Does Root Beer Have Alcohol?

Learning to homebrew

What about homemade?

With a name like 'root beer' many people wonder if there is alcohol in this deliciously fizzy beverage - either now or in the past.

Fortunately for the kids, modern root beer contains ZERO alcohol - the only thing parents need to worry about is the huge amount of sugar!

Of course, there are some 'hard root beer' products available in the beer section that contain around 5% ABV if you want a beer buzz to go along with your sugar buzz.

But, did root beer EVER have alcohol in it?

As it turns out, the original root beer had way more in common with today's beer because it was fermented.

By combining traditional malted grains with the root bark of the sassafras tree, brewers concocted the original root beer

Classified as a 'small beer,' the root beers of old came in at between .5-2% alcohol - about half that of a domestic light lager.

If you want to make your own root beer at home, there are kits available that make it super easy and fun! Read the full article to  learn more!