Why is Root Beer called root beer?

beer, named Hires Root Beer. Hires initially wanted to name the product to be “Root Tea,” but chose “Root Beer,”

I asked ChatGPT and got this:

Root beer gets its name from the root of the sassafras tree, which is one of the main ingredients in the drink. The word “beer” is used in the name because root beer was originally made by fermenting the sassafras root and other ingredients. This fermentation process gives root beer its fizziness and slightly alcoholic flavor, which is similar to that of regular beer. Over time, however, root beer has come to be made using other methods, such as carbonation, and it is no longer made by fermenting the ingredients. Despite this, the name “root beer” has stuck, and the drink is still called by this name today.

My grandfather used to make the real thing. I never got to try it though. We used to make sassafras tea when camping as a kid. Not fermented or sweet of course but it has that familiar flavor.

I was going to say what @LostInParadise said. But alas, he said it with more detail than i would have offered.

Don’t give me the credit. It was chatGPT. It really is amazing how well it can do. I originally asked how root beer got its name, but I got more of what I wanted by asking why root beer has beer in its name.

Similar stories for ginger beer and ginger ale!

Some fun trivia…

During the 19th century, root beer, birch beer, and ginger ale were plant-based and believed to have medicinal properties. That’s why pharmacies had soda fountains; people sought the perceived health benefits of those beverages and would drink them to cure or aid some physical malady.

Long after the healthcare beliefs had been debunked, soda fountains continued and sold milkshakes, ice cream sodas, malteds, egg creams, and carbonated beverages. Soda fountains existed until the late-20th century; I last saw one about 35 years ago.

I went to a place with a soda fountain in Julian, CA maybe 20 years ago. It actually tasted pretty good too.

In 1967, my senior year, I worked as a “soda jerk” at a Walgreens that had a grill and a soda fountain in the store. All the soft drinks were syrup based. Two of them, Coca-Cola and Sprite, were mixed in a dispenser. Flavors could be added, such as cherry, to make cherry Coke They also had hand dipped (not from soft-serve!) milkshakes, malts, ice cream sodas floats and sundaes, banana splits and many other hand crafted ice cream treats.