Root Beer

Root beer is a sweet, carbonated soft drink with a dark caramel-brown color. It delivers creamy vanilla, wintergreen, and anise notes with a frothy head, and its sugar concentrates into a glossy syrup when reduced. Cooks braise pork, glaze ham, and build pan sauces with it, and it anchors classic ice cream floats. It is sold in cans, bottles, and draft-style fountain formats.\n\nRoot beer developed in North America from herbal root infusions and became a commercial beverage in the 19th century, later reformulated with safrole-free extracts. Modern producers blend flavor extracts and sweeteners, and the drink remains most common in the United States and Canada.