Homemade Root Beer Recipe (2024)

I’ve gotten a lot of positive feedback on my homemade ginger ale recipe, so I also wanted to share another favorite at our house: homemade root beer.

This root beer recipe uses the same beneficial culture as the ginger ale: a homemade ginger bug. Homemade root beer is also simple to make and has all the flavor of conventional root beer without the harmful ingredients.

Herbs for Homemade Root Beer

The herbs used in homemade root beer, mainly sassafras and sarsaparilla (as well as wintergreen), have some controversy surrounding them. These herbs contain safrole, which was once found to cause cancer in mice. I personally do not feel that there is a risk when consuming sassafras root in its whole form, as this article from Nourished Kitchen explains:

Wintergreen leaf, though almost always an ingredient in most traditional root beer recipes, replaced sassafras as the prominent flavor in root beer during the 1960s when a study conducted on lab animals implicated safrole, a naturally occurring polyphenol, in liver cancer. Of course, the lab rats were fed massive quantities of safrole – the human equivalent of consuming about 32 twelve-ounce bottles of root beer a day. After the study was released, the FDA required commercial soft drink makers to remove sassafras from their brews. Of course, cinnamon, nutmeg and basil also contain safrole but this seemed to escape the attention of the FDA.

Interestingly, while massive quantities of safrole caused liver cancer in lab animals, it seems that small doses may actually play a protective role for humans. Some studies indicate that safrole may actually stimulate the death of cancer cells, particularly oral cancers though it may also do so in lung and prostrate cancers.

Wintergreen, already an ingredient in root beer, offered a flavor profile strikingly similar to that of sassafras, and made a ready replacement. Most root beers made today contain neither sassafras nor wintergreen and are instead made with artificial flavors. Even wintergreen extract, the preferred flavoring for many home brewers, is difficult to attain and typically is made with propylene glycol – a petrochemical.

As with all herbs, it is important to consult a doctor, health care practitioner, or herbalist before consuming any herb, especially if you are pregnant, nursing, or have a medical condition. I personally stick with homemade ginger ale or homemade Dr. Pepper when pregnant.

How to Make Homemade Root Beer

As I said, I am comfortable using sassafras and wintergreen in this recipe. While a variety of other herbs were sometimes used in traditional recipes (including sarsaparilla, burdock, anise, licorice, astragalus, and others), I’ve found that the same flavor can be accomplished with only a few herbs. This simplified version is much more budget friendly as many of these herbs are hard to source and expensive. The rest of the herbs can be used if desired, and 1 Tablespoon of each could be added. In many places, sassafras can be wild-sourced, but I would recommend checking with a qualified herbalist or horticulture expert before using any plant.

Before beginning, it is important to have the culture ready to go. I use a homemade ginger bug in this recipe as it gives both the flavor and carbonation, though any type of natural culture could be used.

Homemade Root Beer Recipe (1)

Homemade Root Beer Recipe

A simple and nourishing fermented homemade root beer (non-alcoholic) with herbs and beneficial cultures.

Calories 73kcal

Author Katie Wells

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Servings

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Put the sassafras root bark, wintergreen leaf, and cinnamon, coriander, and allspice if using, in a large pot on the stove.

  • Add the filtered water.

  • Turn the heat on high and bring to a boil.

  • Reduce to medium low and simmer for about 15-20 minutes.

  • Strain through a fine, mesh strainer or cheesecloth to remove herbs.

  • While still warm, add the sugar, molasses, and vanilla and stir until dissolved.

  • Let cool until warm, but not hot.

  • Add the lime juice and then then ginger bug or other culture and stir well.

  • Transfer to grolsch style bottles or jars with tight fitting lids and allow to ferment for several days at room temperature.

  • Check after two days for carbonation. When desired carbonation is reached, transfer to refrigerator and store until use.

  • Enjoy!

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts

Homemade Root Beer Recipe

Amount Per Serving (1 cup)

Calories 73

% Daily Value*

Sodium 15mg1%

Carbohydrates 8g3%

Fiber 0.1g0%

Sugar 6.4g7%

Protein 0.1g0%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Notes

If desired, the following can be added to the original boil but they are not needed: 2 cloves, 1 Tablespoon licorice root, 1 Tablespoon grated ginger root, 1 Tablespoon hops flowers, 1 teaspoon of anise or fennel

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Are you a root beer fan like me? Ever tried to make your own? Share below!
Homemade Root Beer Recipe (2)

Homemade Root Beer Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How much yeast per gallon of root beer? ›

Add the yeast at a rate of around 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon per gallon. Many brewers, however, may want to use beer or wine yeast and the one you use can make a big difference.

