Root Beer: A history

Root beer has its origins in what is referred to as small beers. Small beers are a collection of local beverages (some alcoholic, some not) made during colonial times in America from a variety of herbs, barks, and roots that commonly included: birch beer, sarsparilla beer, ginger beer and root beer. There are so many different brands (check the list here) what's your favorite? And, what's in it? I found it interesting to learn what some original recipes contained. Many healthy ROOTS and herbs. Modern production line root beers have come so far from these original recipes however and use artificial flavorings that all of the nutritional value is zilch. Bummer. However, read on for traditional info and history of the beer of root.

What's in the original recipe? Ingredients in early root beers included allspice, birch bark, coriander, juniper, ginger, wintergreen, hops, burdock root, dandelion root, spikenard, pipsissewa, guaiacum chips, sarsaparilla, spicewood, wild cherry bark, yellow dock, prickly ash bark, sassafras root*, vanilla beans, hops, dog grass, molasses and licorice. *Many of the above ingredients are still used in root beer today along with added carbonation. There is no one recipe.

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Charles Hires, who? The alchemist who discovered the yummy stuff: Charles Hires was a Philadelphia pharmacist who according to his biography discovered a recipe for a delicious herbal tea while on his honeymoon. The pharmacist began selling a dry version of the tea mixture and also began working on a liquid version of the same tea. The result of was a combination of over twenty-five herbs, berries and roots that Charles Hires used to flavor a carbonated soda water drink. The Charles Hires' version of a root beer beverage was first introduced to the public at the 1876 Philadelphia Centennial exhibition. 

My favorites are: Trader Joe's Vintage (made with real cane sugar) and I'm a diet girl (which I shouldn't be because the real stuff is actually better for you) so I like Diet IBC which sadly includes high fructose corn syrup, colors, and "natural flavors"--ehh! And lastly, road trips are never complete without a stop by an A&W drive-threw for a 1/2 gallon of the cold stuff. 

IBC Root Beer: Contains: carbonated water, high fructose corn syrup and/or sugar, caramel color, sodium benzoate (preservative), artificial and natural flavors, food starch - modified, citric acid. No Caffeine

Nutritional Facts: Serving Size 1 bottle (12fl oz), 160 calories, 0g fat, 55mg sodium, 43g carbohydrate, 43g sugar, 0g protein.