Hires Root Beer.
Those of you who love it and remember it, know what it is. Those who don't, likely contribute to the trap the root beer currently finds itself in. This is the shrinking relevancy that appears to be forcing it to the history books by way of it not being available and therefore not being in demand. It is a strange story for such an established and quality product.
While I won't get into the specifics of it's past and how it got to disappearing off store shelves, I will suggest that it has been in steady decline since Dr. PepperSnapple's ownership. Likely due to the often pointed out expectation that the new root beer product for the company was going to be Mug. But Hires still hasn't vanished completely and commands a small, but loyal fan base. You can still get Hires, albeit sparingly. It is my intention for this blog/website to be a place that picks up where the old Salute to Soda website left off. I am hoping to get anyone who has purchased or seen Hires to communicate the location, product (2L, 12 pk cans, diet, etc.), date and other relevant information in the comments so that I can update the location accordingly. Hopefully we can keep a running tab of both manufacturer and retailers for those of us looking to enjoy Hires without being gouged online. Additionally I would love to hear other sodas that you may like to find more background information on.
Update
Here is the kind response I have received from IBC yesterday (August 4, 2015):
"Thanks for contacting Independent Beverage. Unfortunately, IBC no longer produces Hires. We have produced it in the past, but it has been some time since our last production. Best of luck in tracking it down!"
Here is my response from a greta CSR within Dr. PepperSnapple (August 13, 2015):
"Thank you for reaching out to us about Hires Root Beer. It's great to hear you're such a huge fan! I wish I had better news, but Hires is not available in Canada. I did a search of the cities you'll be visiting in the U.S. and I was able to find one distributor that may be carrying it. They'll be able to tell you for certain if and where it's being sold in that region. The distributor is Top Shelf Beverage in Florence, SC and can be reached at (843) 665-4748. Please keep in mind that Hires has a very low availability in the U.S. and it's quite difficult to find. However, I want to assure you that I will certainly forward your interest to our sales team!"
Online Resources
Hires is listed on the Walmart US site. You can find a 12 pack of cans listed for review only. You can find 2L bottles listed for purchase "in-store only", however there never appears to be any stock.
https://www.walmart.com/reviews/product/17197677 - Review
http://www.walmart.com/ip/Hires-Root-Beer-2-l/33282403 - 2L Bottles
Amazon also sells it in 12 pack cans at: http://www.amazon.com/Hires-Root-Beer-pack-12-ounces/dp/B004743S5O
Mind you $23+ a case is a bit much.
Another great resource is this article from stuffnobodycaresabout
http://stuffnobodycaresabout.com/2011/08/22/killing-a-product-why-you-cant-find-hires-root-beer/
http://www.bevnet.com/bevboard/archive/index.php?t-33171.html
Confirmed locations
I will be updating this periodically, so please check back
Fareway Stores
110 Westgate Dr, Maquoketa, IA 52060
(563) 652-4992
Last sighting: March 15, 2015
Where: Stuffnobodycaresabout blog
Winco Stores
Kent, WA
Last sighting: February 23, 2015
Where: Bevnet thread 33171
Winco Stores
Bellingham, WA
Last sighting: February 1, 2014
Where: Stuffnobodycaresabout blog
Fareway Stores
Rochester, MN
Last sighting: August 21, 2014
Where: Stuffnobodycaresabout blog
Kroger
Myrtle Beach, SC
Last sighting: July 16, 2012
Where: Bevnet thread 33171
Manufacturers
Independant Beverages Corporation
Charlotte, NC
Confirmed: May 3, 2012 (2L bottles)
Where: Bevnet thread 33171
No longer Active
Confirmed: August 4, 2015 email.
Top Shelf Distributing
Florence, SC
Confirmed: August 13, 2015
Where: DPS directly
ACTIVE
Those of you who love it and remember it, know what it is. Those who don't, likely contribute to the trap the root beer currently finds itself in. This is the shrinking relevancy that appears to be forcing it to the history books by way of it not being available and therefore not being in demand. It is a strange story for such an established and quality product.
While I won't get into the specifics of it's past and how it got to disappearing off store shelves, I will suggest that it has been in steady decline since Dr. PepperSnapple's ownership. Likely due to the often pointed out expectation that the new root beer product for the company was going to be Mug. But Hires still hasn't vanished completely and commands a small, but loyal fan base. You can still get Hires, albeit sparingly. It is my intention for this blog/website to be a place that picks up where the old Salute to Soda website left off. I am hoping to get anyone who has purchased or seen Hires to communicate the location, product (2L, 12 pk cans, diet, etc.), date and other relevant information in the comments so that I can update the location accordingly. Hopefully we can keep a running tab of both manufacturer and retailers for those of us looking to enjoy Hires without being gouged online. Additionally I would love to hear other sodas that you may like to find more background information on.
Update
Here is the kind response I have received from IBC yesterday (August 4, 2015):
"Thanks for contacting Independent Beverage. Unfortunately, IBC no longer produces Hires. We have produced it in the past, but it has been some time since our last production. Best of luck in tracking it down!"
Here is my response from a greta CSR within Dr. PepperSnapple (August 13, 2015):
"Thank you for reaching out to us about Hires Root Beer. It's great to hear you're such a huge fan! I wish I had better news, but Hires is not available in Canada. I did a search of the cities you'll be visiting in the U.S. and I was able to find one distributor that may be carrying it. They'll be able to tell you for certain if and where it's being sold in that region. The distributor is Top Shelf Beverage in Florence, SC and can be reached at (843) 665-4748. Please keep in mind that Hires has a very low availability in the U.S. and it's quite difficult to find. However, I want to assure you that I will certainly forward your interest to our sales team!"
Online Resources
Hires is listed on the Walmart US site. You can find a 12 pack of cans listed for review only. You can find 2L bottles listed for purchase "in-store only", however there never appears to be any stock.
https://www.walmart.com/reviews/product/17197677 - Review
http://www.walmart.com/ip/Hires-Root-Beer-2-l/33282403 - 2L Bottles
Amazon also sells it in 12 pack cans at: http://www.amazon.com/Hires-Root-Beer-pack-12-ounces/dp/B004743S5O
Mind you $23+ a case is a bit much.
Another great resource is this article from stuffnobodycaresabout
http://stuffnobodycaresabout.com/2011/08/22/killing-a-product-why-you-cant-find-hires-root-beer/
http://www.bevnet.com/bevboard/archive/index.php?t-33171.html
Confirmed locations
I will be updating this periodically, so please check back
Fareway Stores
110 Westgate Dr, Maquoketa, IA 52060
(563) 652-4992
Last sighting: March 15, 2015
Where: Stuffnobodycaresabout blog
Winco Stores
Kent, WA
Last sighting: February 23, 2015
Where: Bevnet thread 33171
Winco Stores
Bellingham, WA
Last sighting: February 1, 2014
Where: Stuffnobodycaresabout blog
Fareway Stores
Rochester, MN
Last sighting: August 21, 2014
Where: Stuffnobodycaresabout blog
Kroger
Myrtle Beach, SC
Last sighting: July 16, 2012
Where: Bevnet thread 33171
Manufacturers
Independant Beverages Corporation
Charlotte, NC
Confirmed: May 3, 2012 (2L bottles)
Where: Bevnet thread 33171
No longer Active
Confirmed: August 4, 2015 email.
Top Shelf Distributing
Florence, SC
Confirmed: August 13, 2015
Where: DPS directly
ACTIVE