What's the best root beer?

Eric Asimov, in a June 25, 2008 New York Times Dining In section front page story, wrote that the Times panel of experts chose, from a field of 25, Sprecher's (above), "... a wonderfully balanced and complex brew" made in Wisconsin, as its No. 1 overall, with "... the restrained and flavorful" IBC out of Plano, Texas coming second.

Asimov also pointed out that Anthony Schorr's rootbeerbarrel.com, "... perhaps the leading root beer Web site," has reviews of 261 different root beers.

The Times story was accompanied by an interactive feature in which Asimov elaborates about root beer and the panel's favorites,

listed above.