Sassafras Root Beer

Sassafras Root Beer
Makes about 4, 1 quart bottles

Ingredients

• 1/4 lb sassafras root
• 1 gallon water
• 22 oz. granulated sgar
• 1/2 oz. fresh or frozen spicebush berries  (optional)
• 2 tablespoons lemon or lime juice
• 1 1/4 teaspoons beer yeast
• For the bottling: 4 teaspoons raw turbinado sugar

Directions

1. Boil the fresh sassafras roots with the water for 20 minutes.  Remove from heat and add the sugar, spicebush berries, and lime juice.  Allow the mixture to cool to 90 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Remove a cup of the lukewarm water and sprinkle the yeast over the top, allowing it to dissolve and become a bit foamy.  Pour the yeast mixture and the remaining decoction into a 1 gallon glass jar fitted with an airlock.  Ferment for 3 days.
3. Strain the roots and berries from the beer.  To the bottom of each sanitized lock-top bottle, add one teaspoon of raw turbinado sugar.  Pour in 4 cups of the beer, and close the hinge-lock top.
4. Refrigerate the bottles, checking for fizz in about 5 days.  You may have to release some fizz if you store it for more than 2 weeks.  Serve chilled.

Sources

Refer back to the Sources post to see the exact books that I used!

Adventures in Edible Plant Foraging