Making Root Beer at Home

Last Updated on September 17, 2021 by Ellen Christian

Have you ever wondered about making root beer at home? Learn how to make homemade root beer with this easy soda recipe.

Root beer was made as early as the American Colonies. It’s really not difficult to make your own. But, like many things, we have become used to buying them at the store instead of making them ourselves. Since Marty enjoys root beer, I decided this would be a fun project to try.

Making Root Beer at Home

You will need root beer extract which you can purchase online. You will also need ale or champagne yeast. If you cannot find these in your area, it may be easiest to start with by buying a few homemade root beer kits. This one comes with everything you need including the bottles.

Back in the American Colonies, they used sassafrass but this has been outlawed because the safrole it comes from was proven to cause cancer in lab rats. So, now we use root beer extract instead.

Follow the instructions on the bottle of extract you buy. You pretty much are mixing it with water and sugar. You add ale or champagne yeast to this mixture. That’s what causes the fermentation (or bubbles) we are all used to in our soda.

Then you bottle it in reusable bottles and let it sit in a dark place for several days or until the fermentation is at the right level. If you bottle in plastic bottles, the bottles should feel very firm when you squeeze them. Put them in the refrigerator and chill until cold and you have root beer.

Here is the easy root beer recipe we used to make a gallon of soda. Be sure to check the directions on the back of the rootbeer extract you purchase. You may want to learn how to make your own cranberry juice.

What are the ingredients for root beer?

You will need just a few simple things to make this recipe.

• Sugar
• Water
• Extract
• Champagne yeast
• Bottles and caps

You can re-use the bottles every time you make this recipe. But, you will need to buy new caps for a good, tight seal.

How long is homemade root beer good for?

Kept in the refrigerator, properly sealed, it should be good for up to one month. You must refrigerate it since there are no preservatives in it.

Is homemade root beer alcoholic?

It is only alcoholic if you allow it to ferment to that point. If you do not refrigerate them and continue to let them ferment, it is possible that they will contain enough alcohol to become alcoholic. Do not use this recipe for that type of beverage. 

If you want to learn how to make this beverage without using root beer extract, check out this video. It takes longer, but it is more authentic to the way it used to be made. This is a fun project for the kids to do. Or, if you cannot find your favorite brand at the store, you might decide that you like homemade better. Give it a try and see.