Looking for Rootbeer Recipes

Torey

I have a tendency to gather several recipes for something and then make my own recipe from these sources. I have a few recipes for root beer from scratch (including an A&W copy cat) but I'm not completely happy with any of them.

I've gathered up the main ingredients such as sassafras and sarsaparilla. I have wintergreen growing in my garden (as soon as the snow goes). Other ingredients in the recipes are ones that I normally have anyhow (ginger, coriander seed, star anise, licorice, molasses, etc.).

So does anyone have recipes for root beer that they would be willing to share?

Linda Bittle

I've enjoyed this one from John Gallagher.

Root Beer Recipe: How to Make Homemade Root Beer (learningherbs.com)

kbmbillups1

That sounds really good! I love craft root beer. I only have burdock root, so I'd have to collect a lot more herbs to make this recipe. Tempting!

marjstratton

Sounds delightful. I think I would be tempted to substitute honey for some of the sugar, or use maple syrup.

vickeym

These are the recipes I have right now.

RR_Everyones-Favorite-Root-Beer_recipe-card.pdf

Homemade Root Beer from Scratch.pdf

Homemade Root Beer Recipe.pdf

Homemade Rootbeer Soda and Pop.pdf

Immune Root Beer Syrup - Crockpot Recipe.pdf

Torey

Thanks @Linda Bittle and @vickeym.

The E-book that @vickeym posted has recipes for different sodas as well as root beer if anyone is interested in other beverages.

For anyone looking to reduce sugar the RR recipe above has been made without sugar and no fermentation (so no traces of alcohol). So ready to use right away, just add carbonated water.

kbmbillups1

One of the recipes above says ginger bug or other culture like whey. Do you think I could use a scoby? I have a lot of them. 😁

vickeym

Just a heads up on the recipes I shared. I have not had the opportunity to try them. So if there are and questions on them, I don't know the answers.

Torey

I thought I'd add this recipe into the mix for those that appreciate bitters. I have no idea where I got this recipe so my apologies to anyone that I may have plagiarized from. (edit): Just remembered that this was a recipe from Rosalee de la Foret.

I have just made this for the first time, so I will report back in a month or so as to the results. It already smells wonderful. I didn't add the molasses as I don't like a sweet taste in my bitters, however, if needed to improve the "root beer" flavour, I will add it after straining.

Root Beer Bitters

1 tsp each of the following:

Dandelion Root

Burdock Root

Fennel Seed

Sarsaparilla

½ tsp each of the following:

Gentian Root

Licorice Root

Ginger Root

Cinnamon Chips

Dried Orange Peel (or the fresh zest of 1 orange)

Sassafras Root Bark - Optional (see note)

1-2 Star Anise

1 Vanilla Bean, chopped

½ - 1 tsp Molasses

2-3 cups Brandy or Bourbon

(NOTE: Safrole oil is a compound found in sassafras root bark that contributes to the unique taste of traditional root beer recipes. In 1960 the FDA banned food additives that contained safrole because tests indicated that mice developed liver cancer when injected with large amounts of safrole oil. Many herbalists today still use whole sassafras root bark. You can omit it from this recipe if desired.)

Directions

Add all plant material to a lidded jar. Add alcohol and cover with lid. Let steep for 2-4 weeks in dark place in your kitchen. Shake it now and then. Strain well. (There will be sediment from the roots that may settle or float. To remove, strain several more times through cheesecloth.)

water2world

I absolutely love root beer! These recipes are going in my file.....now which one to try first???? lol

LaurieLovesLearning

Rootbeer. If only I could find a copycat Hires recipe.

Laird

https://community.thegrownetwork.com/discussion/comment/921236#Comment_921236

Well, aside from Hires Big H in Utah that sells an extract, there are some pretty good suggestions to build a scratch recipe here: https://savoystomp.flannestad.com/tag/root-beer/index.html

known ingredients in the hires "16 roots, barks, herbs, and berries" recipe (culled from vintage advertising that mentioned ingredients...) are:

Birch Bark

Dog Grass (aka couch grass)

Ginger (three types (from Africa, China, and Jamaica), one of which is believed to be Grains of Paradise)

"Hires special plant" (probably Sassafras)

Juniper Berries

Licorice root

Wintergreen leaves

Chiretta/Gentian Chirayta

Hops

Sarsaparilla

Vanilla

Yerba Maté (Guarana)

Spikenard

Pipsissewa

Torey

Hi @Laird. Welcome to the forum.

Thanks for posting this link. I will see what I might combine into my recipe from the ones listed. I don't think I will use any EOs in mine, though. I prefer the raw material. From what is described about the taste that 1 drop can do, I think I'm on the right track.

LaurieLovesLearning

@Laird Thank you. My goodness, I don't even know what some of those ingredients are or where I'd even get them! Thanks for the list. It's good to have.

Hires rootbeer, as I have read, began in the late 1800s. It was sold to multiple huge companies, which stopped making the Hires formulation many decades later in favor of marketing A&W instead. It was last owned by the Snapple-something-or-other group. Somewhere along the line, Pepsi also bought it. The brand changed hands quite a bit before disappearing. Wikipedia has the history.

The name/logo is now licensed for use as a flavored alcoholic beverage, using much the same label & flavor as it became known for. I've also seen Hires rb flavored candy canes...I think only twice since the pop disappeared off the market.

I had read about Hires Big H and knew they had extract. I am pretty sure that it is a different company altogether. The date of est. which is much later (1959, I think?) and the logo don't add up. I think I'd also read years ago that it is not affiliated with the other Hires.

I was really researching this intently years ago. I really missed that particular flavor! I found zatarain extract, which was supposed to be closest in flavor. But, we have since eliminated certain things from our diet, so it wouldn't work. To top it off, their shopping cart showed a whopping $300 shipping to here, which was (is) outrageous, and I didn't see at the time another way to buy it and avoid that exorbitant change which honestly, would not have reflected the true, much smaller cost of shipping a little bottle.

Needless to say, I've always wanted to make my own, but just never pursued it enough to actually make it.

I'm looking forward to knowing how your experiment turns out @Torey!

katymockus

Here is what I have from the cookbook Nourishing Traditions:

3-4 c sassafras root shavings

1/4 c whey

1 tsp sea salt

1/2 c sucanat

1/4 c molasses

1/2 c fresh lime juice

1/2 tsp coriander seeds, crushed

1/4 tsp ground allspice

filtered water

Place shavings in a pan with about 4 c of filtered water, bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer about 2 hours. Strain into a measuring cup. You should have about 1 c of sassafras concentrate. Let cool and combine with remaining ingredients in a 2-qt glass container, adding enough filtered water to make 2 qts. Cover tightly and leave at room temperature for about 2 days. Transfer to refrigerator for several weeks before serving.

hedgehog girl

We just got this awesome book, it has all sorts of interesting information.

I figured I would share this recipe.

natalie_miller

Yum! Homemade Soda! 😋

nicksamanda11

A friend of mine had that book. It looks awesome, I might order it too.

judsoncarroll4

I just saw this thread! All the recipes look good. I would only advise to err on the low side when it comes to sugar, and I prefer molasses. I made a batch once that was way too sweet. Adding lemon juice and bottle carbonating helped, but it still had to be drunk very cold.