The History of Rootbeer: America’s Beloved Soft Drink   by Andrew Fling

in Food    (submitted 2012-02-05)

Rootbeer is one of America's most beloved beverages. Nothing is quite as refreshing as an ice cold mug full of rootbeer on a hot day! This refreshing drink has been around for quite a long time. To pin point exactly when rootbeer was discovered has proven to be a bit difficult. Some sources report that is was being consumed during the middle ages around the British Isles, while other information suggests it's a true American concoction originating around the 1870's. Either way, rootbeer is very unique and liked by most folks.

According to one source rootbeer actually began as a mild alcoholic beverage, and was known as a "small beer". The drink usually consisted of dandelion and burdock. This early concoction was allowed to ferment to the stage of being mildly alcoholic. This was actually a good thing during the middle ages, due to the unclean nature of the water sources. It was discovered that drinking something with a little alcohol in it actually kept the people from dying from water born illnesses. Though the recipes varied, the idea was still the same - a beverage made from herbs, berries, and bark. It has even been said the William Shakespeare enjoyed a small beer once in a while.

The American colonists brought rootbeer with them, as well as birch beer, ginger beer, and sarsaparilla beer. Since they really didn't have barleys and grains available to them at first they made these beverages out of what they had plenty of - bark, berries, and roots. Some speculate that the original recipe for rootbeer very well could have come from the American Indians.

By the mid 1800's many of these beverages were being made and sold at the local drugstores as cure-all elixirs. A famous name in the rootbeer world is Charles Hires. He originally called his brew "root tea". He later changed the name to rootbeer to offer the local miners an alternative to regular beer in response to the temperance movement going on at the time.

Between the early 1900's and now there have been several successful companies who have sold slightly different recipes of rootbeer. Some added caffeine while others added more carbonation to the mixture. Some people compare rootbeer to fine wine in that each has its own distinct flavors and aromas. One thing's for sure, rootbeer is one of America's most loved drinks for both kids and adults and is always really satisfying in a frosty mug on a hot July day.

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Still have questions like, How do I make a "Rootbeer Float?", or "How can I make great Homemade Rootbeer?" Visit WhatisRootbeer.com.