IBC Root Beer is an American brand of root beer now owned by Keurig Dr Pepper. It was originally owned by IBC until it went out of business.

Independent Breweries Company
Company typePrivate
IndustryBeverage
Founded1919; 105 years ago (1919)
DefunctUnknown
Fateclosed, IBC name sold
SuccessorNorthwestern Bottling Company
HeadquartersSt. Louis, Missouri
Key people
Griesedieck family
ProductsIBC Root Beer
IBC Root Beer
IBC Root Beer, two bottle sizes
TypeSoft Drink
ManufacturerIndependent Breweries Company (1919–?)
Northwestern Bottling Company
National Bottling Company (1930s–1976)
Taylor Beverages (1976–1980)
Seven-Up Company (1980–1986)
Dr Pepper/Seven Up (1986–1995)
Cadbury Schweppes (1995–2008)
Dr Pepper Snapple Group (2008–2018)
Keurig Dr Pepper (2018–present)
Country of origin 1919 in St. Louis, Missouri, United States
VariantsIBC Diet Root Beer
Websitewww.ibcrootbeer.com Edit this on Wikidata

Independent Breweries Company edit

The Independent Breweries Company is a defunct syndicate founded in St. Louis, Missouri, by the combination of Griesediecks'[1] National Brewery,[2] Columbia (Alpen Brau), the Gast brewery in Baden, A.B.C.,[1] and Wagner Brewing Company.[2] This combination was ill fated due to high overhead with too many executives and low profits forcing IBC into receivership. The IBC Root Beer was the main survivor of the syndicate.[1]

Root beer edit

IBC Root Beer was founded in 1919 by the Griesedieck family as the Independent Breweries Company in St. Louis, Missouri. Root beer found a market as a legal beverage during the era of Prohibition. The Independent Breweries Company closed, but the trademark was purchased by the Kranzberg family, which operated the Northwestern Bottling Company. In the late 1930s, it was sold to the National Bottling Company, owned by the Shucart family. Popularity and distribution declined after World War II.

In 1976, the IBC trademark was sold to Taylor Beverages, which was then sold to the Seven-Up Company in 1980. After Dr Pepper and 7 Up merged in 1986, distribution of IBC spread across the United States. Dr Pepper/Seven Up was acquired by Cadbury Schweppes in 1995.

IBC was subsequently organized within the Cadbury Schweppes Americas Beverages unit of Cadbury Schweppes, before being spun off into Dr Pepper Snapple Group in 2008.[citation needed]

In July 2016, IBC reformulated its beverages, using cane sugar in place of high-fructose corn syrup. The bottles are now distributed in four-bottle packs (instead of the original six), and no longer have the IBC logo formed into the bottle itself, but rather printed on a plain brown bottle. This change has also resulted in increase in average price per bottle.

Flavors edit

Current edit

In 2020:[3]

  • IBC Root Beer
  • IBC Diet Root Beer
  • IBC Cream Soda
  • IBC Black Cherry
  • IBC Cherry Limeade
  • IBC coconut lime

Former edit

  • IBC Tangerine Cream Soda
  • IBC Cherry Cola
  • IBC Strawberries and Cream
  • IBC Berries and Cream
  • IBC Birch Beer
  • IBC Peach Cream Soda

See also edit

  • Fitz's, another St. Louis root beer

References edit

  1. ^ a b c "Griesedieck Bros. History". Griesedieck Brothers Brewery Company. Archived from the original on 2008-04-03. Retrieved 2008-06-20. Edited, from the St. Louis Globe-Democrat, by Steve DeBellis
  2. ^ a b Donald Roussin; Kevin Kious (May–June 1999). "Wagner Brewing Company: Bringing Beer and Baseball to Granite City, Ill". American Breweriana Journal (May–June 1999). American Breweriana Association. Retrieved 2008-06-20.
  3. ^ "IBC".

External links edit