Did you know that root beer is one of the first sodas in the United States? True, in fact it even pre-dated colas. Made from a combination of herbs, roots and barks the small beer had none or only had a very small amount of alcohol, that's where it got the name small beer.One of the most popular stories though is that one day, on his honeymoon; Mr Hires developed a tea using over twenty-five different herbs, berries and roots.
It was also said that the dry form of this new brew became available in his Pharmaceutical Shop when he and his new wife returned to his hometown in Philadelphia. Not long after, he started to work on using flavored carbonated soda water to come up with the liquid version of the tea. There is no hard-fast rule in brewing root beer, in fact most of the modern manufacturers don't use any of the original roots and herbs used in the 1800s brew. Today, depending on the Root Beer you choose, you may find that these herbs arent used much and that the root beer taste of your beverage comes from artificial flavors and syrups.
However, thanks to the micro-brewery movement, small batch Root Beers are coming back into style, and many areas of the country have their own locally made root beers once more. These often do rely on the unique flavors imparted by these herbs and roots and either honey or sugar, as opposed to artificial flavorings and sweeteners. Root beer has become so popular that you see them almost everywhere being enjoyed by people of all ages.
Its quite a pleasant surprise to know it has a rich historical background that can be a source of pride for all Americans.
