Coke, Mt. Dew, Pepsi, Dr. Pepper… These are all sodas that have a huge collection of soda flavors. Some good, and some are complete abominations. So, let’s see if A&W can show these other soda brands a run for their money.

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Who are our Questers today?

* Kris, patching up his swearing.

* Matt, chocolate soda kid.

* Amy, I’ll take two root beers please.

The History of Root Beer

Well the first thing you should know is that the drink we know today is quite different from the original root beers. Root teas and medicines were very common in America’s past. Indigenous people of North America brewed medicinal teas out of roots, barks, berries, and flowers. Sassafras, wintergreen and sarsaparilla were plants that were thought to boost immune function, reduce inflammation, combat allergies, and more. Therefore, they were not used for everyday consumption, but for medicinal purposes.

When European colonists brought “small beer” to the Americas, they saw what the indigenous people were doing with roots and decided to add it to these beverages. You see, “small beers” were low-alcoholic beverages that colonists made by shortening the fermentation time of the brew or by re-using grain from stronger beers.

In the 1870s everything changed however, thanks to pharmacist Charles E. Hires. Philadelphia pharmacist Charles Elmer Hires discovered a recipe for an herbal tea while in New Jersey. Not long after, he began selling a dry version of the tea blend but it had to be mixed with water, sugar, and yeast and left to ferment for the carbonation process to take place. Hires began working on a liquid formulation for a carbonated root beer beverage shortly after, with the goal to be more appealing to the masses. His concoction contained more than 25 herbs, berries, and roots that Hires used to flavor carbonated soda water. Hires introduced his root beer to the public at the 1876 Philadelphia Centennial exhibition where it was a huge hit. In 1893, the Hires family sold and distributed their first bottled root beer.

The Results

**SPOILER ALERT!**

Listen to the episode first if you do not want the results revealed to you yet!

A&W Root beer Ice Cream Sundae

* Amy: “It fits the bill for Ice Cream Sundae.” 4/10

* Kris: “I wish it had more root beer flavor.” 5/10

* Matt: “It’s a Tootsie Pop kind of chocolate.” 4/10

TOTAL: 13/30

There you have it. We do not give A&W Ice Cream Sundae Rooter the Quest for the Best seal of approval.

Thank you for joining us on this episode of Quest for the Best. Let us know what you thought. Have you tried this? What were your thoughts?

Also, do you have any foods you would love to get the coveted seal of approval? Let us know in the comments what you want to hear next.

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SHOW NOTES:

https://www.thoughtco.com/history-of-root-beer-1992386

https://sprecherbrewery.com/blogs/blog/the-history-of-root-beer

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