Homemade Root Beer (No Yeast)

Why this recipe works

Root beer is traditionally made with a combination of roots, herbs, and spices. Then yeast is added to create a fermentation, which leads to carbonation. Creating soda!

Plenty of people make root beer like this at home, but it's an extra step that I'd like to eliminate to make my recipe easier. So, I used the same method as all my other soda recipes. First you make a concentrated syrup, then you mix it with sparkling water for carbonation.

Because this homemade root beer uses classic root beer spices like sarsaparilla, birch bark, and licorice, it has the exact flavor of traditional root beer. It's just quicker and easier!

Why You'll Love This Homemade Root Beer

• Dietary needs - this recipe is vegan and has a refined sugar free swap. No processed ingredients anywhere!
• Made From Real Ingredients - No artificial flavors. Every flavor comes from actual roots, herbs, and spices!
• Complex Flavor - root beer has so many lovely layers of flavor, so there are quite a few elements in this homemade drink to mimic that classic taste
• Customizable - feel free to tweak the spice ratio to your preference, and adjust the sweetness of the final soda by using more or less syrup

Ingredient Notes & Substitutions

Root Beer Syrup

• Brown Sugar: brown sugar has a richer, darker, more caramel-like flavor than white sugar, so it's used it most cola-like sodas. If you're using a refined sugar free substitute, like agave or coconut sugar or maple syrup, feel free to sub 1:1 for the amount of sugar listed below
• Water
• Sarsaparilla Root: sarsaparilla is one of the main botanicals in root beer - it tastes a lot like licorice. You can find sarsaparilla root online. Some tea shops will also sell it.
• Cinnamon: I recommend cinnamon sticks instead of ground cinnamon, to avoid a gritty texture in the final drink.
• Star Anise: you can use whole star anise or seeds. Use 6-8 seeds in place of each whole pod.
• Ginger: fresh ginger is essential here. Ground does not give the right flavor, and it will leave a sediment in the final drink.
• Fresh Mint: many root beers use wintergreen, which has a minty flavor, so I opted for just a few leaves of fresh mint instead.
• Birch Bark: often sold as a tea, birch bark is a classic root beer ingredient. It has a woody, earthy flavor.
• Licorice: another ingredient that is commonly sold in tea form, licorice root is known for a strong sweet flavor. It's a classic root beer spice.
• Cloves: cloves add a sharpness. Again, I recommend whole cloves here instead of ground. You can find whole cloves in the spice aisle of most grocery stores.
• Peppercorns: like in my Dr. Pepper recipe, peppercorns help add a bit of a spicy undertone to the drink. Common theme here: use whole peppercorns instead of ground pepper
• Vanilla Extract: for a layer of creamy vanilla flavor.

For Soda

• Ice
• Root Beer Syrup
• Sparking Water: use sparkling water - avoid other slightly flavored carbonated waters like club soda

Elizabeth's Kitchen Notes

• Flavors: this recipe has my preferred ratio of ingredients, but there are lots of other ingredients that could be included in a root beer. Feel free to play around with other spices like: burdock root, wintergreen leaves, fennel, allspice, juniper, and coriander
• Steeping Time: the longer you let the syrup steep, the more intense the flavor will be. I've found 30 minutes to be the sweet spot