Draft Root Beer Recipe

Prepare botanicals

Measure out all dried herbs and spices (sarsaparilla, sassafras, licorice root, anise, juniper, allspice, cloves) and place them in a fine-mesh tea infuser or tied muslin bag so they can be removed easily.

Combine sugars and water

In a medium saucepan, combine 4 cups water, dark brown sugar, granulated sugar, and molasses (or demerara sugar). Warm over medium heat and stir until sugars fully dissolve to make a syrup base.

Add botanicals and simmer

Add the botanical sachet, sliced ginger, and lemon zest to the saucepan along with 6 cups additional water. Bring to a gentle simmer (do not boil vigorously) and simmer uncovered for 25–30 minutes to extract flavors. Stir occasionally.

Steep and cool

Remove the saucepan from heat and allow the mixture to steep with the botanicals for another 20–30 minutes for a stronger flavor. If using sassafras extract instead of bark, add the extract after cooling slightly (see next step).

Strain and finish

Remove and discard the botanical sachet and solids by straining the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve or cheesecloth into a clean container. Stir in vanilla extract and wintergreen extract (or crushed wintergreen leaf infusion). If you used sassafras bark and want to be cautious about safrole, substitute half the amount with commercial sassafras extract (safrole-free) or omit and use extra sarsaparilla and vanilla for similar sweetness.

Optional malt addition

If using dry malt extract for fuller mouthfeel, whisk 2 tablespoons into the still-warm concentrate until dissolved.

Concentrate yield and storage

This produces approximately 6–7 cups of strong concentrate. Cool to room temperature, then refrigerate in a sealed container. Concentrate will keep 5–7 days chilled or can be frozen for longer storage.

Dilution ratio

For draft-style root beer, dilute concentrate with cold water at roughly 1 part concentrate to 4 parts cold water. For this recipe: mix about 1 cup concentrate with 4 cups cold filtered water to make 5 cups of finished root beer. Adjust to taste (1:5 for lighter, 1:3 for stronger).

Chill and carbonate

Chill the diluted root beer thoroughly (cold liquids carbonate better). Transfer the diluted root beer to your draft keg or soda siphon. If using a home draft keg system, carbonate with CO2 to 2.2–2.6 vols CO2 (roughly 10–14 psi at fridge temperature ~38°F / 3°C) and let carbonate for 24–48 hours. If using a soda siphon, follow the manufacturer's directions for CO2 cartridges. If you have a forced-carbonation keg system, set 12 psi at 38°F and check carbonation after 24 hours.

Serve

Pour root beer into chilled glasses over ice if desired. Serve draft-style with a creamy foam: to create a classic float texture, give a gentle nitrogen burst (if available) or pour from a height into a chilled mug for a frothy head. Garnish with a lemon twist or a vanilla bean if desired.

Notes on safety and adjustments

If you used real sassafras bark, be aware of safrole concerns; many home recipes use commercial safrole-free sassafras extract or omit it entirely. Taste concentrate before diluting and adjust sweetness, vanilla, or wintergreen to preference. Keep concentrate refrigerated and discard after about one week.