Root beer is a distinctly North American soft drink with a flavour profile unlike anything else — sweet, herbal, and slightly medicinal, with notes of vanilla, wintergreen, and anise. It originated in the 19th century as a fermented, low-alcohol beverage brewed from sassafras root bark and various herbs.
Modern commercial root beer is a non-alcoholic soft drink that uses artificial sassafras flavouring (the natural compound safrole was banned as a food additive in many countries due to health concerns) along with vanilla, caramel, and other flavourings. It’s heavily carbonated and very sweet.
Root beer isn’t widely popular in Australia but has a following among fans of American foods and is stocked in specialty shops and some supermarket international aisles. It’s traditionally served ice-cold and is the base for a root beer float — a scoop of vanilla ice cream dropped into a glass of root beer.
How it's made
Nutrition (per 100g)
1 can or bottle (16 fl oz) is about 493 g — roughly 200 kcal of this.
What it costs the planet (per kilo)
≈ Estimated — worked out from a category-typical value further up its supply chain. Where this comes from →
Where it comes from
In the kitchen
standalone soft drink
- Root Beer Float
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Where this data comes from
USDA
SR Legacy
Full credits, licences, and methods: the sources page →
Where to next
Your household's take
One thumb per person, shared with your household — it steers what the wider-web shelf and the swap chips offer you. Tap again to take it back.
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