What Root Is Root Beer Made Out Of?

Sarsaparilla – While they can appear similar and often be confused, there has always been a difference between the beverages, traditionally Sarsaparilla was made from the sarsaparilla root alone. The extract made from sarsaparilla root has a slightly bitter flavour profile, which is why most producers now include ingredients like liquorice to try and reduce the bold flavour.

What is root is root beer made of?

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Not to be confused with Beer,

Root beer

A mug of foamy root beer
Type	Soft drink
Region of origin	North America

Root beer is a sweet North American soft drink traditionally made using the root bark of the sassafras tree Sassafras albidum or the vine of Smilax ornata (known as sarsaparilla, also used to make a soft drink, sarsaparilla ) as the primary flavor. Root beer is typically but not exclusively non-alcoholic, caffeine -free, sweet, and carbonated,

Like cola, it usually has a thick and foamy head, A well-known use is to add vanilla ice cream to make a root beer float, Since safrole, a key component of sassafras, was banned by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 1960 due to its carcinogenicity, most commercial root beers have been flavored using artificial sassafras flavoring, but a few (e.g.

Hansen’s) use a safrole-free sassafras extract. Major root beer producers include PepsiCo, Coca-Cola Company, Dad’s, Keurig Dr. Pepper, and A&W,

Why is root beer called root?

Today I found out why root beer is called that when it doesn’t contain any alcohol. This popular soft drink pairs well with vanilla ice cream, resulting in root beer floats that are common sights at kids’ birthday parties in North America. The common version that we know today isn’t an alcoholic beverage, but a sweet soda that can be enjoyed by all ages.

So why is it called “root beer?” The answer lies in the history of root beer. Most food historians (yes, they exist) think it likely that the first versions of root beer started out as “small beer,” a beverage brewed from herbs, bark, and berries. Small beer was popular in medieval Europe, where rampant water pollution had a tendency to make people sick.

Brewed drinks like tea and beer were considered the healthier option. The same was true in early Colonial America before safer water facilities could be developed. Small beer contained alcohol—usually between 2% and 12%. The beverage was so commonplace that it turns up in a variety of classical literature, including several of William Shakespeare’s plays and Vanity Fair by William Thackery.

1. Fast forward a few centuries to find pharmacists attempting to create a “miracle drug” or “cure-all” for people’s ailments in the late 19 th century.
2. Many of the popular carbonated beverages today have their roots in such an attempt.) Historians generally believe that root beer was created on accident by a pharmacist experimenting with a variety of roots, herbs, bark, and berries used in small beer recipes in order to make a brew to cure every sickness.

The original “root beer” was sold as a syrup for consumers to water down into a type of cordial. It was both sweet and bitter, probably not unlike cough syrup today, and obviously didn’t take off as a beverage you’d buy for anything other than potentially curing sickness.

It should be noted that it’s unknown whether or not the original pharmacist commonly credited as the creator of root beer was actually Charles Hires. Obviously, types of root beer had been around for centuries, so he cannot accurately be described as the “inventor.” He was, however, the first one to come up with a recipe that was widely marketable, hence why he is given credit.

According to his biography, Hires ran across a delicious tea recipe while he was on his honeymoon, which he decided to replicate and sell as a cure-all. However, the honeymoon story has little evidence to back it up, and it’s likely that Hires was simply experimenting with various ingredients until he came up with a recipe that worked.

• He began selling dry packages of the tea mixture in his drug store, and later developed a liquid concentrate which people could mix with water.
• Initially, the mixture was called “Hires Root Tea” as it was brewed like tea from the dry packages.
• The packets cost twenty-five cents and supposedly could make up to five gallons of root tea.

The “root” in the name of Hires’ concoction came from its main ingredient, the sassafras root. Hires changed the name of his product from “tea” to “beer” sometime before the Philadelphia Centennial Exposition in 1876. It’s likely that he changed the name to make the beverage more appealing to the working class.

