This recipe is dedicated to my inner child who used to guzzle root beer when ever I saw a soda dispenser. Many years and a nutrition degree later, I still love root beer, but am pretty far away from reaching for soda. So I decided to make my own herbal adaptogenic root beer. Cheers to all the root beer and herbal medicine fans out there, this one is for you.
Ingredients:
- 4 cups water
- ⅓ cup sassafras bark
- ¼ cup sarsparilla root
- ¼ cup eleuthero root
- 2.5 tbsp wintergreen leaves
- 2 star annaise
- 2 tbsp burdock root
- 1.5 tbsp ginger root
- ¼ vanilla bean (cut in half with seeds scraped out)
- 1.5 tablespoon lemon zest
- 3/4 cup honey
Instructions:
- Stove Top Method:some text
- Combine all herbs and water. DO NOT ADD THE HONEY. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer, covered, for about two hours.
- Instant Pot Method:some text
- Combine all herbs and water. DO NOT ADD THE HONEY. Cover and lock. Set to Manual High Pressure for 30 minutes. Allow to depressurize naturally.
- Using a mesh strainer, strain the liquid into a glass jar. Compost the herbs.
- Allow liquid to cool to room temp, then add honey, close the lid to the jar and shake vigorously until it is completely dissolved. You can use a blender if you'd like.
- Store in the fridge.
- Add 2 tbsp to 8oz of bubbly water and enjoy!
Note:
- With the stove top method, the root beer concentrate cooks down to about 1 cup. While the instant pot method, the root beer concentrate remains at 4 cups.
- I have found success with both methods, the more concentrated the mixture, the less you need.
- Adjust the honey as needed for your preferred sweetness.
- Sometimes I add a splash of brandy to help with the preservation of the mixture.
