Root beer

About root beer
Created in the mid-1800s by Philadelphia pharmacist Charles Hires, the original root beer was a (very) low-alcohol, naturally effervescent beverage made by fermenting a blend of real sugar and yeast with various roots, herbs, and barks such as sarsaparilla, sassafras, wild cherry, wintergreen, and ginger. Today's commercial root beer is completely non-alcoholic and generally contains sugar, caramel coloring, and a combination of artificial and natural flavorings (including some of those originally used) and carbonated water for the sparkle.