In the midst of the second wave of the Temperance Movement, the name caused outrage amongst the movement’s leaders. Hires, on the other hand, advertised root beer as the “temperance drink,” arguing that it had no alcohol and was a great alternative to alcoholic beverages. Thus, “root tea” became “root beer.” (Note: It isn’t entirely accurate to say root beer doesn’t contain alcohol as carbonated beverages like root beer, Pepsi, Coke, Dr.

Pepper, etc. do have trace amounts of alcohol, as do many other things, like yogurt, just not any significant amount.) The name change turned into a great marketing scheme. At the Philadelphia exposition, Hires handed out free cups of his brew, gaining new customers.

• It’s likely that marketing the product as “beer” was the key to its success, and Hires soon was bottling root beer and selling concentrated syrups to soda fountains.
• He even made “root beer kits” available for individuals to make their own root beer at home.
• Root beer continued to be marketed as a “health beverage” with the slogan, “Join Health and Cheer, Drink Hires Root Beer!” Funny enough, in 1960 the United States Food and Drug Administration banned the main ingredient—oil from the sassafras root—because of research proving it was a carcinogen and also contained safrol, which damages the liver- not exactly healthy.

Because of this, today root beer typically contains an artificial sassafras flavour rather than the real thing. So at this point the whole name is a lie. If you liked this article, you might also enjoy our new popular podcast, The BrainFood Show ( iTunes, Spotify, Google Play Music, Feed ), as well as:

Why Mentos and Coke React Does Mountain Dew Really Lower Sperm Count? How Much Caffeine Would It Take to Kill You The Cotton Candy Machine was Co-Invented by a Dentist Why Carbonated Beverages are Called “Soft Drinks”

Bonus Facts:

Both Benjamin Franklin and George Washington were fans of small beer; Franklin wrote in his autobiography that he would have a small beer with breakfast sometimes, while George Washington had developed his own recipe for his favourite small beer. Without root beer, we wouldn’t have the Marriott Hotels and certain fast food restaurants. In 1927, a young couple named John and Alice Marriott opened up a root beer restaurant called Hot Shoppe in Washington. The restaurant experienced a huge amount of expansion over the years and turned into the Mariott Hotel chain. The Marriotts actually bought the shop from A&W, now a well-known restaurant chain root beer brand. A&W helped to popularize the idea of franchising. By 1960, there were over 2000 A&W restaurants—more than McDonald’s at the time! Another restaurant that got its start in root beer was Sonic, which started off as a root beer and hamburger stand and now has over 3500 restaurants in the United States. There are hundreds of different recipes for root beer and the drink has a wide range of flavours. Common ingredients in root beer include vanilla, cherry tree bark, wintergreen, molasses, anise, liquorice root, cinnamon, and honey among others. The primary ingredient is still sassafras flavour. Root beer is almost exclusively a North American drink. There are a few international brands, but the flavour is quite different from, say, A&W. If you browse the shelves in Australia or the UK you’re probably more likely to find “ginger beer” than root beer.

Expand for References

Is it safe to eat sassafras?

Peter, a Drummers and Ursids alumni, writes this week’s blog post about the Sassafras tree – demystifying some of it’s more unusual properties, sharing its history, and giving identifying characteristics so that you will know the unusual tree, should you come across it in the forest. Peter L. Many people have heard of sassafras before. Most of them probably know it as “some kind of tree.” But sassafras is actually a very unusual tree. From the leaves in the crown to the roots in the ground, there is something unique about the sassafras. Let’s take a look at what makes it interesting, useful, and mysterious. A typical three-lobed sassafras leaf in autumn. Sassafras albidum is a medium sized tree, attaining heights of 50-60 feet and diameters up to 18 inches. Young saplings have relatively smooth greenish bark, but mature trees have deeply furrowed reddish-brown bark. If a little piece of the outer bark is broken off a mature tree, the bark beneath is a reddish-orange color. Bark of a mature sassafras with a few pieces broken off, revealing the reddish-orange beneath. The unique green bark of sassafras twigs and saplings. Try breaking a twig off and smelling it, or chew on it for the flavor. Even the dead twigs have the characteristic sassafras smell. The leaves, twigs, and roots all have a distinctive smell when broken or crushed, which makes identification easy.

