"Root Beer" Ethnobotanicals-

+Main Ingredients+

Sassafras albidum ~ "Sassafras albidum" (Roots)
Smilax regelii ~ "Sarsaparilla"
Smilax glyciphylla ~ "Sweet Sarsaparilla"
Piper auritum ~ "Root Beer Plant" or "Hoja Santa"
Glycyrrhiza glabra ~ "Liquorice" (Root)
Aralia nudicaulis ~ "Wild Sarsaparilla" or "Rabbit Root"
Gaultheria procumbens ~ "Wintergreen" (Leafs and Berries)
Betula lenta ~ "Sweet Birch" (Sap/Syrup/Resin)
Betula nigra ~ "Black Birch" (Sap/Syrup/Resin)
Prunus serotina ~ "Black Cherry" (Bark)
Picea rubens ~ "Red Spruce"
Picea mariana ~ "Black Spruce"
Picea sitchensis ~ "Sitka Spruce"
Arctium lappa ~ "Burdock" (Root)
Taraxacum officinale ~ Dandelion



+Spices+

Pimenta dioica ~ "Allspice"
Vanilla planifolia ~ "Vanilla"
Trigonella foenum-graecum ~ "Fenugreek"
Myroxylon balsamum ~ "Tolu Balsam"
Abies balsamea ~ "Balsam Fir"
Hordeum vulgare ~ "Barley" (Malted)
Myristica fragrans ~ "Nutmeg"
Juniperus communis ~ "Juniper" (Fruit or "Berry")
Cinnamomum zeylanicum ~ "Cinnamon" (Bark)
Cinnamomum aromaticum ~ "Cassia" (Bark)
Syzygium aromaticum ~ "Clove"
Foeniculum vulgare ~ "Fennel" (Seed)
Zingiber officinale ~ Ginger (Root)
Illicium verum ~ "Star Anise"
Pimpinella anisum ~ "Anise"
Humulus lupulus ~ "Hops"
Mentha piperita ~ "Peppermint"
Mentha arvensis ~ "Wild Mint"
Mentha spicata ~ "Spearmint"
Hypericum perforatum ~ "St.John's Wort"
Althea officinalis ~ "Marshmallow"
Ceratonia siliqua ~ "Carob"
Saccharum species ~ "Cane Sugar" & "Molasses"
Apis species ~ "Honey"


+Foam/Froth+

Quillaja saponaria ~ "Soapbark"
Manihot esculenta ~ "Manioc" or "Yuca" (Root)

Does anybody know any tips on making root beer?

Here is what I'm thinking....


~~~Name's Root & Bark Beer~~~

Sassafras albidum ~ "Sassafras albidum" (Roots)
Smilax regelii ~ "Sarsaparilla"
Smilax glyciphylla ~ "Sweet Sarsaparilla" (Leafs and??)
Glycyrrhiza glabra ~ "Liquorice" (Root)
Gaultheria procumbens ~ "Wintergreen" (Leafs and Berries)



Other additives-

Piper auritum ~ "Root Beer Plant" or "Hoja Santa"
Prunus serotina ~ "Black Cherry" (Bark)
Aralia nudicaulis ~ "Wild Sarsaparilla" or "Rabbit Root" (Root)
Arctium lappa ~ "Burdock" (Root)
Myroxylon balsamum ~ "Tolu Balsam" (Sap/Syrup/Resin)
Pimenta dioica ~ "Allspice" (Seed)
Vanilla planifolia ~ "Vanilla" (Fruit)
Cinnamomum zeylanicum ~ "Cinnamon" (Bark)
Cinnamomum aromaticum ~ "Cassia" (Bark)
Mentha piperita ~ "Peppermint" (Leaf)
Althea officinalis ~ "Marshmallow" (Root)
Ceratonia siliqua ~ "Carob" (Fruit)
Quillaja saponaria ~ "Soapbark"
Manihot esculenta ~ "Manioc" or "Yuca" (Root)
Saccharum species ~ "Cane Sugar" & "Molasses"
Apis species ~ "Honey"

Making rootbeer or ginger beer is easy and fun. I have done it several times as a science experiment with yeast producing the carbon dioxide that carbonates the beverage.

use 2 liter pop bottles, as they will take the pressure, do not use milk jugs as they will not and make a very sticky mess. I would not use glass, cause it could explode under pressure

1/2 to 1 cup of sugar
1/4 tsp yeast champaigne yeast is best, but bread yeast will work
mix together in the bottle
Add 1 Tablespoon of root beer flavoring - I used bottled flavoring but I bet you could figure something out with the plants
Add water to the bottles shoulder, cap tightly and shake well. Lay on it's side for about 3 days. The bottle should get quite hard. Do not keep longer than that.

To make ginger beer, use the recipe above and directions given except grate 1 1/2 - 2 tablespoons of fresh ginger root, and add the juice of one lemon. I really liked this one.

Good luck. Mrs.K

ps. after you mix it up, store at room temperature for 3 -4 days, then refrigerate. It will improve the taste to serve it good and cold, and reduces the danger of the pressure exploding the bottle. I just checked the directions and it said that it would keep quite a while in the fridge, but we always just drank it.

Hey thanks!

Anybody else ever made root beer, kombucha or something along those lines?

I bet most of you don't even know what Kombucha is! Y'all should check it out!