Jun 09 2026
Restaurants›Affäre›Second Shift 'busy Bees' Recipe

Second Shift 'busy Bees' Recipe

Inspired by Affäre
Time2h
Serves10

handcrafted root beer

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Ingredients

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Base Ingredients

Flavoring Ingredients

Method

Preparation of Base

  1. 1

    Combine Water and Sugars

    In a large pot, combine 4 cups of water with 1 cup of sugar and 1 cup of brown sugar. Heat over medium-high heat, stirring until the sugars dissolve completely.

  2. 2

    Cool the Mixture

    Once the sugars are dissolved, remove the pot from heat and allow the mixture to cool to room temperature.

Flavoring

  1. 3

    Add Flavoring Ingredients

    Once the sugar mixture has cooled, add the sassafras root, sarsaparilla root, vanilla extract, wintergreen oil, cinnamon, nutmeg, and lemon juice. Stir well to combine all the flavors.

Fermentation

  1. 4

    Activate Yeast

    In a small bowl, dissolve 1 teaspoon of active dry yeast in a small amount of warm water (about 1/4 cup). Let it sit for about 5 minutes until it becomes frothy.

  2. 5

    Combine Yeast with Mixture

    Add the activated yeast to the flavored sugar mixture. Stir gently to combine.

  3. 6

    Ferment

    Cover the pot with a clean cloth and let it sit at room temperature for 24 to 48 hours, allowing the mixture to ferment slightly, which will create carbonation.

Bottling

  1. 7

    Prepare Bottles

    Clean and sanitize your bottles and caps. You can use glass bottles with swing tops or plastic soda bottles.

  2. 8

    Bottle the Root Beer

    Carefully pour the fermented root beer into the prepared bottles, leaving about 1 inch of headspace at the top. Seal the bottles tightly.

Carbonation

  1. 9

    Carbonate

    Let the bottled root beer sit at room temperature for an additional 3 to 7 days to develop carbonation. Check the carbonation by gently squeezing the plastic bottles or opening a glass bottle.

  2. 10

    Refrigerate

    Once the desired carbonation is reached, refrigerate the root beer to stop the fermentation process.

Serving

  1. 11

    Serve Chilled

    Serve the handcrafted root beer chilled over ice. Enjoy the refreshing flavors!

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