1. Sassafras leaves have a very unique appearance, actually three appearances! Sassafras trees have ovate lobe-less leaves, two-lobed leaves, and three-lobed leaves.
2. Interestingly, four and five-lobed leaves can appear, but we will discuss this a little later.
3. Sassafras albidum is a very useful tree.
4. The roots are frequently dug up, dried, and boiled to make sassafras tea.

The twigs and leaves are both edible, and can be eaten raw or added to soups for flavor. Although it seems strange, dried sassafras leaves are actually very important spice in some dishes. Native Americans and early colonists, however, did not use sassafras roots for pleasure or spices; they used them as medicine! The oil extract from the root bark was used to treat everything from nosebleeds to heart troubles.

The colonists were so impressed by the healing powers of sassafras that they sent roots back to Europe in large amounts. Sassafras roots became very valuable, and in 1602, one ton of roots sold for the equivalent of 25,000 dollars! Sassafras is useful for wildlife, too. The berries are eaten by many animals, including black bears, wild turkeys and songbirds.

The leaves and twigs are eaten by whitetail deer and porcupines. The bark is eaten by rabbits in the wintertime. American beavers will cut and use sassafras as well. Although Sassafras is not considered a primary food source, it is useful as a supplementary food source for many species.

And what about the mysteries? Well, here they are: What causes a rare four or five-lobed leaf? What causes sassafras trees to grow so many different shapes of leaves on the same tree? And finally, what causes the leaves to form lobes in the first place? Typically, sassafras trees grow only three types of leaves: ovate lobe-less leaves, two-lobed leaves, and three-lobed leaves.

Usually, all three types of leaves can be found growing on the same tree, which is strange considering that most others tree species only have one type of leaf. However, I have found and pressed two four-lobed sassafras leaves and a five-lobed sassafras leaf. A rare four-lobed sassafras leaf. A rare five-lobed sassafras leaf. Scientists have discovered other interesting facts about lobed leaves on sassafras trees. They found that more lobed leaves grow on the lower branches of the tree than they do in the upper branches. Also, leaves that grow from the bottom side of a branch are significantly more likely to have lobes than those growing from the top of the branch.

However, no one knows what causes these oddities! These intriguing mysteries, the history of sassafras, and its usefulness all combine to make a fascinating tree. From the roots in the ground, to the leaves in the crown, there is something that makes sassafras unique. I encourage you to go out into the forest.

Find a sassafras tree, crush a leaf and smell the distinctive aroma, chew on a twig, and appreciate the beauty of sassafras.

Why is root beer illegal?

Unless you’re participating in a spelling bee or playing Fallout New Vegas, you probably don’t think about sassafras much, but you might still ingest it regularly. It is, or at least once was, the main flavourful ingredient in root beer, Sassafras (a tree) and sarsaparilla (a vine) were traditionally used-along with other substances like licorice root, mint, nutmeg, and more-to flavour root beer.

Recipes for root beer similar to what we know today date back to 1860, and sassafras root beverages date back even further, made by indigenous peoples for medicinal and culinary purposes. But modern root beer doesn’t contain any real sassafras root anymore, why not? Well, sassafras and sarsaparilla both contain safrole, a compound recently banned by the FDA due to its carcinogenic effects.

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. But more recent studies have actually failed to find evidence that the effects seen in rats occur in humans.

• This, and the fact that several other (still legal) foods, like the aforementioned nutmeg, also contain safrole, makes the ban seem less science based and more the result of fear.
• So, modern root beer is flavoured most often with artificial sassafras, though sometimes with safrole-free sassafras too.

More important than checking the safrole content of your beverage, though, might be checking the alcohol content. Traditional root beer was usually alcoholic, whereas modern root beer is rarely fortified with ethanol and is a favourite of kids everywhere.

Is sassafras toxic?

Outlook (Prognosis) – How well someone does depends on the amount of sassafras oil swallowed and how quickly treatment is received. The faster medical help is given, the better the chance is for recovery. Sassafras oil is very toxic. If damage to the liver or kidneys occurs, it may take several months to heal. Sassafras oil can also cause cancer if someone uses it for a long time.

