Virgil's Root Beer

Virgil's Root Beer is a brand of root beer that originated in the United States. The beverage was created in 1994 by Edward Crowley and Jill Fraser Crowley, owners of Crowley Beverage Company.

In 1999, Reed's Inc. purchased the Virgil's Root Beer brand from the Crowley Beverage Company.^[1]

Flavors

Virgil's Root Beer contains a blend of spices that includes anise, licorice, vanilla, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, wintergreen, cassia oil, pimento berry oil, and balsam oil.

In 1999, Virgil's started making vanilla cream, black cherry, orange, lemon-lime, and cola flavors. In 2018, the company made a zero-sugar product based on a sweetener blend containing erythritol, stevia, and monkfruit.^[2]

In popular culture

In 2014, the brewing and bottling process of Virgil's Root Beer was presented on season 3 episode 18 of the Biography Channel's Food Factory, titled "A Taste of Japan."^[3]

Lawsuit

On November 19, 2018, a class action lawsuit was filed against Reed's Inc., doing business as Virgil's Soda, alleging that the soda brand falsely labels products as preservative-free. The plaintiff alleges that the all natural, preservative-free labelling on Virgil's Root Beer and Virgil's Orange Cream Soda is fraudulent as they contain citric acid, which is a synthetic compound used as a preservative.^[4] The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulations have designated citric acid as a preservative.^[5] The plaintiff notes a previous FDA citation against Chiquita for falsely claiming a product as preservative-free when it contained citric acid.^[6]

References

^ "2,000,000 Shares -- REED'S, INC. -- Common Stock". U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. October 11, 2006. Archived from the original on March 11, 2023. Retrieved March 10, 2023.
^ "Virgil's Rebrand Marks Start of Reed's New Strategy". BevNET.com. March 26, 2018. Archived from the original on October 13, 2022. Retrieved October 13, 2022.
^ "Biography Channel's 'Food Factory' to Feature Virgil's Root Beer". BevNET. July 2, 2014. Archived from the original on March 11, 2023. Retrieved March 10, 2023.
^ Mallari-Torres, Jenie (November 28, 2018). "Virgil's Soda alleged to have falsely advertised drinks as having no preservatives". Legal Newsline. Archived from the original on January 28, 2019. Retrieved March 10, 2023.
^ "CFR - Code of Federal Regulations Title 21". U.S. Food & Drug Administration. January 17, 2023. Archived from the original on March 7, 2023. Retrieved March 10, 2023.
^ Spicer, Christina (November 27, 2018). "Virgil's Sodas Class Action Says Natural Labels are Misleading". Top Class Actions. Archived from the original on March 11, 2023. Retrieved March 10, 2023.

[1] "2,000,000 Shares -- REED'S, INC. -- Common Stock". U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. October 11, 2006. Archived from the original on March 11, 2023. Retrieved March 10, 2023.

[2] "Virgil's Rebrand Marks Start of Reed's New Strategy". BevNET.com. March 26, 2018. Archived from the original on October 13, 2022. Retrieved October 13, 2022.

[3] "Biography Channel's 'Food Factory' to Feature Virgil's Root Beer". BevNET. July 2, 2014. Archived from the original on March 11, 2023. Retrieved March 10, 2023.

[4] Mallari-Torres, Jenie (November 28, 2018). "Virgil's Soda alleged to have falsely advertised drinks as having no preservatives". Legal Newsline. Archived from the original on January 28, 2019. Retrieved March 10, 2023.

[5] "CFR - Code of Federal Regulations Title 21". U.S. Food & Drug Administration. January 17, 2023. Archived from the original on March 7, 2023. Retrieved March 10, 2023.

[6] Spicer, Christina (November 27, 2018). "Virgil's Sodas Class Action Says Natural Labels are Misleading". Top Class Actions. Archived from the original on March 11, 2023. Retrieved March 10, 2023.

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