Chalk it Up

Sassafras is no longer used in commercially produced root beer since sassafras oil was banned for use in commercially mass-produced foods and drugs by the US Food and Drug Administration in 1960 due to health concerns about the carcinogenicity of safrole, a major constituent of sassafras oil, in animal studies.

Indigenous Root Medicine

The sweet, bubbly, non-alcoholic root beer we know today bears little resemblance to the root beers of yesteryear. The forbears of this beloved beverage were root beers in the literal sense—beers made from roots.

Before the first root beer was brewed, root teas and medicines were the all the rage. Many of the indigenous peoples of North America brewed medicinal teas and tinctures out of roots, barks, berries, and flowers. Some of these medicinal drinks used sassafras, wintergreen, and sarsaparilla. These North and Central American plants were thought to boost immune function, reduce inflammation, combat allergies, and more.

For indigenous people, these root-based beverages were not for recreational consumption. These drinks didn’t always taste very good, and some of them had harmful side effects when overused. For example, while sassafras has analgesic and antiseptic properties, too much of it can cause liver damage .[1] When European colonists came to the Americas, they learned of these health benefits and made their own root-based drinks.

Root Beer in Colonial America

European colonists brought their own traditions to the Americas, including the medieval tradition of “small beer.” Small beers were low-alcohol beers (hovering at 1-2% ABV). Europeans brewed small beers because they were safer than water, cheap, nutritious, and unlikely to get you too drunk during the day. Colonists made small beer by shortening the fermentation time of the brew or by re-using grain from a stronger beer. [2]

When European colonists observed indigenous people using sassafras, sarsaparilla, wintergreen and other roots, barks, and berries for their health benefits, the colonists did what they knew best—made small beer. Colonists used Sassafras and Sarsaparilla roots—among other local plants—to brew a type of small beer they (unimaginatively) named root beer. Generally, colonists did not drink root beer to get drunk. Instead, they drank root beer to hydrate safely and get (real or perceived) medicinal benefits.

Families passed down their recipes for root beer like heirlooms. Countless varieties of root beers made from different blends of American plants, water, sugar, and yeast emerged. This practice continued for many years. In the early days of the United States, merchants sold in small shops and drugstores throughout the country. Still, the general public largely saw root beer as a niche health drink.

Root Beer goes Commercial

In the 1870s, this all changed thanks to a Philadelphia pharmacist named Charles E. Hires. After tasting a particularly delicious root beer at an inn during his honeymoon, Hires begged the innkeeper’s wife for her recipe. Hires got it, and when he returned from his honeymoon, he took the recipe to a couple of local college professors. He asked the professors to help him adjust the recipe for commercial production.

The professors did two great things for Hires. First, they came up with a way to turn the ingredients into a shelf-stable powder. Root beer powder was easier to sell and distribute as the base for a tasty non-alcoholic drink. Second, the professors eliminated (pun intended) the strong laxative effect of the original recipe.

Hires was a Quaker, and he was deeply opposed to boozing. So, he wasted no time in fervently marketing his new “powder root tea” to local miners—men known for their love of the sauce. This didn’t go over well until a friend advised him to stop calling it powder root tea (duh!). In a bid to appeal to the masculine sensibilities of the miners, Hires called his drink root beer, and a commercial hit was born.

Hires’ root beer quickly took off and evolved as a product. Soon, Hires was selling it as a syrup and in kegs to soda fountains, who were pouring it as fast as Hires could make it. Hires died a rich man, and many sought to follow in his footsteps.