Mug Root Beer vs Virgil's:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Mug Root Beer had more branded searches than Virgil's among root beer brands in the United States. Mug Root Beer had about 27,100 branded searches, while Virgil's had 4,400. Mug Root Beer made up 15.5% of all root beer brand searches we track, and Virgil's accounted for 2.5%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about root beer brands, Mug Root Beer appeared in three of the five answers and Virgil's in two. Mug Root Beer was mentioned before Virgil's in every answer that named either.
Who do people search for more?
Mug Root Beer, about 6 searches for every 1 for Virgil's
Who does AI mention more?
Mug Root Beer, mentioned in 3 of 5 answers, Virgil's in 2
Who does AI recommend more?
Mug Root Beer, named ahead of Virgil's in 3 of 3 answers
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Top root beer brands in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Mug Root Beer was mentioned in three out of five: in two of the three ChatGPT answers and in one of the two Google AI Overviews. Virgil's was mentioned in two out of five: in one of the three ChatGPT answers and in one of the two Google AI Overviews. Mug Root Beer was listed before Virgil's in every answer that named either.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
Barq's1st- A&W Root Beer2nd
- Mug Root Beer3rd
Sprecher4th
Stewart's4th
IBC Root Beer6th
Dad's Root Beer7th
Virgil's7th
OLIPOP9th
Zevia10th
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
- Sprecher4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Barq's3 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- A&W Root Beer3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Mug Root Beer3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- IBC Root Beer3 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Stewart's2 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Virgil's2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Dad's Root Beer1 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- OLIPOP1 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Zevia1 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about root beer brands
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Which root beer should I buy?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best root beer brands?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best craft root beer?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“root beer brands”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“best root beer”
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in United States on October 25, 2026.
Is Mug Root Beer or Virgil's more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Mug Root Beer and Virgil's by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all ten root beer brands we track, month by month, from searches in United States.
Share of searches by month for Mug Root Beer, Virgil's. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | Barq's | A&W Root Beer | Mug Root Beer | Sprecher | IBC Root Beer | Dad's Root Beer | Stewart's | Virgil's | OLIPOP | Zevia |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 26.7% | 26.7% | 14.6% | 8% | 8% | 5.3% | 5.3% | 2.9% | 1.9% | 0.66% |
| Nov 2025 | 26.9% | 26.9% | 14.8% | 8% | 8% | 5.4% | 4.4% | 2.9% | 1.9% | 0.66% |
| Dec 2025 | 25.7% | 25.7% | 14.1% | 11.5% | 7.7% | 5.1% | 4.2% | 3.4% | 1.8% | 0.64% |
| Jan 2026 | 24.9% | 30.4% | 13.6% | 9.1% | 7.4% | 5% | 3.3% | 3.3% | 2.2% | 0.8% |
| Feb 2026 | 23.1% | 34.5% | 12.7% | 6.9% | 6.9% | 6.9% | 3.8% | 2.5% | 2.1% | 0.74% |
| Mar 2026 | 20.4% | 45.3% | 9.1% | 7.5% | 6.1% | 4.1% | 3.3% | 2.2% | 1.5% | 0.54% |
| Apr 2026 | 25.1% | 30.6% | 13.7% | 9.2% | 7.5% | 5% | 4.1% | 2.7% | 1.5% | 0.66% |
| May 2026 | 23.7% | 28.9% | 13% | 10.6% | 7.1% | 7.1% | 4.7% | 2.6% | 1.7% | 0.62% |
| Jun 2026 | 22.4% | 27.4% | 12.3% | 10.1% | 6.7% | 12.3% | 4.5% | 2.4% | 1.3% | 0.59% |
| Jul 2026 | 25.4% | 25.4% | 13.9% | 11.4% | 7.6% | 6.2% | 5.1% | 2.8% | 1.5% | 0.67% |
| Aug 2026 | 25.7% | 25.7% | 14.1% | 11.5% | 7.7% | 5.1% | 5.1% | 2.8% | 1.5% | 0.68% |
| Sep 2026 | 28.3% | 23.2% | 15.5% | 10.4% | 8.5% | 4.6% | 4.6% | 2.5% | 1.7% | 0.74% |
How has the Mug Root Beer and Virgil's comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Mug Root Beer was ahead of Virgil's in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Mug Root Beer’s share of searches among root beer brands in the United States moved from 14.6% to 15.5%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 22.2K to 27.1K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Virgil's’ share of searches among root beer brands in the United States moved from 2.9% to 2.5%, and its estimated monthly branded searches held steady at 4.4K.
How did search popularity change for United States root beer brands in September 2026?
1 change
In September 2026, Mug Root Beer gained share of searches among root beer brands in the United States, from 14.1% to 15.5%.
How are branded searches counted?
2 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Mug Root Beer’s and Virgil's’ names. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brands is growing, holding steady, or fading.
Mug Root Beer
1 branded search term
- mug root beer
Virgil's
1 branded search term
- virgils root beer
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