[root beer]

I’m the grandchild of an immigrant from the Netherlands, and one of the stories my grandmother told me that I always found interesting was the story about sharing rootbeer with her siblings.

My grandma (who I’ll call “Oma” from here on out, which is the Dutch word for Grandma) was the first of her siblings to come to America, very soon after the conclusion of World War II. When she got here, she tried a neat American soda called root beer, and she loved it!

Eventually, the rest of Oma’s family arrived, and one of the first things she showed them was this incredible beverage she’d been enjoying. But guess what…

They hated it! Oma’s siblings all said root beer tasted like medicine, and no one wanted to finish it.

This is a pretty common sentiment, especially in the Eastern Hemisphere. I have Swedish cousins who can’t stand root beer, and I’ve read and heard endless quips online about how the stuff just tastes like outdated cough syrup.

So why do Americans still drink it?

Because it’s more than just a drink; it’s a cultural experience that carries a lot of sentimental value. Plus, not everyone thinks it tastes like medicine—some people genuinely enjoy the flavor, much to the confusion of others around the world.

The History of Root Beer

The 19th Century: Root beer as we know it began to take shape in the 19th century. Charles Hires, a Philadelphia pharmacist, is often credited with popularizing root beer. In 1876, Hires developed a powdered root beer mix, which he marketed as a healthful, non-alcoholic alternative to traditional beers. He first introduced his product at the Philadelphia Centennial Exhibition and later sold it as a bottled beverage. Hires’ root beer was a huge hit, especially among temperance advocates who promoted non-alcoholic beverages.

Interestingly, Hires originally called his beverage “root tea,” but he was advised to rename it “root beer” to make it more appealing to the working-class beer drinkers of the time. The name change worked, and root beer quickly became a popular soft drink.

The 20th Century: The early 20th century saw the rise of mass production and branding of root beer. Brands like A&W, founded in 1919, and Barq’s, founded in 1898, became household names. A&W, in particular, is famous for its root beer floats and drive-in restaurants, which helped cement root beer’s place in American culture. The drink became a nostalgic symbol of simpler times, often associated with family outings, picnics, and summer days.

During Prohibition in the 1920s, when alcoholic beverages were banned, root beer’s popularity soared even further as a non-alcoholic alternative for beer lovers. This era also solidified root beer’s identity as a sweet, carbonated soft drink rather than a medicinal brew.

The 21st Century: Today, root beer remains a popular soft drink in the U.S., though its flavor profile has shifted to be sweeter and less medicinal than its historical counterparts. The original sassafras root was banned by the FDA in the 1960s due to its potential carcinogenic properties, so modern root beer uses artificial flavoring or safrole-free sassafras extract.

Root beer has also branched out into various regional and craft varieties, with some breweries returning to the original recipes that include more traditional, earthy flavors. However, its association with nostalgia and Americana remains strong, which is why it continues to be a beloved beverage in the U.S. despite its divisive taste.

It’s All About the Sassafras

Traditional root beer was derived from an indigenous american herb called sassafras root. Sassafras root has a long and complex history in the United States, but here's a summary:

Pre-Colonial and Early Colonial Use: Native American tribes were the first to use sassafras root, both as a medicine and a flavoring agent. They believed in its healing properties, using it to treat ailments like fevers, wounds, and digestive issues. Sassafras tea was a common preparation. When European explorers and settlers arrived, they quickly adopted the use of sassafras from Native Americans. By the early 17th century, sassafras had become one of the first American exports to Europe. It was marketed as a cure-all, believed to treat everything from syphilis to general malaise. In fact, sassafras was so highly valued that it was sometimes used as a form of currency in trade with Europe.

Sassafras in American Cuisine: By the 19th century, sassafras root had become a common ingredient in various American culinary traditions. It was the primary flavoring for root beer, a beverage that gained popularity in the mid-1800s. Sassafras was also used in teas, candies, and other culinary creations. The root beer we recognize today was originally brewed as a mildly alcoholic beverage before transitioning to the non-alcoholic version we know. Sassafras continued to be used in folk medicine throughout the 19th and early 20th centuries. It was included in many patent medicines and tonics, though the scientific basis for these uses was often dubious. It became especially associated with "blood purification" and was sometimes used in spring tonics to "cleanse" the body after winter.

