A lighter, sarsaparilla-forward cousin of the original pharmacy root beer, traditionally brewed each spring as the roots came back into season — less molasses-heavy than the winter formula, brighter and more refreshing.
Ingredients (makes about 1 gallon)
- 2 oz dried sarsaparilla root (or safrole-free extract)
- 1/2 oz dried ginger root, 1/4 oz dried hops
- 1 vanilla bean, split
- 3/4 cup raw cane sugar
- 1 gallon filtered water
- 1/4 teaspoon active dry yeast (or 2 tablespoons ginger bug)
Method
- Combine sarsaparilla and ginger root with the water. Bring to a gentle simmer 25 minutes.
- Add vanilla bean and hops in the final 10 minutes.
- Strain through cheesecloth, discard solids.
- Stir in sugar while warm, cool completely below 75°F.
- Add yeast, stir gently, and bottle in swing-top bottles, leaving 1 inch headspace.
- Ferment at room temperature 24 to 48 hours until lightly carbonated, then refrigerate immediately.
Lighter and less spiced than the full root beer, this is the version to reach for when the goal is refreshment more than a heavy tonic. Drink within 7 to 10 days, refrigerated.
This recipe is one of twenty in The Forgotten Apothecary — our full digital cookbook of pharmacy-counter tonics, switchels, oxymels, and healing syrups.