tGreat American Showdown - Fun Facts

control and high standards. But the throwing bales of or into texture, a full body, particularly in Finally, a Beer the Whole Virgil's and the Dominion are a brewing copper. "Deep Root" the root sweetened with unabashed root beers, proudly not works at a house, a business or all cane . Matt's 1888 Family Can Enjoy aimed at the widest of markets. which supplies extracts, oils, and Tavern was particularly creamy, as by Lew Bryson This new breed of premium root artificial to various indus- were the Sprecher and Abita. "Deep Many of us remember our first beer is following behind and beside tries, including soft makers. Root" says "Cane sugar will give 'real' beer: a Guinness on St. the craft-brewed beer revolution. Their company has a vast amount you that creaminess; you don't get Patrick's Day, a friend's homebrew, There are root beers with names of expertise in how these various it from high fructose corn syrup." a pint of Samuel Adams at a club. familiar to the beer enthusiast -- flavors affect the palate, and in how Randy Sprecher uses honey because While my first great beer was Kemper, Sprecher, Abita, Dominion, the flavors blend. These are the "Honey's got a lot of complex indeed a revelation, I also clearly F.X. Matt -- and many brewpubs people to approach when you want things in it, there are changes in the remember my first 'real' encounter produce a for kids and to formulate a root beer. "Deep root beer from it." with another beverage. I was at a adults alike. Like brewers, there are Root" explained how most root The flavors will come through beer store with my brothers-in-law, some old, established, 'regional' beers are created. "There are around immediately. You may taste winter- stocking up for the weekend; a six root beers -- Stewart's, IBC -- which 20 flavorings in the average root green ("That's actually from oil of of this, a bottle of that. On our way have strong followings and produce beer. We formulate a flavor for ," says "Deep Root."), mint, to the cashier, we passed a display exceptional products. Root beers someone based on an old recipe or licorice, teaberry, , - of root beer. Root beer? Why not? have appeared on store shelves sometimes by mimicking an exist- meg, eucalyptus, , orange. . . . We grabbed a six of Dominion and priced at $5.00 a six-pack and up, ing root beer. There's nothing new There are some artificial flavors too, a handsome brown swingtop bottle and like their brethren they out there. Then we ship it out as an including vanillin. "Deep Root" says of Virgil's, loaded it all in the car sell briskly. emulsion, about 1 gallon of base to that in root beer, "the characteristics and left. The big boys have already 100 cases of root beer. The recipes you get from vanillin are not really As I wheeled the car out into noticed: Coca- and are are kept in our ." There is a reproducible with 'genuine' ." traffic, I grabbed the Virgil's, lev- gearing up to push their respective fanatical secrecy about root beer While the concoction of root beer ered the swingtop open, and took a Barq's and Mug brands (both former formulations, and very few produc- does not allow for the wide variety swig. Time slowed, and my senses regionals recently purchased). They ers were willing to provide even the of flavors and aromas you will find came into sharp focus. Expecting see root beer as The Next Big Thing. name of their flavor house. in beer, the blending of the oils and just another soda, I found a com- These developments mean trouble "Brewed" root beer means that extracts, their quality, and the plexly delicious experience: creamy for some small bottlers. For years the oils and extracts are actually method of preparation will make for texture, rich sweetness, a the giants allowed their distributors cooked, rather than a simple cold distinct differences in flavor. For rush of vanilla. "You gotta try this," and bottlers to carry any root beer water infusion of flavorings. As example, a brand new root beer in I said reverently, handing it to Curt. they liked. Now substantial finan- homebrewers know, this makes for a the Philadelphia market, Hank's, His eyes lit up as he swallowed the cial muscle is being exercised to better marriage of the flavors. was developed by Philly beer brew, and I gunned the wagon back ensure that Barq's or Mug are the According to Randy Sprecher of wholesalers L&M Beverage when to the store, where we bought up only root beers available from fran- Sprecher Brewing in Milwaukee, they moved into the soda market the entire stock of Virgil's chised distributors. “Deep Root", my brewing also allows fine-tuning: and decided to do their own root Why was that root beer so arrest- anonymous source at an established "You can drive off some of the fla- beer. John Salvatore, of the family ing? Most national-market food and ‘flavor house' outside Philadelphia, vors you don't want [from the which owns L&M ('Hank' is John's drink has been subject to the same told me not to worry: “The big guys extracts] by brewing." dad), says "We took a 100 year old 'blandification' process as main- want it all, but they've been But root beer, like the old gray recipe and tuned it up with some stream pilsner beer. Inevitably, as a remarkably unsuccessful at every- mare, ain't what it used to be. There anise and a more