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Ingredients
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Root Beer Base
Carbonation & Serving
Method
Root Beer Base
- 1
- 2
Reduce heat to low and let the mixture simmer, uncovered, for 20 minutes to extract flavors. Stir occasionally and slightly mash the roots against the side of the pan with a spoon to release more flavor.
- 3
Sweeten and finish the base
Remove from heat. Add organic cane sugar, dark brown sugar, molasses, tamarind paste, vanilla (if using a split bean add the scraped seeds and the pod), lime juice, and a pinch of salt. Stir until sugars dissolve. Allow the mixture to cool 15–20 minutes so flavors meld.
- 4
Strain the mixture through a fine mesh sieve or cheesecloth into a heatproof bowl or pitcher, pressing solids to extract liquid. Discard solids. Taste and adjust: if you want more wintergreen note add a drop of wintergreen extract (very sparingly). If it's too sweet, add a little extra lime juice or 1–2 teaspoons of plain water to balance.
- 5
Chill the strained root beer base in the refrigerator until cold, at least 1 hour (can be made ahead and refrigerated up to 3 days). This concentrated base yields a strong root beer flavor that will be diluted with carbonation before serving.
Carbonation & Serving
- 6
Assemble drink (glass method)
Fill a highball or glass with ice if desired (about 1/2–1 cup ice per serving). Pour 1/2 cup of the chilled root beer base into each glass (this recipe makes roughly 8 servings of base; adjust to taste). Top with 1 cup cold sparkling water or club soda, stirring gently once to combine. Garnish with a lime or orange wheel and serve immediately.
- 7
Assemble drink (bottle method for bright carbonation)
For brighter, longer-lasting fizz, mix the chilled root beer base with cold sparkling water in a 1:2 ratio (1 part base to 2 parts sparkling water) in a large pitcher and immediately transfer to chilled bottles designed for carbonation, or pour carefully into glasses. Serve right away to preserve carbonation.
- 8
Storage: Keep leftover base refrigerated up to 3 days. Do not pre-mix with soda more than 30 minutes before serving or carbonation will fade.
