National Root Beer Float Day Tarihi

1876

A pharmacist sells root beer commercially

Pharmacist Charles Elmer Hires debuts a commercial version of root beer at the Philadelphia Centennial Exposition.

1919

A&W has humble beginnings at a root beer stand

Ray Allen opens a root beer stand in Lodi, California, which would eventually become the A&W restaurant chain.

The 1920s

Root beer turns into a fad

The popularity of non-alcoholic root beer explodes during Prohibition.

1960

The FDA bans a key root beer ingredient

The FDA bans safrole, the aromatic oil that initially gave root beer its distinctive flavor. The ingredient caused liver damage during animal testing.