Root Beer Recipe

Combine ingredients

In a medium saucepan, combine 2 cups water, brown sugar, granulated sugar, and molasses. Stir to dissolve the sugars before heating.

Add the aromatic & spice blend ingredients to the saucepan: sarsaparilla, sassafras, wintergreen (or extract), star anise, cloves, allspice, licorice root (if using), and orange peel. Stir to distribute evenly.

Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer over medium heat. Once simmering, reduce heat to low and let simmer gently for 15 minutes, partially covered, stirring occasionally so sugars do not stick. The liquid should darken and take on the spice aromas.

After simmering, remove the saucepan from heat and let the syrup steep for an additional 20–30 minutes (off heat) to extract more flavor from the roots and spices.

Strain the syrup through a fine-mesh sieve lined with cheesecloth into a heatproof bowl or jar, pressing on the solids to extract as much liquid as possible. Discard solids.

While the syrup is still warm, stir in the vanilla extract and fresh lemon juice. Taste and, if you want a sweeter/stronger root beer, adjust: add up to 1–2 tbs more sugar dissolved into warm syrup or a few drops more vanilla/extracts as desired. Cool to room temperature, then chill the syrup in the refrigerator until cold (at least 1 hour).

Measure chilled syrup. For a typical serving ratio, combine 1/4 cup (60 ml) of the concentrated syrup with 1 cup (240 ml) cold carbonated water. Adjust to taste — more syrup for a sweeter, stronger flavor, less for a lighter drink.

Fill a glass with ice (if desired), pour the syrup over the ice, then slowly add the cold carbonated water to preserve carbonation. Stir gently once to combine.

Taste and adjust acidity or sweetness: add a few drops more lemon juice for brightness or up to 1 tsp sugar dissolved in a little warm water if you prefer sweeter. If using wintergreen or sassafras extracts instead of dried roots, small adjustments (dropwise) can be made to reach desired flavor.

Serve immediately. Keep any leftover concentrated syrup refrigerated for up to 2 weeks. To serve later, dilute the syrup at the same 1:4 syrup-to-water ratio (or to taste) with cold carbonated water.