What Does Root Beer Taste Like?


Root beer taste

Root beer is a sweet soft drink that is traditionally made by using the root bark of the sassafras tree as the primary flavor. It is usually a non-alcoholic and carbonated drink. Root beer has gained a lot of popularity in North America as it is often referred to as adulterated sarsaparilla because of the mixture of its taste-enhancing ingredients that are widely loved in that region.

Nowadays is common to see many root beers in supermarkets, but before trying and tasting anything it is recommended to study everything about its composition, preparation process as well as the used ingredients, and finally, discover if its taste is something appealing. The next article offers a deep investigation and provides information about the most important features and characteristics of root beer.

Generally, root beer has a pleasing sweet taste, making it a great drink to enjoy at home when the body desires to drink something different than tap water. Unlike many other types of beer, the traditional root beer has been well-known for having a thick and foamy appearance that is pleasant to the eye and also characterizes the main presence of sweets on its composition.

Thanks to its sweetness, root beer becomes a soft drink that can be suitable for all ages as it can be easily prepared and enjoyed at home without any kind of restriction. That is one of the reasons why in supermarkets many root beer can be seen in open places where even children can grab them without requiring any assistance.

However, it is important to note that certain types of root beer are NOT suited for children as they could have a certain degree of alcohol is in the composition, making its taste feel stronger and not sweet anymore. To fight against bitterness, it is common practice to rely on extra ingredients like vanilla ice cream to obtain a more pleasant taste, especially if the drink is missing its key sweetness

What is Used to Make Root Beer?

Root beer is usually prepared through a fermentation process with the usage of herbal concoctions made from sassafras barks, sarsaparilla root, ginger root, licorice roots, wintergreen leaf, and many other medicinal herbs. However, what provides the sweet taste to the drink will be the sugar and yeast that are added in the fermentation process.

Root Beer Ingredients and Health Benefits

Each of the ingredients that are used has lots of benefits to human health and if the root beer is naturally made (with no chemicals or strange industrial substances) then many health quirks could be developed. First of all, root beer can be useful to strengthen the body cells against many diseases as the sarsaparilla content promotes antifungal and antibacterial agents in the organism.

Sarsaparilla roots can protect the liver against damages caused by abnormalities in the organism. Thanks to their composition that carries a substantial amount of flavonoids, preventing damage in the liver is possible. Also, depending on the type of root beer, the medicinal herbs that are included can promote better organism functionality as the herbs develop synergies with the other ingredients.

Certain clinical evidence proves that lycorine root (another ingredient of root beer) can help treat ulcers and it is useful in easing back nerve pains naturally and help with digestion issues like bloating and diarrhea.

Finally, thanks to the existence of sassafras in the root beer’s composition, it is possible to enhance the proper functioning of the circulatory system by improving the passage of blood. Also, it helps to eliminate specks of dirt that can be found in the bloodstream and veins.

While all of these benefits sound appealing, it is almost obvious that nothing in excess ends up becoming a good deal. Drinking root beer multiple times per day or in fact, every single day is not an optimal practice at all due to the sweetness of its composition. Meaning that while some of the previous benefits could be obtained (depending on the root beer’s nature and fabrication process) there is always the risk of suffering from obesity and weight gain when it is consumed in excess.

Does Root Beer have Alcohol in it?

Root beer is a soft drink that can be consumed by all ages, even though it is common to see that many individuals believe that root beer is in fact a strong alcoholic drink. But in reality, traditional root beer does not have any component of alcohol on its composition or if it has it then it would be under a lower percentage as it could ruin the sweet taste of the drink.

However, many individuals prefer their root beers with an extra alcohol presence. To obtain that taste, they proceed to add alcohol to the drink as a way of boosting the composition and furthermore, making it a stronger alcoholic drink. So under natural circumstances, it is practically impossible to get drunk under the consumption of root beer as they are made with herbs and natural ingredients that have little to no presence of alcohol content.

Finally, it is required to note that while many root beers do not have a strong alcohol presence, double-checking the label of the back can be a useful measure to discard the presence of unwanted ingredients like alcohol or caffeine. Keep in mind that some traditional root beers might have a 2% alcohol and while that is not a lot, for some ages it could be unnecessary and troublesome, so always try to go with the safest option.

Conclusion

Absolutely! Millions of individuals in North America consume root beer for its unique sweet taste and customization possibilities as depending on the one who will drink it, the root beer can be made to a sweet palate by adding extra ingredients like vanilla ice cream. Or maybe more alcohol presence is wanted? In that case the composition of the drink allows to add more alcohol to prepare a stronger alcoholic drink, but do not try to make alcohol overtake the sweet taste as this could ruin the drink.

Dan Specht

Dan has been homebrewing beer for 8 years and holds a level 2 certifiication as a Cicerone.

Recent Posts