Most people have never tasted real root beer.
The commercial version we grew up with is a sweet, artificially flavored carbonated beverage that carries the idea of root beer without any of the substance. It borrowed the name from something genuinely remarkable and left everything that made it remarkable on the shelf.
Real root beer was a medicinal brew. American herbalists and home brewers made it for centuries from the roots, barks, and botanicals growing around them — sarsaparilla, dandelion, licorice, sassafras, ginger — herbs that carried documented benefits for digestion, liver function, and inflammation long before they became flavoring agents in a factory [1][2][3]. The fermentation process added natural carbonation and a living culture of beneficial bacteria and wild yeasts. What came out of the bottle was genuinely alive.
This recipe recovers that tradition.
You Need The Starter First
If you have already made a ginger bug starter, you have everything you need to begin. The ginger bug becomes the fermenting agent for this root beer base, naturally carbonating it during a second fermentation in sealed, pressure-rated bottles. The result is fizzy, complex, and deeply satisfying in a way no store-bought soda comes close to matching.
The Herbs Tell a Story
The herbs in this recipe each carry their own story. Sarsaparilla has a long history of use for inflammatory conditions and skin health, with compounds studied for their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity [1]. Roasted dandelion root brings a mild bitterness that supports digestive function and has been studied for its effects on liver health and bile production [2]. Licorice root contains glycyrrhizin, a compound shown to have anti-inflammatory and gut-soothing properties, though it is used in small amounts here as part of a balanced blend [3]. Sassafras, used in the form of filé powder made from the dried leaves rather than the root bark, contributes the flavor and mucilaginous texture that made sassafras the original foundation of American root beer. Wintergreen brings the familiar cooling note — its primary compound, methyl salicylate, is structurally related to aspirin and has a long history in traditional medicine [4].
None of this means root beer is a health supplement. This means that when you make this recipe, you are putting something real into a glass — something with roots in the earth and in the long tradition of humans fermenting plants for nourishment and pleasure.
The second ferment process is straightforward if you already have an active ginger bug on hand. You brew the herbal base, cool it completely, stir in the ginger bug liquid, bottle it, and let natural fermentation do the rest. Within one to three days at room temperature you will have naturally carbonated root beer that you refrigerate to slow fermentation and chill before serving.
New to the ginger bug? Start with the Ginger Bug Starter recipe first. It takes 4 to 7 days to establish and becomes the foundation for this recipe and many more.
New articles every Sunday. New recipes woven into the Thursday schedule as the series grows.
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References
[1] Bhat, S. V., & Bhat, P. R. (2019). Sarsaparilla (Smilax spp.) — Traditional uses, phytochemistry, and pharmacological profile. Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 234, 257–281. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jep.2018.12.021
[2] Wirngo, F. E., Lambert, M. N., & Jeppesen, P. B. (2016). The physiological effects of dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) in type 2 diabetes. The Review of Diabetic Studies, 13(2–3), 113–131. https://doi.org/10.1900/RDS.2016.13.113
[3] Pastorino, G., Cornara, L., Soares, S., Rodrigues, F., & Oliveira, M. B. P. P. (2018). Liquorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra): A phytochemical and pharmacological review. Phytotherapy Research, 32(12), 2323–2339. https://doi.org/10.1002/ptr.6178
[4] McGuffin, M., Hobbs, C., Upton, R., & Goldberg, A. (Eds.). (1997). American Herbal Products Association’s Botanical Safety Handbook. CRC Press. (Wintergreen/methyl salicylate traditional use reference.)
Ginger-Bug Old-Fashioned Root Beer Second Ferment
Ingredients
Root Beer Base
- 3½ cups non-chlorinated water
- 1 tablespoon sarsaparilla root
- 1 teaspoon roasted dandelion root
- ½ teaspoon licorice root
- ¼ –½ teaspoon filé powder ground sassafras leaf
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon OR 1 small cinnamon stick
- 2 –3 whole cloves
- ½ teaspoon freshly grated ginger
- ⅓ –½ cup cane sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅛ teaspoon food-grade wintergreen extract or less, to taste
For the Second Fermentation
- ¼ cup strained very active ginger bug liquid
Instructions
Make the Root Beer Base
- Add the water, sarsaparilla root, roasted dandelion root, licorice root, filé powder, cinnamon, cloves, and fresh ginger to a saucepan.
- Bring to a gentle simmer. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes, then remove from the heat and allow everything to steep, covered, for another 15–20 minutes.
- Strain the mixture very thoroughly through a fine-mesh strainer. Because filé contains natural mucilage, you may want to strain it a second time through a finer filter.
- While the liquid is still warm, stir in the sugar until completely dissolved.
- Allow the mixture to cool completely to room temperature. Once cool, stir in the vanilla and wintergreen.
- Taste the base at this point. It should taste somewhat sweeter and more concentrated than you ultimately want because fermentation will consume some of the sugar and carbonation will change the flavor perception.
Add the Ginger Bug
- Stir ¼ cup of strained, active ginger bug liquid into the completely cooled root beer base.
- Pour into pressure-rated glass fermentation bottles designed for carbonated beverages, leaving approximately 1–2 inches of headspace.
Second Fermentation
- Allow the bottles to ferment at room temperature for approximately 1–3 days.
- Natural fermentation can generate substantial pressure, so use only glass bottles specifically manufactured to withstand carbonation. Ordinary glass jars, juice bottles, decorative swing-top bottles, and other non-pressure-rated glass should not be used for sealed second fermentation.
- Once sufficiently carbonated, transfer the bottles to the refrigerator to slow fermentation. Chill thoroughly before opening and open carefully.
Notes
If you want more traditional sassafras character, increase the filé from ¼ teaspoon toward ½ teaspoon.
For creamier root beer, increase the vanilla to 1½ teaspoons.
For more root-beer bite, increase the fresh ginger to 1 teaspoon.
For a deeper, darker old-fashioned flavor, replace 1–2 tablespoons of the cane sugar with blackstrap molasses.
For more sarsaparilla character, increase the sarsaparilla root to 1½ tablespoons. No nutrition values have been provided because the finished product has too many variables, namely fermentation time.
