producedby     = New Century Beverage Co.
| country        = U.S.
| introduced     = {{start date and age|1940}}
| discontinued   = 
| related        = 
| markets        = 
| previousowners = Belfast Beverage Co.
| trademarkregistrations = 
| ambassadors    = 
| tagline        = 
| website        = {{url|https://mugrootbeer.com|mugrootbeer.com}}, {{url|https://www.pepsicopartners.com/PEPSICO-BRANDS/MUG%C2%AE-ROOT-BEER/c/brand_mugRootBeer?|pepsico.com/mugrootbeer}}
| module         = <!-- or: misc -->
| module1        = <!-- or: misc1 -->
| footnotes     =
}}
{{Infobox nutritional value
| name    = Mug Root Beer, 20 fluid ounces
| kcal      = 260
| carbs   = 72&nbsp;g
| fat     = 0&nbsp;g
| sodium_mg = 105
| sugars = 71&nbsp;g
| protein = 0&nbsp;g
| caffeine = 0&nbsp;mg
| phosphorus_mg = 0
| note    = Reference: <ref>{{Cite web |title=The Facts About Your Favorite Foods and Beverages (U.S.) {{!}} Mug Root Beer - 20 fl oz |url=https://www.pepsicoproductfacts.com/Home/Product?formula=61341*04*01-01&form=RTD&size=20 |access-date=2025-04-08 |website=www.pepsicoproductfacts.com}}</ref>
}}

'''Mug Root Beer''' (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.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Mug Root Beer {{!}} PepsiCo Partners|url=https://www.pepsicopartners.com/PEPSICO-BRANDS/MUG%C2%AE-ROOT-BEER/c/brand_mugRootBeer|access-date=2021-12-28|website=www.pepsicopartners.com|archive-date=2021-10-30|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211030225208/https://www.pepsicopartners.com/PEPSICO-BRANDS/MUG%C2%AE-ROOT-BEER/c/brand_mugRootBeer|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2015-05-25 |title=THE MEDIA BUSINESS - ADVERTISING - Lois Pitts Gershon Pon Wins Mug Root Beer - NYTimes.com |url=http://www.nytimes.com/1988/05/27/business/the-media-business-advertising-lois-pitts-gershon-pon-wins-mug-root-beer.html |access-date=2022-04-06 |website= [[The New York Times]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150525093610/http://www.nytimes.com/1988/05/27/business/the-media-business-advertising-lois-pitts-gershon-pon-wins-mug-root-beer.html |archive-date=25 May 2015 |url-status=dead}}</ref> 

== 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.<ref name=":0" /> Belfast Beverage Company was purchased around 1925{{When|date=February 2025|reason="around 1925" isn't specific but I can't find anything else online that gives a more specific date}} by New Century Beverage Company, which had successfully launched [[Crush (soft drink)|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. An advertisement for Belfast Root Beer appears as early as 1947.<ref>September 24, 1947, ''Bakersfield Californian'', p. 7 (available at newspaperarchive.com)</ref> According to the [[San Francisco Examiner]], the catchphrase, 'You haven't tasted Root Beer like this in years!' filled 1950s newspaper advertisements.<ref name=":0" /> An advertisement for Belfast Old Fashioned Mug Root Beer appears as early as 1952.<ref>March 4, 1952, ''Mountain Democrat'', p. 5 (available at newspaperarchive.com)</ref> In the 1950s, the soda took on the title Belfast Old Fashioned Mug Root Beer before its name was eventually shortened to Mug Root Beer.<ref name=":0" />

In the late 1960s, Sugar Free Mug (later known as Diet Mug Root Beer) was introduced.<ref name=mug>[http://www.mugrootbeer.com Mug Root Beer] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131127000114/http://www.mugrootbeer.com/ |date=2013-11-27 }} Retrieved August 22, 2012.</ref> Mug [[cream soda|Cream Soda]] and Diet Mug Cream Soda were later introduced, but they are not as widely available.  Mug was purchased by Pepsi in 1986, and replaced On-Tap Draft Style Root Beer as Pepsi's root beer brand.<ref name=mug/>  Mug Root Beer is currently manufactured by independent bottlers under the authority of New Century Beverage Company.

Since Mug Root Beer's acquisition by [[PepsiCo]] in 1986, the company's logo has displayed a [[bulldog]] named "Dog" holding a glass of what appears to be frothy Mug Root Beer.<ref name=":0">{{Cite news |last=Guerrero |first=Susana |date=October 2, 2021 |title=The brief story of how one of America's favorite root beer brands started in San Francisco |work=SFGate |url=https://www.sfgate.com/food/history/article/The-brief-history-of-Mug-Root-Beer-and-it-s-San-16499876.php |access-date=March 13, 2022 |quote=At that point, Mug Root Beer became part of the Pepsi family, which later got rid of the root beer vessel completely and opted for a bulldog — quirkily named "Dog" — as its new soda mascot. |archive-date=March 13, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220313041139/https://www.sfgate.com/food/history/article/The-brief-history-of-Mug-Root-Beer-and-it-s-San-16499876.php |url-status=live }}</ref> [[PepsiCo]] stopped producing its sodas in San Francisco in the early 1990s, including Mug Root Beer.<ref name=":0" />

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{commons cat}}
* {{official website}}
* [https://archive.today/20131217000505/http://www.company-records.com/trademark/MUG-Update-72039315/862704 MUG   Trademark Update 72039315]
* [http://www.trademarkia.com/map/belfast-72284549.html BELFAST - Brand - NEW CENTURY BEVERAGE COMPANY SAN FRANCISCO, CA - Serial Number: 72284549]
* [http://www.trademarkia.com/logo-71602543.html OLD FASHIONED MUG - Brand - BELFAST BEVERAGES, INC. SAN FRANCISCO , - Serial Number: 71602543]

{{PepsiCo}}
{{Root beer brands}}

[[Category:Root beer]]
[[Category:PepsiCo soft drinks]]
[[Category:PepsiCo brands]]
[[Category:Food and drink in the San Francisco Bay Area]]
[[Category:1940 establishments in California]]


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