<P> Root beer is a sweet North American soft drink traditionally made using the sassafras tree Sassafras albidum ( sassafras ) or the vine Smilax ornata ( sarsaparilla ) as the primary flavor . Root beer may be alcoholic or non-alcoholic ( but it is usually non-alcoholic ) , come naturally free of caffeine or have caffeine added , and be carbonated or non-carbonated . It usually has a thick , foamy head when poured . Modern , commercially produced root beer is generally sweet , foamy , carbonated , nonalcoholic , and flavoured using artificial sassafras flavouring . Sassafras root is still used to flavor traditional root beer , but since sassafras was banned by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration due to the controversially claimed carcinogenicity of its constituent safrole , most commercial recipes do not contain sassafras . Some commercial root beers do use a safrole - free sassafras extract . Major producers include Dr Pepper Snapple Group , Coca - Cola , Sprecher Brewing , Dad 's Root Beer , Berghoff Beer , Whole Foods Market , and Stewart 's Restaurants . </P>
<P> Root beer is a sweet North American soft drink traditionally made using the sassafras tree Sassafras albidum ( sassafras ) or the vine Smilax ornata ( sarsaparilla ) as the primary flavor . Root beer may be alcoholic or non-alcoholic ( but it is usually non-alcoholic ) , come naturally free of caffeine or have caffeine added , and be carbonated or non-carbonated . It usually has a thick , foamy head when poured . Modern , commercially produced root beer is generally sweet , foamy , carbonated , nonalcoholic , and flavoured using artificial sassafras flavouring . Sassafras root is still used to flavor traditional root beer , but since sassafras was banned by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration due to the controversially claimed carcinogenicity of its constituent safrole , most commercial recipes do not contain sassafras . Some commercial root beers do use a safrole - free sassafras extract . Major producers include Dr Pepper Snapple Group , Coca - Cola , Sprecher Brewing , Dad 's Root Beer , Berghoff Beer , Whole Foods Market , and Stewart 's Restaurants . </P>
where does the flavor root beer come from
where does the flavor root beer come from
the sassafras tree Sassafras albidum ( sassafras ) or the vine Smilax ornata ( sarsaparilla )
the sassafras tree Sassafras albidum ( sassafras ) or the vine Smilax ornata ( sarsaparilla )