Today, beer is available in various different varieties and forms depending on its brewing method and extraction. One such beer variety that has come to existence with its unique taste and flavor is root beer.
Root beer is one of the most popular American beverages today due to its long history and fusion of flavors.
Yet, I have noticed that some beer enthusiasts often find that the taste of root beer somewhat resembles Pepto Bismol. Why does this happen? Well, it is because both Pepto Bismol and root beer consist of a compound known as ‘methyl salicylate’. This compound causes both root beer and Pepto Bismol to taste slightly similar.
In this guide, I will talk more about root beer, Pepto Bismol, and some other interesting facts about root beer to help you understand the similarities!
What Is Root Beer?
Root beer is specifically an American beverage. It is usually non-alcoholic, sweet, and carbonated.
Its history dates way back to the indigenous people who used the roots of mainly Sassafras trees to bring about the traditional root beer flavor. These people used root beer for various purposes, including medicinal and culinary.
Today, root beer doesn’t exactly come from the Sassafras tree. This is because safrole, a type of compound found in the Sassafras tree, is considered carcinogenic or cancer-causing.
Due to this reason, many root beer manufacturers today use artificial Sassafras flavors to incorporate the traditional taste. Compounds, such as methyl salicylate, are also used at times for the unique flavor.
What is Pepto Bismol?
Pepto Bismol is a specific type of medicine or analgesic. It is mainly used for treating stomach issues, nausea, and heartburn too. It is available in tablet form today.
Just like root beer, Pepto Bismol also contains an artificial flavor of teaberry, which is also known as methyl salicylate. This compound is responsible for the peculiar wintergreen taste of Pepto Bismol.
Why Does Root Beer Taste Like Pepto Bismol?
Initially, the root beer consists of Sassafras root which gives the root beer its unique minty flavor and odor.
Yet, the FDA soon found out that the Sassafras root contains a compound known as ‘safrole’. This safrole compound is carcinogenic in nature and may cause severe health issues.
Hence, the FDA banned the use of traditional Sassafras roots for making root beer. So now, the manufacturers had to find some other ingredient to replace the original taste of Sassafras extract.
One common ingredient that replaced Sassafras extract is the wintergreen oil. Wintergreen oil consists of an active ingredient known as ‘methyl salicylate’ which is responsible for the root beer flavor.
Surprisingly, wintergreen oil was also used in Pepto Bismol before. Now, it is not used but still, manufacturers use artificial methyl salicylate in the medicine.
Hence, as both root beer and Pepto Bismol consist of the same active ingredient, known as methyl salicylate, they may taste the same.
There are also many people who don’t think that root beer and Pepto Bismol tastes the same. So, it is all up to the people and their taste buds!
7 Unknown Facts You Need To Know About Root Beer
Now that you know why root beer tastes like Pepto Bismol, let’s take a look at some of the amazing and lesser-known facts about root beer.
1. Root Beer Is An All-American Beverage With An Extensive History
Did you know that root beer actually has roots in North America instead of any other continent?
The initial settlers started preparing beer when they first landed in North America. They did so to avoid drinking unsafe and dirty water.
With the help of sugarcane, molasses, and honey, they started preparing beer. Now, as there were no hops, the beer didn’t taste bitter. So, they came up with an idea to make their beers more bitter.
They used various roots of different plants like sassafras, sarsaparilla, burdock, dandelion, and ginger instead. Hence, came the concept of preparing root beers using plant roots.
Over time, these recipes were modified by Americans to prepare their own version of root beer!
Many famous American personalities, such as George Washington and Benjamin Franklin were root beer enthusiasts.
2. Root Beer Had A Different And More Authentic Taste Before 1960
There was a significant change in the recipe of root beer after 1960. Initially, the authentic root beer consisted mainly of the sassafras root.
Yet, in 1960, FDA found that the extract present inside the sassafras root (Safrole) has cancer-inducing properties. This led to the ban of using sassafras roots in the production of root beer.
So, many manufacturers came up with alternatives to impart the same flavor to their root beer. Today, the ingredients used are quite different. They mainly consist of wintergreen flavoring due to its similarity in taste to safrole.