What is in A&W root beer?

Ingredients – Carbonated Water, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Caramel Color, Sodium Benzoate (Preservative), Natural and Artificial Flavors.

What is the English equivalent of root beer?

HISTORY Root beer is a US sensation, but availability outside of the States is rather limited. In the UK we have a, similar, although not identical, product, Dandelion & Burdock.Historically, root beer is part of a category of “small beers”: low-alcohol beers, which were popular in the Colonial North America. Our Selection of Root Beer: L:R A&W, Stewart’s, Barq’s. Hartridges, IBC, MUG, Bundaberg, Carter’s An early version of the sort of root beer that we enjoy today came from Charles Hives in 1876, when the Philadelphian pharmacist wanted to make a pre-mixed liquid version of a health tea that he sold.

This early root beer was showcased at the Philadelphian Centenary Exhibition. There is no official recipe or version of root beer; rather, as with ginger ale, there is merely a public expectation of what the flavour should be. Although the base of the flavour is usually sassafras root, root beer can also be flavoured with various other ingredients, including: wintergreen, vanilla, cherry bark, sarsaparilla, nutmeg and aniseed.

Luckily, we didn’t have to travel across the Atlantic to get a taste of true American Root Beer, as American Soda were kind enough to send us samples from their range of Root Beer which they import to the UK. TASTING The root beers were tasted chilled and on their own by a panel of four, including one seasoned root beer fan, two occasional drinkers and one person who had never tried it before. A&W Possibly the most famous root beer available today. Started in 1919 by Roy Allen; the name comes from Allen’s and his business partner’s (Frank Wright) initials. A&W branded drive-in restaurants operate throughout North America. Today, A&W is additionally flavoured with aged vanilla. MUG Instantly recognisable by its distinctive bulldog mascot, who is simply known as “Dog”. Mug was created in the 1950s in San Francisco and is now available across the US and, thanks to American Soda, to us folks in the UK, too. This has very little nose, with only a little clove and cinnamon on the nose. BARQ’s A grandad of the root beer market, Barq’s has been made since 1898, although, originally, it was just marketed as “Barq’s”, rather than as a root beer. It was founded by brothers Edward and Gaston Barq from new Orleans, whose initial success came in selling a product called Orangine (Orange-soda).

Of all of the root beers that we tasted, Barq’s was the only one containing caffeine, although its caffeine levels are lower than Ice Tea or Classic Coca Cola. The nose is a little bit like cola, with vanilla and liquorice. It tastes great: it’s full of flavour and not too sweet, with sweet spice, nutmeg, cinnamon, vanilla and aniseed; rich and creamy.

Exactly what you would expect from a root beer. Barq’s Root Beer is available for £1.27 for 355ml from American Soda, STEWARTS Created in 1924 by Frank Stewart, Stewart’s Root Beer has only been available in bottles since 1990. Before that, they were sold exclusively at Stewart’s Root Beer stand in Ohio. Today, Stewart makes over ten different products including Birch Beer, Key Lime and Cream Soda. IBC Packaged in an attractive and traditional bottle, the Independent Brewing Company (IBC) Root Beer was created in 1919 in St Louis, Missouri. IBC also make Cherry Coke and Cream Soda. A nose of aniseed, vanilla, and wintergreen; it’s very herbal and reminds us of menthol.

When poured in the glass, the IBC has quite a large head, but isn’t too fizzy and is quite sweet. The taste is reminiscent of Vanilla Coke, with additional aniseed and herbal notes. IBC’s creamy texture was quite popular and the root beer was seen as accessible for folks who hadn’t tried root beer before.