creamy texture, producer tries to expand a market, a thing but ." Mark Clough at was a scramble in the industry in and did a low carbonation. product gets 'rounded off' in order Kemper isn't worried at all about the early 60's, when the FDA decid- Formulating it took over four to be acceptable to more customers. the big root beer push: “We intend ed that root bark was car- months of trial and tasting." The large overtake the small, and we to grab their horse as it goes flying cinogenic. Extract-makers strove to I asked "Deep Root" what made a wind up with white bread, Velveeta, by and ride it ourselves!" find a palatable substitute. Most root beer a root beer: "Tradition, and Coors Light. Mark Clough, head What is root beer, anyway? people agree that while the artificial mostly, a mimicking of the flavors of Kemper's Soda, relates it to the Folks seem to think it's a whole- substitutes are close, and the refor- of roots, , and plant extracts. same 'marketing pyramid' that some beverage brewed by our mulated brews are good, genuine I mean, root beer's only dark drives beer styles and sales in Colonial ancestors, but root beer sassafras made a better root beer. because of tradition, it's actually a America: "The blander the product, was invented by Charles W. Hires Once you've gone out and found kind of clear, cloudy mix until you the more people you can sell it to. (you may recognize that name). His your prized root beer, you'll want to color it." "Root beer is one of the As you increase the character, make concoction was introduced at the sit down and take it a little bit seri- most ill-defined products out there," the flavor more extreme, fewer peo- Philadelphia Centennial Exposition ously. Pour a fresh glass and focus Randy Sprecher laughs. The won- ple will like it. But those who do like in 1876. Mr. Hires mixed up his your beer- or whisky-honed senses derful thing about root beer is that it it, really like it!" Clough should drink using a number of natural oils upon it. You'll notice things imme- is a pleasure your entire family can know: his microbrewed root beer and plant extracts, chief among diately: aroma, vanilla, share, including the toddlers and the (and other sodas) sell more than a them being sassafras root bark the minty- sassafras smell, and teetotalers. It makes for an excep- lot of microbrewed beers. extract, oil of birch, and vanilla perhaps some teaberry.Individual tional training tool to show less A number of small root beer bot- extract. "Deep Root" guessed that brands may have ‘signature' aromas experienced people a way to tease tlers have managed to evade these "We wouldn't really like Charles such as coffee (Stewart's), cinnamon out flavors in food and drink. It still economics, but many Americans Hires' original recipe, it was pretty (Barq's), or licorice (Dad's). makes a great float with a good only know the top four brands: harsh. There's less bite today." But Take a sip. Note the carbonation. vanilla ice cream. And it's just a lot A&W, Barq's, Mug, and Hires. As the same types of extracts and oils Like real ale, low-carbonation root of fun to drink. Re-visit your youth, with mass-market beer, these are are used by brewers of root beer beers like Kemper allow more of the try some high-falutin' root beer! certainly not poorly-made products. today as well, from the large to the true flavor of the drink to come Source: www.digitalironworks.com/spike/ They are made with careful quality small. You won't find anyone through. You may notice a creamy rb/bryson.html E E E E E E E E E E E E tGreat American Root Beer Showdown - Fun Facts

pharmacist toying with a hand- what produces the tangy, thick The History of Root Beer ful of roots, berries and herbs, brewed flavor that root beer is There's nothing quite like a came up with a recipe for root noted for. In 1960, the U.S. Food E frosty mug of creamy, real, old beer which consisted of , and Drug Administration fashioned root beer. But where wintergreen, spikenard, pipsisse- banned the use of sassafras oil, did this sweet beverage come wa, sarsaparilla, vanilla beans, labeling it a . Root Some Root Beer from? Though the roots of root , dog grass, and beer makers began experiment- beer are so deep, they're more licorice. The original drink was ing with new and improved American than apple pie, there quite medicinal in nature, tast- recipes, minus the sassafras oil, Ingredients are varying theories about just ing both bitter and sweet. Even hoping to find a suitable tasting who invented root beer and though the pharmacist offered alternative. Not long after the SARSAPARILLA where it came to be. the drink to the public as a cure- ban, the root beer industry was [sas-puh-RIHL-uh] all, it was never marketed or saved when inventors discov- Originally derived from the dried FROM THE EARLY AMERICANS well-received. ered that sassafras could be used roots of tropical smilax vines, this TO SHAKESPEARE afterall, if treated first, to flavor is usually associated with a There are early historical doc- HIRES COMPANY remove the oil. carbonated drink popular in the uments in which Shakespeare is Meanwhile, Charles Hires, mid-1800s. Today's sarsaparilla noted to have drank "small also a pharmacist, was on his WHAT IS IN ROOT BEER? products — including the no-longer- beers." This European brew, honeymoon