Shawn's Summertime Activity Tutorial: How To Make Root Beer
Posted on Fri, Apr 20, 2012 @ 08:51 AM
Shawn Leary
In the summer, one of my favorite things to do is make root beer. It is an unusual hobby, and requires some back-story.
When I was a kid, maybe eight or nine, my father decided to introduce my brother and I to root beer floats. That same night, we both came down with a bad stomach bug, and although the root beer float was most likely not to blame, I have to this day associated it with a very bad night. For a few years, I never drank root beer nor had vanilla ice cream. For all I know it could have been either ingredient! However, one year I went to visit my relatives in Maine, and decided to check out some cool places in Portland. One of those places was Sea Dog Brewing Co. Known for their beer, but with a good reputation for root beer too, I decided to give it a try. It was amazing. I began to collect root beer bottles, creating a list of my favorites, and eventually making my own.
The process is fairly simple, and involves:
- a bottle of extract
- water
- beer yeast
- sugar
You leave the bottles out in the sun to carbonate and then refrigerate. The whole process takes about a month. I get most of my supplies at Berkshire County Homebrew Supply, on North St. in Pittsfield. It’s just 5 minutes from the Yankee Inn. They have all the supplies for brewing either root beer or beer. So if you like root beer (enough to discuss the different kinds, methods of brewing, exact time needed for the prefect taste), and aren’t running away wondering if I’m crazy, or if you just want a new hobby, let me know. I’ll give you some tips.