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Mug Root Beer

Product type	Root beer
Owner	PepsiCo (1986–present)
Produced by	New Century Beverage Co.
Country	U.S.
Introduced	1940; 85 years ago (1940)
Previous owners	Belfast Beverage Co.
Website	mugrootbeer.com,pepsico.com/mugrootbeer

Mug Root Beer (sometimes stylized as MUG Root Beer) is an American brand ofroot beer that was originally produced in 1940 under the name Belfast Root Beer. It is now produced by New Century Beverage Company ofSan Francisco,California, which was acquired byPepsiCo in 1986.^[3][4]

Mug Root Beer was originally sold under the name Belfast Root Beer in 1940 by the Belfast Beverage Company inSan Francisco, California. The company had been known for making sparkling water and ginger ale since 1877.^[5] Belfast Beverage Company was purchased around 1925^[6][when?] by New Century Beverage Company, which had successfully launchedCrush 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.^[7] According to theSan Francisco Examiner, the catchphrase, 'You haven't tasted Root Beer like this in years!' filled 1950s newspaper advertisements.^[5] An advertisement for Belfast Old Fashioned Mug Root Beer appears as early as 1952.^[8] 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.^[5]

In the late 1960s, Sugar Free Mug (later known as Diet Mug Root Beer) was introduced.^[9] MugCream 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.^[9] Mug Root Beer is currently manufactured by independent bottlers under the authority of New Century Beverage Company.

Since Mug Root Beer's acquisition byPepsiCo in 1986, the company's logo has displayed abulldog named "Dog" holding a glass of what appears to be frothy Mug Root Beer.^[5]PepsiCo stopped producing its sodas in San Francisco in the early 1990s, including Mug Root Beer.^[5]

Wikimedia Commons has media related toMug Root Beer.

• Official website
• MUG Trademark Update 72039315
• BELFAST - Brand - NEW CENTURY BEVERAGE COMPANY SAN FRANCISCO, CA - Serial Number: 72284549
• OLD FASHIONED MUG - Brand - BELFAST BEVERAGES, INC. SAN FRANCISCO , - Serial Number: 71602543

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