Root Beer Recipe

Make the sugar syrup

Combine 2 cups water, 1 cup dark brown sugar, 1/4 cup granulated sugar, and 1 tablespoon molasses in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir until the sugars dissolve and the mixture comes to a gentle simmer. Do not boil vigorously; maintain a gentle simmer for 5 minutes to marry flavors.

Remove from heat and stir in 2 teaspoons vanilla extract. Set aside while you prepare the flavoring blend to allow flavors to mingle.

Combine and steep

Place 1 tablespoon crushed sassafras (or equivalent sassafras extract), 1 teaspoon dried sarsaparilla root, 1/2 teaspoon wintergreen, 1/2 teaspoon crushed licorice root, 1 whole star anise, 4 allspice berries, 1/2 split vanilla bean (or 1 tsp extra vanilla extract), 1 tablespoon sliced fresh ginger, and 1 teaspoon orange peel in a small heatproof bowl or tea infuser. If using whole or coarse dried items, wrap them in cheesecloth or use a small metal tea infuser so you can strain easily.

Pour the hot syrup over the flavoring blend so the solids are fully submerged. Cover and let steep for 30 minutes to 1 hour, tasting after 30 minutes for intensity. For a stronger root beer flavor, steep up to 90 minutes off heat.

After steeping, strain the syrup through a fine mesh sieve or cheesecloth into a clean container, pressing gently to extract liquid but not forcing through fine sediment. Discard solids. If you used sassafras extract instead of root bark, add it now to taste (start with 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon).

Dilute and chill

Allow the concentrated root beer syrup to cool to room temperature, then chill in the refrigerator until cold (about 1 hour). The syrup can be stored refrigerated up to 2 weeks.

Mix with sparkling water

To serve, combine 1 part syrup to 3 parts cold sparkling water as a starting ratio (for example, 1/2 cup syrup to 1 1/2 cups sparkling water). Gently stir to combine, being careful not to lose too much carbonation. Taste and adjust: add more syrup for sweetness and flavor or more sparkling water for lighter flavor. If desired, add 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice to brighten the profile.

Serve

Fill glasses with ice (about 1/3 full). Pour the mixed root beer over ice. Optionally top with vanilla ice cream for a classic float. Garnish with an orange twist or a fresh mint sprig if desired. Serve immediately.