around the same There's is no true authentic popular — use artificial actually made from an early time when he discovered an root beer recipe, since there are flavorings. colonial American recipe, con- he simply could not so many different combinations tained 2-12-percent alcohol, and part with. After taking the recipe and brews. Over time, root beer SASSAFRAS was considered a light, social of herbs, berries and roots home has contained ingredients like [SAS-uh-fras] drink made from herbs, berries to Philadelphia with him, he , birch bark, The leaves of the native North and bark. During American began selling a packaged dry seed, and ginger root, American sassafras (albidum or vari- Colonial times, root beer was mixture to the public made from hops, burdock root, dandelion ifolium) tree, which are dried and introduced along with other many of the same ingredients as root, guaiacum chips, - used to make filé powder and sas- beverages like , the original herbal tea. Well wood, wild cherry bark and bit- safras tea. The root bark is used as a Sarsparilla Beer, and Ginger received, Hires soon developed a ters, wintergreen and winter- flavoring agent in root beer. Beer. Only root beer would liquid concentrate blended green oil, yellow dock, prickly emerge as a longtime favorite. together from more than 25 ash bark and even, . WINTERGREEN There are even historical docu- herbs, berries and roots. The Today, root beer is made from The name of this evergreen plant, ments which show 18th century public loved the new drink and a mixture of flavorings, sweet- which is native to eastern North farm owners brewing an alco- as a result, Hires introduced eners and carbonation. America, comes from the fact that it holic version of root beer in commercial root beer to the pub- Depending on the brew, bottler retains foliage all winter long. In backyard stills for family get- lic in 1876 at the Philadelphia and manufacturer, root beer still addition to its rich green leaves, win- togethers, social events, and par- Centennial Exhibition. In no contains a large number of herbs tergreen bears white flowers and ties. time, it became a popular drink (burdock root, sarsaparilla root, bright red berries. The leaves pro- MEDICINAL ORIGINS of its day. By 1893, the Hires yellow dock root, ginger root, duce a pungent oil that's used to fla- Most historians believe that family sold bottled versions of juniper berries, wild cherry bark, vor a variety of products including the invention of an actual root their well-known brew, sealing birch bark, and etc.), oils (anise, candy, gum, medicine, etc. beer recipe happened by pure their place in rootbeer history. lemon, artificial wintergreen, Wintergreen is also known as accident, thanks in part to an No matter which version of and etc.), sweeteners (sugar, checkerberry . inventive pharmacist, eager to root beer history is true, one molasses, corn sugar, fructose, Source: www.epicurious.com create a miracle drug. Though thing is for certain: Rootbeer is asparatame, brown sugar, lac- people had been drinking an an original brew, predating colas tose, extract, and etc.) and herbal home brewed variety for and other popular sodas. carbonation (, artificial, E years, root beer was still just an GOVERNMENT BAN forced carbonation.) experiment for the creative and The key ingredient to root Source: tn.essortment.com/ inventive. In 1870, an unknown beer is sassafras root, which is historyrootbeer_rhnc.htm

Root beer is flavored with a dis- voring ingredients compiled from a beer. Some of these can be ferment- Stout Billy's tillate of the young shoots or root number of different recipes. ed by yeast to provide carbonation. bark of Sassofras_variifolium, a • allspice • birch bark • burdock Some of these provide flavor as well Information Library member of the laurel family. root • coriander seed • Dandelion as sweetness. FLAVORING WITH REAL SASSAFRAS Sassafras has also been used to root • ginger, tincture of ginger, • Table sugar (sucrose) The original true flavor of root make tea for medicinal and enjoy- Ginger Root • guaiacum chips • • Molasses beer comes from sassafras root. ment, and to make a yellow dye. In hops • hot drops • Juniper Berries • • Corn Sugar (dextrose, glucose) Because sassafras root contains saf- addition, an oil from sassafras fruit molasses • prickly ash bark • • Fructose role, it cannot be sold in the US for has been used in perfumery. Sarsaparilla, sarsaparilla root • • Sweet-n-low human consumption. Sassafras bark The trouble with sassafras is that spicewood • spikenard root • wild • Asparatame may be sold but is not very good at it contains , a carcinogen (see cherry bark • wild cherry bitters • • Lactose providing flavor to the beverage. the NTP 85-002, 1985). Wintergreen, wintergreen bark, oil • Brown Sugar Sassafras grows wild in much of the OTHER FLAVORING INGREDIENTS of wintergreen • yellow dock, yel- • turbinado (cane sugar) Eastern US. In addition to sugar and low dock root • Malt extract (maltose) Making your own infusions Sassafras, Root Beer can also con- SWEETENING allows for experimentation and a tain several other flavoring ingredi- There are many ingredients that Source: www.stoutbillys.com/stout/ distinctive `house' brew. ents. Below is a list of common fla- can be used to sweeten the root infonsf/Library/0FF30A5F.htm