Some root beers also consist of other ingredients such as vanilla, anise, cinnamon, ginger, dandelion, licorice/sarsaparilla root, and many more.
Hence, due to the absence of safrole, the commercial root beers today are extremely different in flavoring.
3. Root Beer Has Slight Medicinal Taste Today
As I mentioned earlier, many people think that root beer’s taste resembles that of Pepto Bismol and other medicines. Well, this is interesting, isn’t it?
The root beer manufactured by big companies today consists of a wintergreen flavor.
This wintergreen gets its flavor because of the presence of methyl salicylate. Methyl salicylate is used in various medicines today, including Pepto Bismol. This compound is also a close relative to Aspirin.
This is the reason why root beer not just tastes like Pepto Bismol, but some other medicines as well!
4. Root Beer Is Used To Prepare Root Beer Floats Too
You can drink root beers as it is or you can pair it up with a scoop of vanilla ice cream to get a root beer float!
Root beer float is extremely popular in both the US and Canada today. The nice foamy texture mixes well with the creaminess of the vanilla ice cream. Hence, the root beer float is one of the ultimate summer drinks today!
The good thing here is that many root beers don’t contain alcohol and so, they are suitable for kids as well.
5. Root Beer May Harm Your Health
Even though the traditional root beer was used for herbal and medicinal purposes, the new root beers aren’t very healthy. Let me tell you why.
Today, root beers don’t come from naturally derived ingredients. Instead, the manufacturers use artificial sweeteners, flavorings, and colors to impart the overall flavor and look to root beers.
Moreover, root beers contain high fructose corn syrup. The HFCS is known to cause diabetes and obesity if consumed in large amounts. It may also contain mercury and can cause harm to your vital body organs.
So, if possible, it is better to drink root beer in limited quantities rather than in abundance. Or, you can try to prepare root beer at home without adding too many artificial flavors and colors.
6. Root Beer Comes In Both Alcoholic and Non-Alcoholic Varieties
You can get both varieties of root beer available today – alcoholic or non-alcoholic.
Most commercial root beers are non-alcoholic as they are made up of artificial flavors and sweeteners. The carbonation process is forced as well. These root beers are also stocked in the soda pop sections instead of alcoholic beverages in stores.
On the other hand, if you go for home-brewed root beer, then it will definitely have some amount of alcohol in it.
7. Root Beer Has Its Own Day In America!
Did you know that root beer has a day dedicated to itself in America? Well, not exactly root beer, but Americans do celebrate the National Root Beer Float Day on the 6th of August.
On this day, you can prepare or brew your own root beer at home, invite over your friends and family, and enjoy!
Related Questions
What Is Root Beer Supposed To Taste Like?
Traditional root beer has a mint-like flavor due to the presence of sassafras roots. Moreover, it also has a slightly sweet taste due to the licorice root. In many recipes, anise is also used for giving root beer its distinctive sweetness.
Why Does Root Beer Taste Like Medicine?
Today, root beer consists of various different compounds and flavors as sassafras extract is banned for use.
Root beer consists of a common ingredient, such as wintergreen oil. This wintergreen oil contains a compound named methyl salicylate. Methyl salicylate is used in various medicines, including analgesics today.
This could be the reason why root beer tastes like medicine to you.
Why Does Root Beer Taste Like Toothpaste?
Various toothpaste and mouthwash brands use wintergreen oil for its minty taste. The same ingredient is used in imparting the minty and fresh flavor of root beer.
Thus, root beer may taste slightly like toothpaste because of the common wintergreen flavor.
Is Root Beer Good For Your Stomach?
Yes, traditional root beer works excellently for stomach problems. It is because the traditional or home-brewed root beer contains licorice roots. Licorice roots help in curing various stomach issues such as indigestion, heartburn, acid reflux, etc.
Final Thoughts
Root beer is undoubtedly one of the most famous and the best beverages in the US today.
Yet, if you feel like the commercial root beers taste too much like medicine, I suggest making root beer at home with your favorite ingredients! Trust me, it would come out to be quite refreshing and not at all medicine-like.