Fermented Sodas · Intermediate

Homemade Root Beer: Naturally Fermented With Real Roots

How to make naturally fermented root beer from sarsaparilla, birch, licorice and ginger with a ginger bug or yeast. Roots and sugar for 2 litres, brewing and bottling, why to skip whole sassafras, and making it creamier.

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Homemade root beer beside roots, bark, ginger and molasses

Updated October 2026 · 8 min read

Before it was a syrup in a can, root beer was a home-brewed tonic: a strong tea of roots, barks and spices, sweetened with molasses and fermented in the bottle. Made the old way with a ginger bug, it has a depth that commercial root beer lacks.

Root beer recipe

2 L water for the root tea
150 g sugar + 2 tbsp molasses
2–4 days sealed at room temperature
Roots and barks 2 tbsp dried sarsaparilla root, 1 tbsp birch bark or dried wintergreen leaf, 1 tbsp licorice root.
Spice 1 tbsp grated fresh ginger, 1 star anise, a few allspice berries (optional).
Sweet and smooth 150 g sugar, 2 tbsp molasses, 1 tsp vanilla extract.
Starter 160 mL active ginger bug liquid, or 1/8 tsp champagne or ale yeast.
  1. 1
    Brew the tea Simmer the roots, barks and spices in 2 litres of water, covered, for 20–30 minutes. Taste; it should be strong.
  2. 2
    Sweeten Strain, then stir in the sugar and molasses until dissolved. Top up with water to 2 litres if some boiled off.
  3. 3
    Cool Let it cool to room temperature, then add the vanilla.
  4. 4
    Add the starter Stir in the ginger bug liquid or yeast.
  5. 5
    Bottle and carbonate Fill pressure-rated bottles with 3–4 cm headspace, seal, and leave at room temperature for 2–4 days, checking daily.
  6. 6
    Chill Refrigerate as soon as it is fizzy. Serve cold.
Sugar weighed beside ginger bug starter, water and soda ingredients

Related calculator

Ginger Bug Soda Calculator

Sugar, ginger bug, ginger and water for any batch of homemade ginger beer or fruit soda, with ferment and bottling times by temperature.

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Root beer ingredients and safety

Watch for

  • Skip whole sassafras root bark It contains safrole, banned as a food additive in the US. Use safrole-free extract if you want the classic note.
  • Never use wintergreen essential oil. Dried leaf or birch bark gives the flavour safely.
  • Licorice root in large, regular amounts can raise blood pressure; a tablespoon in a 2 litre batch is a normal amount.

Variations

Creamier more vanilla and a little lactose (which the yeast cannot ferment) give a smoother, creamier mouthfeel.
Birch beer leave out the sarsaparilla and double the birch bark.
Spicier add cinnamon stick, clove or more ginger to the tea.

For the brighter, spicier cousin, see homemade ginger beer.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Is sassafras safe in root beer?
Whole sassafras root bark contains safrole, which was banned as a food additive in the US in 1960 after it caused liver cancer in animal studies. Use safrole-free sassafras extract, or leave sassafras out and build the flavour from sarsaparilla, birch and wintergreen leaf.
Where do I buy root beer roots?
Dried sarsaparilla root, birch bark, licorice root and wintergreen leaf are sold by herbal suppliers and homebrew shops. Some sell ready-mixed root beer blends.
Can I use wintergreen oil?
No. Wintergreen essential oil is concentrated methyl salicylate and is toxic in small amounts. Use dried wintergreen leaf, or birch bark, which carries the same flavour safely in a tea.
Is homemade root beer alcoholic?
Only slightly when it is chilled as soon as it is fizzy, usually under about 1% ABV. Longer, warmer ferments make more.
Can I make root beer with yeast instead of a ginger bug?
Yes. Use about 1/8 teaspoon of champagne or ale yeast for 2 litres. It is faster and more predictable, so check the pressure twice a day.
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