Photo by: Image Courtesy of PepsiCo

Image Courtesy of PepsiCo

When you think of a root beer float, what comes to mind? Maybe it’s a childhood memory of the creamy, fizzy treat. Or perhaps it makes you think of an old-fashioned diner, the kind with sticky, red leather booths where you may still find one on the menu. From the return of Diet Coke Lime to the influx of Shirley Temple-inspired drinks, 2025 has been the year of nostalgic soda. Now, Mug is hoping to make root beer floats cool again, too.

What is Mug Root Beer Floats Vanilla Howler?

Mug is releasing a new “Vanilla Howler” soda inspired by a root beer float, a creamy twist on the classic Mug root beer. According to a press release, the Howler is Mug's response to the dirty soda trend, the Utah phenomenon that combines fountain drinks with various flavorings and creamers. Dirty soda has gained national attention, with Crumbl, Coffee Mate and others hopping on board. The Vanilla Howler will be PepsiCo’s third dirty soda-inspired drink, joining Pepsi Wild Cherry Cream, available on shelves now, and Dirty Mountain Dew, which will be released in early 2026.

What does Mug Root Beer Floats Vanilla Howler taste like?

I got to try the new drink early, sampling a can of the regular Vanilla Howler and a bottle of the sugar-free version. The two tasted nearly identical, though the regular soda was a bit more vibrant.

At first, I couldn’t see how the Vanilla Howler was different from regular root beer. The more I sipped, though, the more vanilla cream flavor I noticed. It was almost like a root beer-cream soda combo. The taste was pleasant, reminding me of the flavor in Vanilla Coke. However, I wonder if I would have picked up on these differences from regular Mug root beer had I not been intentionally looking for them. The volume on the vanilla flavor needs to be turned up a notch for this drink to really work.

Where can you buy Mug Root Beer Floats Vanilla Howler?

Mug Root Beer Floats Vanilla Howler and will debut nationwide in the spring of 2026. It will be available in 12-ounce can multipacks and 20-ounce single-serve bottles, and it will also come in a Zero Sugar variety.

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