How to Brew Sarsaparilla

Traditional sarsaparilla

The sarsaparilla plant is a vine with a root that is brewed to make a sarsaparilla drink, which tastes similar to today's root beer. Although hard to find, sarsaparilla drinks are still sold today, but rarely the product of brewing. They are commonly made with artificial flavorings. Originally used as a medicinal tonic, the sarsaparilla is naturally bitter. The drink is also commonly referred to as "sasparilla," which refers to the sweetened version, often achieved by the addition of sassafras extract. These days, sarsaparilla drinks are more often a combination of birch oil and sassafras extract. These steps will walk you through the basics of any soda drink (water, yeast and sugar) and adding the flavoring, sarsaparilla, for that old-fashioned taste.

Difficulty:

Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• 1 tbs. sarsaparilla plant extract
• Water
• Funnel
• Clean, dry 2-liter bottle
• 3/4 tsp. dry champagne yeast or powdered baker's yeast
• Sugar, honey or sassafras extract

1. Place the funnel into the top of the cleaned, dried 2-liter bottle. Use the funnel to insert the sweetener into the bottle. Depending on taste, you will want about a cup of sugar. Next, pour the yeast (3/4 teaspoon) into the funnel. Remove the funnel, replace the bottle cap and shake until the sugar and yeast are well mixed.

2. Remove the bottle cap and replace the funnel. Pour in the sarsaparilla extract. Keeping the funnel in the bottle, place the bottle under a water source. Rinse the spoon and funnel of the extract and the water to run into the bottle. Continue until the bottle is halfway full of water.

3. Remove the funnel, replace the cap, and swirl the contents until visibly dissolved. Next, fill the bottle to the neck with water and replace the cap securely.

4. Set the bottle aside in room temperature for four days or until firm to the squeeze. As the yeast eats the sugar and creates carbon dioxide, the bottle will start to feel firm just as an unopened two-liter soda bottle would at the supermarket.

5. After it's ready, move the bottle to a cooler location. Below 65 degrees Fahrenheit is ideal. Move to the refrigerator or cooler to chill before serving. When you are ready to drink your sarsaparilla, open with ease as the carbonation may have caused pressure or will cause overflow.

Tips & Warnings

• Sarsaparilla extracts are sold for medicinal purposes and some health food stores sell the roots. Sarsaparilla is used medicinally to treat skin ailments, edema, sexual impotence and rheumatism. Champagne yeast leaves less of a yeast flavor.

• The yeast will not work if it is not active, so be sure to check the expiration date. Double-check the tightness of the bottle cap before you store your bottle as pressure will build from the yeast. Safrole is a main ingredient in traditional sarsaparilla drinks but was banned by the U.S. government when it was found to cause cancer.