Smooth & refreshing. So we’ve looked at imported Root Beers from the USA purchased for specialist retailers What about UK domestic Root Beer available in corner shops and supermarkets? IBC Root Beer is available for £2.50 for 354ml from American Soda, Bundaberg From Australia, Bundaberg also make Ginger Beer and Lemon & Lime Bitter Soda nose: quite a yeasty nose with vanilla and anise. taste:a little malty on the taste, along with notes of vanilla and sweet liquroice. This was very refreshing but rather than having a lingering taste you get a short, sharp burst of flavour. Slightly smokey. This was very popular with the panel., Carters Made by Cott Beverages in Derby although this is labelled on the front as “Root Beer” it descries itself as “Carbonated Fruit Flavour Soft Drink with Sugar and Sweetener”. nose: egg whites, herbs, clove and cinnamon. taste: rather fizzy, creamy and strangely oily. It leaves a greasy feeling on your lips. Quite smooth but also disjointed with a cloying aftertaste. Hartridges Made by a family-owned company that has been making soft drinks since 1882, this variety is part of the Francis Hartridge Celebrated Range, named after the founder of the company. nose: vanilla, leafy mint and tea taste: fruity, herby and slightly savoury.

1. The flavours of tea come through again and although not a typical Root Beer style, as a soft drink it is very good.
2. Making A Great Root Beer Float One of the big questions regarding making a root beer float is what order do you put the ingredients in? Ice-cream then root beer, so that you get the root beer ice crystals or vice-versa? In the interests of science, we tested it both ways.

The root beer was kept in a cold fridge, the glassware and the ice-cream (Cornish vanilla) was keep in a very cold freezer. Version #1 – Ice-cream then Root Beer Initially, you get a lot of big, but thin foam, which quickly disappears. The ice-cream floats to the top and is covered in root beer ice, so there is a lot of texture variety when you eat it. This then gives way to some creamy root beer, followed by the remaining plain root beer.

This drink has a lot of variety within it, but a lot of the flavours are kept separate and we felt that you can taste the root beer more as a result. Version #2 – Root Beer then Ice-cream Although you don’t get a lot of foam to start with, this quickly changes as the ice-cream begins to melt. After a few moments, there’s lots of foam and slushy ice-cream to spoon up and, when you move to use the straw, you are left with a delicious, creamy blend of ice-cream and root beer.

Superb. We liked both versions and were surprised how different they were. That said, we both preferred version two, as the root beer and the ice-cream seemed to blend better, resulting in a deliciously creamy, cool drink., Cocktails Root Beer Cocktails, L:R: Sasha, Root Beer Fizz & Root of All Evil #1) Root of All Evil This works very well but, woah!, it sure is heavy on the anise. The vanilla from the root beer is a good match for the pastis. I think this is quite a pleasant drink and not too sweet.

#2) Root beer Fizz A very unusual drink but rather excellent. The complexity of the gin fits in nicely with the root beer and the lemon juice stop the drink from being to sickly sweet by providing a refreshing tart edge. Very good indeed. #3) Sasha An odd heavy foam at the top, maybe you’ll need a spoon, the whole drink is actually very similar to drinking a glass of foam.

The mix of the Bailey’s and Root Beer brings forward a bubble gum sort of taste. Drinking it with a straw is a great improvement, once you get past the scummy foam it’s quite nice.

Is root beer just Coke and Dr Pepper?

Is Dr Pepper just Coke and root beer? – No, Dr Pepper is not just a combination of Coke and root beer. It is a unique blend of 23 flavors that includes cola, cherry, licorice, amaretto, blackberry, caramel, and more. Each flavor contributes to the overall taste of Dr Pepper and makes it an unmistakable beverage.

What Flavour is Pepsi?

Everyone has a perspective on whether Pepsi or Coca Cola is the superior soft drink. If you try to offer Pepsi to a Coke fan, you’re probably going to get some sort of snarky remark in return. And that’s because the internet is a funny world that believes in all sorts of funny rules and unnecessary divides.

• Is a Jaffa Cake a cake or a biscuit? Team Edward or Team Jacob? Is the chocolate on a chocolate digestive the top or the bottom of the biccie? We love an argument for literally no freaking reason.
• But our ability to fight to the death over trivial topics isn’t the only thing that divides the two beverages,

Author Malcolm Gladwell decided to settle this whole debate once and for all and figure out exactly why they taste so ridiculously different to some people. In his 2005 book, Blink, he deep-dives into the undertones within each drink to see what draws some people to one more than the other.

