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Root beer was originally made with sassafras root and bark which, due to its mucilaginous properties, formed a natural, long lasting foam, a characteristic feature of the beverage. Root beer was originally carbonated by fermentation. As demand and technology changed, carbonated water was used.
In the 19th century, American colonists brewed the antecedent root beers in their homes from a variety of ingredients, often serving their concoctions as hot teas. In the 1840s, the first root beer began to appear in confectionaries and general stores, bottled in stoneware and sold for medicinal use.
Aug 9, 2019 · Root beer as we know it today is descended from "small beers," a collection of beverages (some alcoholic, some not) concocted by American colonists using what they had at hand. The brews varied by region and were flavored by locally grown herbs, barks, and roots.
- Mary Bellis
Nov 18, 2023 · The journey of root beer — from a North American indigenous tribal tea to pharmacist Charles Elmer Hires’ first national soda brand— highlights a legacy of innovation and tenacity. Here’s a look!
Aug 6, 2021 · The first commercialized root beer was created by a Philadelphia pharmacist named Charles Elmer Hires, who discovered a tisane while on his honeymoon in New Jersey. Soon after, he began selling a dry version of the tea blend that had to be mixed with water, sugar, and yeast and then left to ferment.
Originally Hires packaged the mixture in boxes and sold it to housewives and soda fountains. They needed to mix in water, sugar and yeast. Hires would become the largest manufacturer of the soft drink “root beer” in the world. But at first the drink was slow to catch on.
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Root beer can trace its roots back to ancient Native American tribes who utilized the medicinal properties of various plants and roots for concoctions and remedies. These early versions of root beer were made by fermenting certain roots and herbs to create a mildly alcoholic and pleasantly flavored beverage.
