Beverages, carbonated, root beer

Root beer is a carbonated soft drink flavored with sassafras, wintergreen, vanilla, and other herbal and spice notes that give it a distinctive dark, foamy, slightly medicinal-sweet character unlike any other soda flavor. It is drunk cold on its own, poured over vanilla ice cream to make a root beer float where the foam and cream mingle, or used as a mixer in cocktails and mocktails that want a spiced, sweet backbone.

Store cans and bottles at room temperature until just before serving, then chill well, since cold temperature is what keeps the carbonation crisp; drink an opened bottle within a day or two as it will otherwise go flat. Root beer is comparatively light among sodas at 41 calories and 10.6 grams of sugar per 100 grams, with a fluid ounce serving at 31 grams, and like other sodas it contributes no protein, fiber, or fat, so it functions purely as a flavored, carbonated treat.