What are the ingredients for root beer? ›

The main ingredients in root beer are pretty much the same as any other soda: water, high fructose corn syrup, caramel coloring, and flavoring, both natural and artificial. However, root beer's unique flavor comes from sassafras, a tree root native to the United States.

What is the best root beer extract for homemade root beer? ›

Best Extract for Homemade Root Beer

I won't dissuade you from using widely-recognized brands out there, but I will tell you that my favorite extracts are Watkins root beer extract or Zatarains root beer extract. Both of these extracts are extremely delicious and have an intense but well-balanced root beer flavor.

What is the alcohol content of homemade root beer? ›

Ale yeast can be found at homebrew shops, or you can order it online. Home-brewed root beer has a slight alcoholic content (around 1%). If chocolate mint is unavailable to you, substitute spearmint.

What is the best yeast for homemade root beer? ›

Use a neutral dry ale yeast instead. Your root beer should be drinkable for about five weeks. Non-Alcoholic Version 2- Extract: Extract soda brewing is easy – even easier than extract brewing in beer.

How much yeast do I need for 1 gallon? ›

Typical usage rate for yeast is 1 gm / gallon of juice, but being a little short or a little long is not a problem, as yeast reproduces to reach a number at which fermentation takes place. Being slightly long on usage amount simply gets the fermentation count up that much faster.

What is a substitute for sassafras? ›

Thanks for any tips! Supposedly, the flavor of sassafras can be approximated by a mixture of citrus fruits, spearmint, and wintergreen. Another website suggests wintergreen, anise, cloves, lemon oil, and orange oil.

How is root beer made from sassafras? ›

Just boil the roots with some spices and molasses, strain, add sugar, and store as a syrup. Mix the syrup with soda water to make the root beer.

What two flavors make root beer? ›

Some describe root beer as an 'adulterated sarsaparilla' because it contains a mix of flavour enhancing ingredients. Most brewers choose to add vanilla, wintergreen, liquorice root, nutmeg, acacia, anise, molasses, cinnamon, clove or honey to their recipes.

What essential oils make root beer? ›

In my recipe, I use both birch essential oil and sarsaparilla in addition to other classic root beer flavors like wintergreen leaf, orange peel, and sassafras. All of these flavors result in an absolute king of root beers!

What is better than root beer? ›

Taste-wise, birch beer is lighter and less sweet than root beer, making it more refreshing. Birch beer has a slightly mintier flavor that is sometimes compared to wintergreen. Root beer has a much more complex, spicy flavor that is often compared to sarsaparilla.

What's the difference between sassafras and sarsaparilla? ›

Sarsaparilla drinks often were made with only sarsaparilla, instead of the mélange of flavors common to root beers, making it perhaps taste a bit more medicinal than refreshing. But sassafras is also medicinal; it induces sweating, and was used to treat hangovers and morphine addiction.

How is traditional root beer made? ›

Traditionally, brewers made the drink by fermenting an herbal decoction made with sassafras bark, sarsaparilla root, and other herbs with sugar and yeast to make a naturally bubbly, probiotic soft drink. In this way, it joins the ranks of other traditionally fermented drinks such as kvass and tepache.

Does McCormick make root beer concentrate? ›

Made with the highest quality ingredients, McCormick Root Beer Concentrate is the key for creating beverages and treats with classic root beer flavor. And because it contains no high fructose corn syrup, you know you're serving the best.

How much dry yeast for 1 gallon of beer? ›

A good rule of thumb is to pitch about twice as much yeast for a lager as for an ale: For ale, you need about 0.007 fresh liquid yeast vials or packs per gallon per gravity point. For lager, you need about 0.015 fresh liquid yeast vials or packs per gallon per gravity point.

How much yeast goes in 5 gallons of mash? ›

For a 5 gallon mash: (201)

If using bird feed, make sure it is perishable, or in other words is free of preservatives. 7 lbs (3.2kg) of granulated sugar. 1 tbsp yeast (distillers yeast if available.)

How much yeast per gallon of mash? ›

When the temperature of the mash drops down to the recommended temperature by the yeast manufacturer, you can go ahead and add the yeast. I have found that 1 tablespoon of yeast per 5 gallons of mash works well. A distiller's yeast will produce the best results.

How much yeast do I put in 5 gallons of water? ›

Create a simple yeast starter for 5 gallons of mash

Add 2 packets of yeast (14 grams or 1 tablespoon if using bulk yeast). Swirl the glass to mix in the yeast with the sugar water. Let the glass sit for 20 minutes and it will double in size. Once the starter has doubled in size add it to the mash and aerate.

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