According to Gladwell, Pepsi has citrussy hints, while Coke is more overtly sweet with vanilla and raisin flavours. When he compared the labels and ingredient lists on the two cans, it turned out that it’s due to one element that appears in Pepsi’s recipe that doesn’t feature in its counterpart’s. Citric acid.

Yep – this common ingredient derived from fruit is often used in sour sweets like Tangfastics and fizzy laces, On its own, it’s enough to make your mouth pucker, but it can also be used to add tartness to both sweet and savoury food. To some people, the addition of citric acid makes Pepsi taste more refreshing and well-rounded, while others prefer the sweeter and dessert-like vibes of a can of Coke. So next time one of your mates threatens to leave Spoons because they only have Pepsi and not Coke, you’ve now got an anecdote to distract them from their turmoil long enough to order them a lemonade instead. You’re welcome! Like this article? Sign up to our newsletter to get more articles like this delivered straight to your inbox. SIGN UP

What Flavour is Mountain Dew?

Mountain Dew is a bold and distinctly refreshing citrus flavoured carbonated soft drink. With its caffeinated formula, Mountain Dew provides an energised lift and exhilarates and quenches with its one-of-a-kind taste. Mountain Dew is a bold and distinctly refreshing citrus flavoured carbonated soft drink.

What flavor is Sprite?

Sprite is a clear, lemon and lime -flavored soft drink created by the Coca-Cola Company.

What is it in root beer?

Root Beer, Every Way! – We know what you’re thinking–what’s the deal with all of these root beer brands? While brands like Coca-Cola and Pepsi dominate the cola market, root beer doesn’t seem to have any one clear winner–at least in so far as consumer tastes are concerned.

Sure, we can see that A&W brings in the most sales for the category, but debates surrounding which root beer brand reigns supreme in flavor usually tend to skew towards the complicated–much more so than the question of “coke or pepsi.” While root beer has developed a few accepted characteristics–it’s bubbly, brown, sweet, and non-alcoholic–that’s where the similarities stop.

Just like the homebrews of the early days of “root tea” and small beers, root beer today continues to be a diverse beverage category with a profile that can be hard to describe. Medium has attempted to sort through the web of flavors, grouping popular root beer brands by their core profile.

1. Sharpy pungent” styles of root beer are spicier, sometimes even more bitter or astringent.
2. Brands like Barq’s and Dads Old Fashioned appear in this category, plus the Australian brand Bundaberg.
3. Medium’s head-scratching “sweet and creamy” and “smooth and creamy” groupings present two additional categories for the soda, with subtle differences that again speak to the challenge of nailing down a classic root beer profile.

Our Chief Flavorist, Tom Gibson, has his own take on what constitutes a root beer, then and now: “There are a variety of flavor profiles of root beer on the market, but at the heart is a wintergreen profile with secondary vanilla, anise, and herbal, earthy notes.

1. Traditionally, the sassafras tree root was blended with other herbs and spices to either enhance that defining wintergreen quality or provide earthier, herbal notes and enhanced flavor.
2. Vanilla was later added to provide a creamier, smoother profile that takes the edge off of the bitter astringency.
3. Over time, root beer has evolved and contained ingredients like allspice, burdock root, sarsaparilla root, yellow dock root, ginger root, juniper berries, wild cherry bark, birch bark, anise, lemon, wintergreen, and more.” Modern beverage manufacturers continue to utilize some of these components along with a combination of flavorings, sweeteners, carbonation, and caffeine, but there continues to be no single way of making a great root beer product–that’s an exciting prospect for beverage creators.

When you’re ready to talk about your idea for the world’s next root beer soda, give us a call at (502) 273-5214 or get started with this web form, Related Content Drink Origins: Powdered Fruit Drink Drink Origins: Orange Soda Drink Origins: The Cosmopolitan 2021 Flavor Trends Written on September 22, 2021,

What is in A&W root beer?

Ingredients. Carbonated Water, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Caramel Color, Sodium Benzoate (Preservative), Natural and Artificial Flavors.