Homemade Sasaparilla

Sarsaparilla is an old-fashioned root beer-type soda (it is made from roots, but different roots than root beer) that is a nice change of pace from regular old root beer.

Sasparilla

Ingredients
1 gallon (4 quarts) water
9 tablespoons sarsaparilla root
3 tablespoons licorice root
2 cups brown sugar
1 vanilla bean
1/8 teaspoon champagne yeast or 1/2 teaspoon brewer's yeast
1/4 cup lukewarm water

Procedure
1. Chop roots. Prepare vanilla by slicing lengthwise with a paring knife.
1. Heat 2 quarts of water to a simmer.  As the water heats, add the chopped roots, sugar, and vanilla bean.  Simmer uncovered for about 25 minutes.  Remove from heat, cover, and let cool for 30 minutes.

2. After the sarsaparilla mixture has cooled 30 minutes, pour it slowly into a jug with 1 quart of cool water, straining as you pour. Fill the jug to the top with the extra water until there is about 2 inches of space at the top of the jar.

3. In a small bowl, proof the yeast by adding yeast to 1/4 cup lukewarm water.

4. Shake the water & sarsparilla mixture in the jug vigorously for about a minute.
5. Add the yeast mixture to the jug and agitate vigorously again.
6. Pour the mixture into your sterilized bottles.  Cap and let sit for 48-72 hours for champagne yeast, 4-5 days for brewer's yeast.  When the carbonation is right, refrigerate and use within 6 weeks.

Makes 8 12-ounce bottles.

Note: There will be a sediment of yeast at the bottom of the bottle, so that the last bit of sarsaparilla will be turbid. It will not hurt you, but you can decant carefully if you wish to avoid this sediment.