History of Root Beer

History of Root Beer
Root beer is non alcoholic and made using extracts or flavored syrups which then diluted into carbonated water.

There are early historical documents in which Shakespeare is noted to have drank "small beers." This European brew, actually made from an early colonial American recipe, contained 2-12-percent alcohol, and was considered a light, social drink made from herbs, berries and bark. During American Colonial times, root beer was introduced along with other beverages like Birch Beer, Sarsaparilla Beer, and Ginger Beer. Ingredients in early root beers included allspice, birch bark, coriander, juniper, ginger, winter green, hops, burdock root, dandelion root, spikenard, pipisissewa, guaiacum chips, sarsaparilla, spicewood, cherry bark, yellow dock prickly ash bark, sassafras root, vanilla beans, hops, dog grass, molasses and licorice. Only root beer would emerge as a longtime favorite. There are even historical documents which show 18th century farm owners brewing an alcoholic version of root beer in backyard stills for family get-togethers, social events, and parties.

Meanwhile, Charles Hires, Philadelphia pharmacist, was on his honeymoon around the same time when he discovered an herbal tea. After taking the recipe of herbs, berries and roots home to Philadelphia with him, he began selling a packaged dry mixture to the public made from many of the same ingredients as the original herbal tea. Well received, Hires soon developed a liquid concentrate blended together from more than 25 herbs, berries and roots.

Charles Hires almost named his new formulated drinks as ‘root tea’. This due to it was made of tea brewed from roots and herbs. Then Hires was persuaded to switch the name to ‘root beer’ to appeal larger market of hard-drinking Pensylvania miners.

The public loved the new drink and as a result, Hires introduced commercial root beer to the public in 1876 at the Philadelphia Centennial Exhibition. In no time, it became a popular drink of its day. The Hires family continued to manufacture root beer and in 1893 first sold and distributed root beer in bottle.
History of Root Beer