Homemade Root Beer Recipe

✔ Updated October 19, 2026 · real times and calories, safe bottling with a plastic test bottle + a no-ferment version

My homemade root beer recipe makes an old-fashioned, naturally fizzy root beer from real roots and spices.

Sarsaparilla, licorice root, birch bark, ginger, dandelion root and star anise simmer into a dark, fragrant tea, which is sweetened, then bottled with a little kombucha or ginger bug so it carbonates on its own in 2 to 3 days. It tastes less sweet and more herbal than store-bought root beer, with a clean wintergreen-and-vanilla finish. Because the fizz comes from live fermentation, the bottles build pressure, so follow the simple test-bottle method below and refrigerate them as soon as they are carbonated.

Why You'll Love Homemade Root Beer

• Real roots and spices, with no artificial flavors and much less sugar than a typical soda.
• Naturally fizzy, carbonated in the bottle by a kombucha or ginger bug starter.
• Easy to tweak, from the sweetener to the spices, and there is a no-ferment version too.

What Is Root Beer?

Root beer started as a homemade drink in colonial North America, where people brewed low-alcohol "small beers" from whatever roots, barks and herbs they could gather, sweetened with sugar or molasses and fermented with wild yeast. Pharmacist Charles Hires helped turn it into a commercial soda in the 1870s, and by the 20th century most root beer was carbonated with gas instead of fermentation.

I love that this recipe goes back to the original method: a strong root and spice tea, a little sugar and a live starter that carbonates the bottles naturally. If you enjoy the history of brewed drinks, read our guide to ale vs lager.

The Roots and Spices (and What Each One Adds)

You can find all of these dried at herb shops, natural food stores or online. I order mine online in one go. Exact amounts are in the recipe card below.

• Sarsaparilla root: the main root beer flavor, earthy with a hint of vanilla and mint.
• Licorice root: a sweet, anise-like note and a smooth, rounded finish.
• Birch bark: a woody, wintergreen flavor found in most traditional root beers.
• Ginger: gives the drink its gentle bite. Fresh or dried both work.
• Dandelion root: roasted root adds a slightly bitter, coffee-like depth that balances the sugar.
• Star anise: one pod boosts the licorice flavor.
• Optional spices: cinnamon, wintergreen leaf, cloves and coriander seeds. Add one or two at a time until you find your favorite blend.
• Starter: raw, unflavored kombucha or the liquid from an active ginger bug, which supply the live yeast that makes the fizz.

Bottling Safely: Pressure, Test Bottles and the Fridge

Natural carbonation happens because the yeast in the starter eats some of the sugar and releases carbon dioxide inside the sealed bottles. That pressure is what makes the root beer fizzy, but it keeps building for as long as the bottles stay warm. Too much pressure can blow off a cap or burst a glass bottle, so a few simple rules matter here.

• Bottle one plastic test bottle. Fill a small, clean plastic soda bottle alongside the glass ones. Squeeze it once or twice a day.
• Refrigerate as soon as it is rock-hard. When the plastic bottle no longer gives when you squeeze it, the batch is carbonated. Move every bottle to the fridge right away, which slows the yeast almost to a stop.
• Use the right bottles. Pressure-rated swing-top bottles or plastic soda bottles only, with 1 to 2 inches of headspace. Never use mason jars, decorative bottles or chipped glass.
• Keep it cold. Store the bottles in the fridge and drink them within 2 weeks. Don't let chilled bottles sit back out at room temperature for long.
• Open with care. Open bottles over the sink, pointed away from faces, and release the cap slowly.
• Store bottles in a closed cabinet or box while they ferment, out of direct sun, as an extra precaution.

Step-by-Step Photos

Here's how it comes together. Exact amounts, times and temperatures are in the recipe card below.

Tips for Success

• Always use a plastic test bottle. Glass gives no warning as pressure builds. A firm plastic bottle tells you exactly when the batch is ready to go in the fridge.
• Use pressure-rated bottles. Swing-top bottles made for brewing, or clean plastic soda bottles, are safe. Never use decorative glass, mason jars or bottles with chips or cracks.
• Cool before adding the starter. Anything above about 85°F can kill the yeast and bacteria in the kombucha or ginger bug, and the root beer will stay flat.
• Refrigerate on time. Fermentation keeps going at room temperature. Leaving finished bottles out for extra days can over-pressurize them, so chill them as soon as they are carbonated.
• Open slowly. Open chilled bottles over the sink, pointing away from faces, and ease the cap off gradually to let the pressure out.

A Note on Sassafras

Sassafras root bark gave early root beer its signature flavor, and many old recipes call for it. In 1960 the FDA banned safrole, the main flavor compound in sassafras root bark and oil, as a food additive after studies linked it to liver cancer in lab animals. Commercial root beers now use safrole-free sassafras extract or other flavorings. This recipe leaves sassafras out and relies on sarsaparilla, birch bark, licorice and wintergreen for that classic taste.

Variations

• No-ferment root beer syrup: simmer the roots and spices in 4 cups of water for 45 minutes, strain, then stir in 3/4 cup sugar until dissolved. Cool, refrigerate for up to 2 weeks and mix about 1 part syrup with 3 parts cold sparkling water to serve. No starter, no pressure and no alcohol.
• Different sweeteners: swap some of the sugar for brown sugar, molasses, maple syrup or honey. The starter needs real sugar to ferment, so sugar-free sweeteners won't carbonate it.
• Creamier flavor: add a split vanilla bean during the simmer, or increase the vanilla extract to 2 teaspoons.
• Root beer float: pour the chilled root beer over a scoop of vanilla ice cream, the same way as our Dr Pepper float.
• More homemade drinks: try our butterbeer, cherry limeade and Jamaican peanut punch.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does homemade root beer take to ferment?

Usually 2 to 3 days at 68 to 75°F, and up to 4 days in a cool kitchen. Check a plastic test bottle daily: when it feels rock-hard, the batch is carbonated. Move all the bottles to the fridge right away, since fermentation keeps going at room temperature.

Is homemade root beer alcoholic?

Naturally fermented root beer contains a trace of alcohol, typically well under 1% after a short 2 to 3 day ferment. The longer it ferments, the drier and slightly stronger it gets, which is another reason to refrigerate it as soon as it is fizzy. The no-ferment version contains no alcohol.

Can homemade root beer bottles explode?

Yes, if they are left fermenting too long at room temperature or if the bottles are not made for pressure. Use pressure-rated swing-top or plastic soda bottles, include a plastic test bottle, refrigerate the batch as soon as that bottle is firm, and open bottles slowly over the sink.

Why is my homemade root beer flat?

The most common causes are adding the starter while the tea was still warm, using pasteurized or flavored kombucha, a cold kitchen, or bottles that do not seal well. Make sure the tea is below 85°F, use raw unflavored kombucha or an active ginger bug, and give it an extra day somewhere warmer.

Why isn't there sassafras in this recipe?

Sassafras root bark was the original root beer flavor, but its main compound, safrole, was banned as a food additive by the FDA in 1960 after it was linked to liver cancer in lab animals. Sarsaparilla, birch bark, licorice and wintergreen give a classic root beer flavor without it.