Homemade Root Beer Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is the secret ingredient in root beer? ›

While no standard recipe exists, the primary ingredients in modern root beer are filtered water, sugar, and safrole-free sassafras extract, which complements other flavors.

Traditionally, brewers made the drink by fermenting an herbal decoction made with sassafras bark, sarsaparilla root, and other herbs with sugar and yeast to make a naturally bubbly, probiotic soft drink. In this way, it joins the ranks of other traditionally fermented drinks such as kvass and tepache.

Today, most root beers contain neither sassafras nor wintergreen, as it is not very shelf-stable. Now, they are typically made with artificial flavors instead. Modern root beer is made as a syrup that is then diluted and either force-carbonated or lightly fermented to add the sparkle.

In 1870, an unknown pharmacist toying with a handful of roots, berries and herbs, came up with a recipe for root beer which consisted of juniper, wintergreen, spikenard, pipsissewa, sarsaparilla, vanilla beans, hops, dog grass, birch bark and licorice.

Some describe root beer as an 'adulterated sarsaparilla' because it contains a mix of flavour enhancing ingredients. Most brewers choose to add vanilla, wintergreen, liquorice root, nutmeg, acacia, anise, molasses, cinnamon, clove or honey to their recipes.

The original root beer recipe called for a combination of 25 roots, barks, berries, and flowers. However, the main flavor profile of the drink comes from the sassafras and wintergreen. It also had sarsaparilla, dandelion, wild cherry bark, prickly ash, cinchona, and juniper berry. These are all native medicines.

Safrole was found to contribute to liver cancer in rats when given in high doses, and thus it and sassafras or sarsaparilla-containing products were banned.

The modern versions of root beer and sarsaparilla are nearly identical, the difference lies in the combination of ingredients and brewing technique. Each brand has a unique combination of ingredients and techniques to ensure a satisfying sip.

A neutral ale yeast, like Wyeast 1056 (American Ale) or White Labs WLP001 (California Ale) are generally recommended. “From my beer-making experience I'd say you want a low attenuation, low temperature tolerant yeast so it doesn't have a lot of impact on the flavor,” Indrehus says.

Sarsaparilla was made from the Sarsaparilla vine, while Root Beer, roots of the sassafras tree. These days, Root Beer recipes do not include sassafras as the plant has been found to cause serious health issues.

What can I substitute for sassafras? ›

Thanks for any tips! Supposedly, the flavor of sassafras can be approximated by a mixture of citrus fruits, spearmint, and wintergreen. Another website suggests wintergreen, anise, cloves, lemon oil, and orange oil.

The roots and barks of the sassafras tree contain a high concentration of the chemical named safrole. Safrole was listed as a carcinogen in rats by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and is hence banned at present. The risk of developing cancer increases with the amount consumed and duration of consumption.

The colonists did not have barley or other grains for brewing at first, so they used the ingredients that were available: berries, bark and roots. The alcohol was the preservative. The beer was boiled and brewed like tea to blend the flavors and kill the germs. It was then cooled and fermented with yeast.

Root beer owes it beginnings to the indigenous populations of early America. Far before colonists arrived on our young nation's shores, native people were already using different parts of the sassafras tree to create medicinal tonics and delicious cuisines, alike.

Vernor's boasts the oldest soda in America, but not the world. That belongs to Schweppe's, who created a carbonated mineral water in 1783. Other old sodas include Hires Root Beer (1876), Moxie 1876, Dr. Pepper (1885) Coca-Cola (1886) and Pepsi (1893.

People used to drink sassafras tea. However, sassafras tea contains a high concentration of safrole, which was about 4.5 times the permissible dose. Thus, in 1976, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) banned the sales of sassafras tea. Moreover, the FDA prohibited the use of sassafras as food additives.

Sarsaparilla was made from the Sarsaparilla vine, while Root Beer, roots of the sassafras tree. These days, Root Beer recipes do not include sassafras as the plant has been found to cause serious health issues.

What Is Root Beer—And What Is It Made Of? The main ingredients in root beer are pretty much the same as any other soda: water, high fructose corn syrup, caramel coloring, and flavoring, both natural and artificial. However, root beer's unique flavor comes from sassafras, a tree root native to the United States.