The Fall of Sassafras: The trouble began in the 1960s when scientific research identified that safrole, the primary chemical compound in sassafras oil, was a carcinogen. Studies on lab animals showed that safrole could cause liver cancer when ingested in significant amounts. This led to serious concerns about its safety for human consumption. In response to these findings, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) banned the use of sassafras oil in commercially prepared foods and beverages in 1960. This ban effectively eliminated traditional root beer from the market.

With all that being said, the safrole ban didn’t cause root beer to go extinct. Instead, manufacturers began using artificial flavors or safrole-free extracts to replicate the taste of sassafras. These safrole-free products are still used in some commercial root beers today, allowing the flavor to persist without the associated health risks.

No Rootbeer Recipe?!

Okay, so I’m going to give you a recipe, but there are a couple of problems with it. First, root beer is not an easy recipe. This is traditionally something brewed by a guy who does nothing but brew things all day, so adding root beer to the roster is too easy. But making it yourself at home required you to turn brewing into a time-intensive hobby. The second problem is my computer went capoot a few weeks back! So while I can still write my articles, I’m using a borrowed computer and don’t have permission to download the Cook’n app to this computer, so I unfortunately can’t share the Cook’n file for now.

In any case, here’s a super traditional root beer recipe that I’ve only tried once:

Matthew’s Root Beer

This recipe gives you a more earthy, less sweet version of root beer than what you might be used to from the store. Feel free to adjust the sweetness and spices to suit your taste. If you're concerned about safety, you can skip the fermentation step and simply enjoy the root beer as a flat, non-carbonated drink, or carbonate it with a soda stream.

Ingredients:

- 4 cups water

- 1 tablespoon sassafras root bark (safrole-free, available from specialty herb shops)

- 1 tablespoon sarsaparilla root

- 1 tablespoon birch bark

- 1 tablespoon licorice root

- 1 teaspoon dried ginger root

- 1 cinnamon stick

- 1 teaspoon star anise (optional, for a spicier flavor)

- 1 vanilla bean, split (or 1 tablespoon vanilla extract)

- 1/2 cup molasses

- 1/2 cup dark brown sugar (adjust to taste)

- 1/4 cup honey

- 1/4 teaspoon yeast (brewer's yeast or champagne yeast for carbonation)

Instructions:

1. Boil the Water and Roots:

- In a large pot, bring 4 cups of water to a boil.

- Add the sassafras root bark, sarsaparilla root, birch bark, licorice root, ginger root, cinnamon stick, and star anise.

- Reduce the heat and let the mixture simmer for about 30 minutes, allowing the flavors to meld together.

2. Strain the Liquid:

- After simmering, remove the pot from heat and let the mixture cool slightly.

- Strain the liquid through a fine mesh strainer or cheesecloth into another pot or large bowl, discarding the solid roots and spices.

3. Sweeten the Root Beer:

- While the liquid is still warm, add the molasses, brown sugar, and honey.

- Stir until all the sweeteners are fully dissolved.

4. Add Vanilla:

- Add the split vanilla bean to the liquid (or stir in vanilla extract if using that).

- Let the mixture sit for about 15 minutes to infuse the vanilla flavor.

5. Fermentation (Optional for Carbonation):

- If you want your root beer naturally carbonated, dissolve the yeast in a small amount of lukewarm water and add it to the sweetened root beer mixture.

- Stir well to ensure the yeast is evenly distributed.

6. Bottle the Root Beer:

- Pour the root beer into sterilized bottles, leaving about an inch of space at the top.

- Seal the bottles tightly and let them sit at room temperature for 12 to 48 hours to allow fermentation. The longer they sit, the more carbonated the root beer will become.

7. Chill and Enjoy:

- Once the desired level of carbonation is reached, refrigerate the bottles to stop the fermentation process.

- Serve cold, preferably in a frosted mug!