SC - Root Beer

[lilinah at earthlink.net]

>BTW, could someone please clear up for me what is meant in the 
>States by "root beer"?  I have rather taken it to mean "sasparilla" 
>while my Lady contends that it is "ginger beer".  Given that it was 
>on a suggested list of possibles for taking to a pot luck, I have a 
>nasty feeling that she is right.
>
>Gwynydd of Culloden, Ynys Fawr, Lochac, Kingdom of the West

Well, root beer, sarsaparilla (note correct spelling), and ginger 
beer are three very different beverages.

Ginger beer, at least as commercially produced is a very gingery 
flavored carbonated beverage. Best commercial available in California 
is Reeds, far superior to Cock & Bull brand. But my very favorite is 
Prince Neville's, which isn't carbonated, has lime juice in it, and 
will take the varnish off, if you're not used to real ginger :-) Both 
Reed's and Prince Neville's i find in my local health food store.

Of course, ginger beer of any sort can never be confused with 
American style ginger ale, which is pale and has little flavor.

*Good* root beer contains a blend of barks (especially sassafras), 
spices (such as cinnamon and nutmeg), and other natural flavors (such 
as vanilla). However, once you've had all-natural root beer, the 
stuff you usually find in the supermarket taste like nasty chemicals. 
Sassafras used to be a major flavoring ingredient in root beer, but 
seems to have been branded as a potential health hazard (i forget 
what the problem with it is).

Sarsaparilla (familiarly called "sasparilla", which is vernacular 
spelling, but incorrect) is flavored with sarsaparilla, a tropical 
American plant. Of course, modern-day commercial sarsaparilla may not 
contain any at all, just the ubiquitous "natural and artificial 
flavors" that appear on so many labels these days.

So, no, root beer and sarsaparilla are not the same, at least not 
originally. If only the manufacturers would REALLY have to list their 
ingredients - rather than "protecting" them. Commercial stuff may not 
really differ much, but the "olde tyme" recipes are significantly 
different.

And in "ye olde dayes" these were all lightly fermented to make them 
fizzy, but nowadays what you get commercially is carbonated. 
Homemade, however...

Note that some folks confuse root beer and/or sarsaparilla with birch 
beer, perhaps because modern chemically flavored beverages all start 
to taste the same.

If you ever find actually naturally flavored products and you 
actually have some clues as to what's in them, you may be able to 
differentiate them. After doing taste tests with standard brands 
(such as A&W and Barque's) with more "specialty" commercial brands 
(such as "Kansas City" and "Henry Weinhard's" and gee, i forget them 
all), and then some health food or "hand-made" brands (and some of 
them don't taste too good, either), you will begin to discern some of 
the subtle and not so subtle differences in flavor. Even if you can't 
afford the more expensive brands on a regular basis, i really 
recommend doing some taste tests.

Anahita al-shazhiyya