We are independent & ad-supported. We may earn a commission for purchases made through our links.
Advertiser Disclosure
Our website is an independent, advertising-supported platform. We provide our content free of charge to our readers, and to keep it that way, we rely on revenue generated through advertisements and affiliate partnerships. This means that when you click on certain links on our site and make a purchase, we may earn a commission. Learn more.
How We Make Money
We sustain our operations through affiliate commissions and advertising. If you click on an affiliate link and make a purchase, we may receive a commission from the merchant at no additional cost to you. We also display advertisements on our website, which help generate revenue to support our work and keep our content free for readers. Our editorial team operates independently of our advertising and affiliate partnerships to ensure that our content remains unbiased and focused on providing you with the best information and recommendations based on thorough research and honest evaluations. To remain transparent, we’ve provided a list of our current affiliate partners here.
Beverages

Our Promise to you

Founded in 2002, our company has been a trusted resource for readers seeking informative and engaging content. Our dedication to quality remains unwavering—and will never change. We follow a strict editorial policy, ensuring that our content is authored by highly qualified professionals and edited by subject matter experts. This guarantees that everything we publish is objective, accurate, and trustworthy.

Over the years, we've refined our approach to cover a wide range of topics, providing readers with reliable and practical advice to enhance their knowledge and skills. That's why millions of readers turn to us each year. Join us in celebrating the joy of learning, guided by standards you can trust.

What is Root Beer?

Niki Acker
By
Updated: May 16, 2024
Views: 29,721
Share

Root beer is a beverage made from a variety of plant roots and spices. Recipes abound, so different commercially sold brands or homemade versions may differ widely in taste. This drink is typically non-alcoholic, though alcoholic versions were more common in the past, before the prohibition era. Sassafras root is usually the main flavoring of root beer, which takes its name from this ingredient. Imitation sassafras is most commonly used today, as natural sassafras is mildly carcinogenic.

The earliest incarnations of root beer were slightly alcoholic and used as medicine for mouth complaints, including sore throat, cough, and canker sores. This type was brewed from roots or root extracts and sold at drug stores. Philadelphia pharmacist Charles Elmer Hires is credited with the invention of root beer as we currently know it. In 1866, at the age of 15, he began selling it as a powder that was mixed with water, sugar, and yeast to make a carbonated soft drink. In 1893, he began selling it bottled, ready to drink.

Hires marketed his drink as a flavorful and healthy alternative to alcohol in the early days of the temperance movement, and his efforts were quite successful. The prohibition against alcohol in the United States during the 1920s cemented the popularity of root beer, and many breweries that had formerly produced beer began manufacturing this alternative instead. The beverage also rose to popularity in England in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with many local varieties, using roots other than sassafras, in existence.

Root beer, being an alternative to alcoholic beverages, is often served to children. Some commercial versions include caffeine, but most do not. A popular dessert using it is the root beer float, which adds vanilla ice cream to the beverage and is traditionally eaten with a long spoon.

The popularity of root beer declined after the discovery that sassafras is carcinogenic in the 1960s, with cola largely taking its place. However, pure sassafras is no longer used in commercial products. The beverage still boasts many fans, at least in the United States, and the adventurous have been known to brew their own concoctions.

Share
DelightedCooking is dedicated to providing accurate and trustworthy information. We carefully select reputable sources and employ a rigorous fact-checking process to maintain the highest standards. To learn more about our commitment to accuracy, read our editorial process.
Niki Acker
By Niki Acker
"In addition to her role as a DelightedCooking editor, Niki Foster is passionate about educating herself on a wide range of interesting and unusual topics to gather ideas for her own articles. A graduate of UCLA with a double major in Linguistics and Anthropology, Niki's diverse academic background and curiosity make her well-suited to create engaging content for WiseGeekreaders. "
Discussion Comments
By anon964631 — On Aug 06, 2014

@elfi64: I actually have no problem believing that because root beer tastes like toothpaste that it may be good for the teeth.

By CopperPipe — On Oct 28, 2010

@galen84basc-- It's not very hard at all, and you really don't need any special equipment to get a basic, decent tasting root beer.

All you need is an empty two liter bottle, a supply of cold water (tap water is fine), then some white sugar, baker's yeast, and rootbeer extract, which you can get online or in grocery stores. Oh, and a funnel.

So you take your two liter and put in a cup of table sugar (you can do slightly more or less to get the kind of taste you like). Then add in 1/4 teaspoon of yeast. It should be powdered yeast, not liquid yeast.

Shake the bottle up to distribute the yeast evenly throughout the sugar -- this is important, so make sure you shake thoroughly!

After you've got it mixed up properly, shake the bottle so a little dip forms in the middle of your sugar and yeast mix -- you want to make a bowl to catch the rootbeer extract.

Next, you add a tablespoon of rootbeer extract, which will get sticky on top of the sugar.

Fill your bottle about halfway full with cool water, and then swirl everything around until it dissolves. Then proceed to fill the bottle up to the neck, and put the cap on the bottle.

You should let it sit for about three days at room temperature, and then you can refrigerate it before you drink it.

So no rootbeer kegs required -- unless you want them -- just a two liter and some extract.

Best of luck!

By galen84basc — On Oct 28, 2010

How exactly do you make rootbeer? I know that they sell root beer kits, and root beer making supplies, but what does the actual process look like?

I'm not planning on making kegs of rootbeer or anything, but I think it would be nice to be able to make my own for summer parties and what not. And I bet that a home made root beer float would be a lot better than one made regular old Dad's Rootbeer.

So can anybody tell me the process -- what kind of equipment you would need, and about how much that costs, and what the actual root beer making process looks like?

By rallenwriter — On Oct 28, 2010

I can only imagine what it would have been like to live in the 1800s -- I mean, you've got alcoholic root beer, cocaine drops for toothaches, and nitrous oxide parties.

I had no idea that sassafras was carcinogenic though -- makes me glad that I'm not much of a rootbeer fan.

I'll take an IBC rootbeer every now and again, and I like a rootbeer float on occasion, but on the whole I'm not much of a soda drinker anyway.

I wonder if there's been any study done on the correlation between rootbeer float consumption during the 1950s and cancer rates? I bet that would be really interesting.

By elfi64 — On Jun 14, 2008

Because of acidity, sodas are harmful to teeth enamel. Pepsi and coke are the most acidic, while root beer is least acidic according to a test conducted with 20 soft drinks.

To protect the enamel, staying away from sodas, or drinking with a straw is advisable.

Niki Acker
Niki Acker
"In addition to her role as a DelightedCooking editor, Niki Foster is passionate about educating herself on a wide range...
Learn more
Share
https://www.delightedcooking.com/what-is-root-beer.htm
Copy this link
DelightedCooking, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.

DelightedCooking, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.