Where does the name "root beer" come from?!
Where does the name "root beer" come from?
Answers:
root beer:
A glass of root beer with foamRoot beer is a 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.
root beer:
Created in the mid-1800s by Philadelphia pharmacist Charles Hires, the original root beer was a (very) low-alcohol, naturally effervescent beverage made by fermenting a blend of sugar and yeast with various roots, herbs and barks such as sarsaparilla, sassafras, wild cherry, wintergreen and ginger. Today's commercial root beer is completely nonalcoholic and generally contains sugar, caramel coloring, a combination of artificial and natural flavorings (including some of those originally used) and carbonated water for sparkle.
Source(s):
http://www.answers.com/topic/root-beer...
http://www.cooking.com/advice/adfeatu1.a...
It is from when the product was made by using roots instead of artificial flavors. Sarsaparilla root, for example.
From a google search.
Well, it was originally made from roots (like licorice) and herbs. It's very similar to birch beer, too.