Rosemary Gladstar's Favorite Homemade Root Beer

This is my favorite homemade root beer recipe. It tastes better than anything you can buy in the stores, and is certainly healthier for you.

The many roots and herbs in this formula were used for generations by folks in the Eastern United States, both by Native Americans as well as people of European ancestry.

This tonic makes a delicious beverage and also soothes and nourishes the body. Try this amazing blend, and you’ll be surprised to see how fast it will become a family tradition that you will want to pass down for years to come. It is simple as adding tea to seltzer water.

Here’s a video from Rosemary's Remedies (a course that's part of HerbMentor), that has a lesson on you how to make homemade root beer.

Everyone’s Favorite Root Beer Recipe

Serve this as a light summer beverage to family and friends. Also, it’s a good tonic for the liver and digestive tract. It is a soothing and nourishing drink.

In this recipe, 1 part = 1 tablespoon. If you want to make twice as much, just make the part = 2 tablespoons, and so on.

What you’ll need…

• 3 parts sassafras bark
• 3 parts sarsaparilla root
• 2 parts birch bark
• 1 part dandelion root
• 1 part licorice root
• 1 part fennel seed
• 8 to 10 star anise pods (handful)
• 1/4 part cut-and-sifted ginger root
• 2 parts burdock root
• 1/2 teaspoon powdered stevia leaf. Make stevia approximately 5% of the formula if you make more.
• 4 to 5 cups water
• Seltzer water (plain or flavored). A third or more of your final root beer amount. In this recipe, approximately 1 ½ to 2 cups.
• 1/2 lemon, sliced
• Need herbs? Visit Mountain Rose Herbs.

Here are the instructions from the video:

1. Combine herbs, root, and stevia and mix well.

2. Place in a medium pot, add water, and place on slow simmer for 30 to 45 minutes.

3. Strain through a double stainless steel strainer into a half-gallon glass jar. Taste for sweetness, adjust as necessary.

4. Add seltzer according to your preference. Add lemon, put a lid on jar, shake well and serve.

Enjoy your homemade root beer!

Written by Rosemary Gladstar

Rosemary Gladstar is, literally, a star figure in the field of modern herbalism, internationally renowned for her technical knowledge and stewardship. She has been learning, teaching and writing about herbs for over 40 years and is the author of 11 books. She is the Founding President of United Plant Savers and founder and former director of both the International Herb Symposium and The New England Women’s Herbal Conference.