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Mar 12, 2024 · The name “root beer” is twofold. The “root” comes from the inclusion of sassafras root as the main flavorant, though other roots and barks were often added, so “root beer” often made sense rather than just “sassafras beer.”. The “beer” part comes from the brewing process. In the 1800s, root beer was made with yeast to get ...
Root beer. 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 called sarsaparilla) as the primary flavor. Root beer is typically, but not exclusively, non-alcoholic, caffeine-free, sweet ...
- Table of Contents
- The History of Root Beer
- The True Origins of Root Beer
- What Is Root Beer Made of?
- How to Brew Root Beer at Home
- Homemade Root Beer Recipes
In the late 1800s, a pharmacist from Philadelphia named Charles Hires discovered a recipe for an herbal tea known as tisane while honeymooning in New Jersey. While we might question why he ever went to Jersey to honeymoon, there is one thing we can be very glad about. Hires used that herbal tea recipe to make himself famous. First, he sold a dry va...
We can credit the ultimate discovery as we know it to Hires, but he wasn’t solely responsible. In fact, its origins of can be traced back to America’s pre-colonial era. Indigenous tribes utilized herbs and plants regularly for medicinal purposes. One of those plants was the sassafras root. This type of beer stems from the creation of “small beers,”...
Root beer once contained sassafras. Some homemade recipes still do, though it’s recommended you don’t use sassafras root. As mentioned earlier, sassafras could potentially kill you over time, as both the US and European Commission of Health have named it a carcinogen. So what is root beer made of today? Well, the recipe is pretty simple. You need y...
Sometimes the best way to learn why it is called a root beer and not a tea or soda is to brew it up at home. There are a plethora of recipes on the internet alone. Many of them continue to use sassafras root despite the warnings from the FDA and other organizations. However, you don’t need sassafras root to get great-tasting beer that is fizzy and ...
Making this drink from scratch is a fun process, especially if you’ve already brewed up your own beer. This is a great option for letting the kids join in, too, since you get a fizzy, non-alcoholic drink at the end of it. Of course, we’re going to also include an option that lets you brew up an alcoholic version of root beer.
Carbon dioxide added a delightful effervescence and made drinks livelier and more enjoyable. Root beer was not exempt from this trend, and as it gained carbonation, it transformed into the fizzy beverage we know today. To reflect this significant change, the term “small beer” was replaced, and the name “root beer” became the standard.
Sep 10, 2024 · One of those brewed drinks was the small beer. Many believe that small beer is the origin of what we now call root beer. However, unlike modern-day root beer, this drink contained some alcohol, albeit only a low percentage. Small beer used to have only as high as 12% alcohol. On the other hand, it could have as low as 2%.
Root beer as we know it today can be credited to Charles Elmer Hires, a Philadelphia pharmacist. In 1875, Hires developed a beverage based on traditional recipes, featuring an array of roots, berries, and spices. He initially called it “root tea,” but later changed the name to “root beer” to make it more appealing to the masses.
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Jul 21, 2023 · Cultural Significance. The term “root beer” first emerged in the early 19th century, likely derived from its primary ingredient: the roots of the sassafras tree. Sassafras was widely used by Native Americans for medicinal purposes, and its distinctive flavor and aroma became a defining characteristic of the beverage.
