Happy Sarsaparilla Sunday
Sarsaparilla Root Beer

 I remember drinking sarsaparilla("sassparilla" in the deep South) root beer as a child.  It was made from the bark and roots of the sassafrass tree.  This tree was very abundant in Tennessee and Kentucky. My mother made most of her own medicine.  The leaves are dried and used to make file used in gumbos and the bark and roots are also used in  medicinal teas for colds and flu.


This is not my recipe.  I found it on the internet at the following website.

http://www.herbco.com/t-root-beer.aspx


SWAGGER ROOT BEERHere's a recipe for root beer. The recipe is for one gallon. If you are making five gallons, the appropriate quantities are in parenthesis.

• 5 TBS DRIED SASSAFRAS ROOT BARK (1 ½ CUP + 1 TBS)
• 2 TBS CHOPPED DRIED BURDOCK ROOT (1/2 CUP + 2 TBS)
• 2 TSP CHOPPED DRIED LICORICE ROOT (3 TBS + 1 TSP)
• 2 CUPS SUGAR (10 CUPS)
• 1 TBS HONEY (5 TBS)
• 2 TSP VANILLA EXTRACT (3 TBS + 1 TSP)
• 1/8 TSP ALE YEAST
• 1 GAL WATER (5 GAL)

1. Place sassafras, burdock and licorice in 8 cups of water and simmer for 30 minutes.
2. Remove from heat and let cool for 30 mins.
3. Place yeast into ¼ cup of boiled/cooled water for 15 mins.
4. Strain wort and add sugar, honey and vanilla. Place in a bath of cold water to reduce temp.
5. Add 8 cups of cool water to bottling bucket. Add wort to bucket.
6. Mix in yeast and bottle.

SWAGGER SARSAPARILLA II

Here's another version of my sarsaparilla. It has real frothy foam! The recipe is for one gallon. If you are making five gallons, the appropriate quantities are in parenthesis.

• 8 TBS DRIED SARSAPARILLA ROOT  (2 ½ CUPS)
• 2 TBS SASSAFRAS ROOT (1/2 CUP + 2 TBS)
• 2 CUPS SUGAR (10 CUPS)
• 2 TSP VANILLA EXTRACT (3 TBS + 1 TSP)
• 1/8 TSP ALE YEAST
• 1 GAL WATER (5 GAL)

1. Place sarsaparilla and sassafras in 8 cups of water and simmer for 30 minutes.
2. Remove from heat and let cool for 30 mins.
3. Place yeast into ¼ cup of boiled/cooled water for 15 mins.
4. Strain wort then add sugar and vanilla. Place in a bath of cold water to reduce temp.
5. Add 8 cups of cool water to bottling bucket. Add wort to bucket.
6. Mix in yeast and bottle.

 

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