Rootbeer

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A fizzy soft drink made with roots, particularly sassafras, and sweeteners that offers a unique flavor profile
2. A carbonated beverage crafted from herbal roots, notably sassafras and vanilla, and enjoyed for its distinctive sweetness
3. A sweet, carbonated soft drink that derives its unique taste from a blend of roots, particularly sassafras, and other flavoring agents

Etymology: The "beer" in root beer is a holdover from a time when the drink was actually fermented. Colonial American households brewed it from the roots of sassafras and sarsaparilla, often with wintergreen or other herbs, and it was a homemade, low-alcohol drink. "Beer" comes from Old English "bēor," a general word for a fermented drink, so the name kept its meaning even after the drink lost its alcohol. The modern soft drink grew out of that tradition. Pharmacists and bottlers turned root-based extracts into sweetened, carbonated sodas, and the flavor came to rely on sassafras and vanilla. Sassafras later fell out of favor, because its oil contains safrole, a compound linked to cancer in animal studies, and it was restricted as a food additive. Most commercial root beers now use artificial or substitute flavorings to recreate the old taste.