How did root beer get its name? Which root beer would you recommend?!


Question:

How did root beer get its name? Which root beer would you recommend?

I love root beer, and have no idea how it's made and where it got its name. Help!


Answers:
Root beer was a traditional beverage and herbal medicine. The beverage was often alcoholic, usually around 2%. As a medicine it was used for treating cough and mouth sores. Commercially prepared root beer was developed by Charles Elmer Hires on May 16, 1866. He presented root tea powder at the 1876 Philadelphia Centennial exhibition. In 1893 he began selling bottled carbonated root beer. There was an upsurgence in the popularity of root beer in the United States during the period of prohibition in the early 20th Century as local breweries resorted to brewing root beer since alcoholic beverages were outlawed.[1]

Source(s):
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/root_beer...

Unfortunately, I can't answer some of your questions, but I can recommend a root beer that is very good. It's Boylan's Root Beer. It is delicious.

I think it was the ginger root. I don't like any root beer but my bf really likes A&W brand and Dad's brand.

A & W root beer all the way

Diet Mug

Check out this page on root beer. It has all your information needs. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/root_beer...

Oh, and you should try Stewart's root beer. It's really good.

http://www.drinkstewarts.com/

maybe cuz they made beer with a root?? i have no idea. i don't like root beer at all x]

Tried others, always came back to good old A & W

Root beer is a dark beverage that comes in two forms, alcoholic and as a soft drink. The alcoholic version is made from a combination of vanilla, cherry tree bark, licorice root, sarsaparilla root, artificial sassafras root bark flavoring (the pure form is mildly carcinogenic), nutmeg, anise, and molasses among other ingredients.

The soft drink version of root beer is non-alcoholic and is generally made using root beer extract or other flavored syrups along with carbonated water. The soft drink version of root beer constitutes about 3% of the American soft drink market.[citation needed]

Many local brands of root beer exist, and homemade root beer is made from concentrate or (rarely) from actual roots. Alcoholic and non-alcoholic root beer has a thick and foamy head when poured.

I think that it got its name from what it is made from, roots.


I like Dad's Root beer. But hansens makes a good one too.

I could guess but I don't know. But here's something interesting. Do you know that mostly only Americans (north Americans) like root beer? It's an American thing. Someone told me this, and I thought I'd test it. At UC Berkeley where I worked, there are many people from different countries.

First, my good friend from Sweden - Anders - he said it tastes like toothpaste! Hates it! Then, we had some guests from France - I had them order rootbeer floats for dessert - they thought they were terrible. Then there were the chinese students that work in my department - definitely NOT rootbeer fans. Then Alex from Switzerland, and his wife Christiane, who were very polite, and wouldn't say that they didn't like it, but their faces told me the truth. And then there was the guy from Saudi Arabia - God I can't remember his name - but yeah - he nearly spit it out! Two spaniards we had visiting - Mar and Jose... no, three spaniards...Manuel... nope, they didn't like it.

OK, it's not a scientific study but... so far in my little study, only Americans... and Canadians like rootbeer!




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