Sarsbeerilla

[rosswill]

SWMBO likes Sarsparilla and has been at me to make one. I did a bit of research for an alcoholic recipe without much luck. I purchase some Root Beer concentrate from one of our sponsors as part of the planning, and as I didn't come up with an alcoholic recipe, the project didn't happen.

Anyhoo, we were up at Bundaberg over the Xmas/New Year for diving and the weather was blown out which put paid to the diving , so we did the tourist thing. One of the places we visited was the Bundaberg Brewed Softdrink Company, which makes the famous ginger beer, and also Sarsparilla. On the way out I saw they had some Sarsparilla cordial on sale, and it got me wondering, what can I do with that? So I brought a couple of bottles.

As I had no luck finding an alcoholic recipe, I though I'd have a stab in the dark. Here is what I did:
3kg BB pale, 1kg rice, 1kg brown sugar. 10g Marco Polo for 60 mins. Made up 25 litres and added the two bottles of Sarsparilla cordial. Oops, OG 1056. Fermented with 1056. At this stage, it looked and smelt like Sarsparilla, black as. After primary fermentation, I was surprised to find the fermentation procees had scrubbed out the 'black' colour, and most of the Sarsparilla flavour. Also FG fermented out to 1000. Oops, 8% abv :icon_drunk: . Not to worry, I racked, added two teaspoons of sugar and a teaspoon of Gelatine. I also added the (Zatarains) Root Beer concentrate I got from our sponsor. Again I had a 'black' wort that smelt strongly of Sarsparilla. All is good again. After a week in secondary, I bottled (in what else, Bundaberg Ginber Beer and Sarsparilla stubbies).

Anyhoo, a week later I cracked one. Not surprisingly, what I have ended up with is a hybrid. The 'black' colour has again faded. The colour is that of a Golden Ale. I think the Gelatine has made some of the Root Beer concentrate colour drop out. Strong Sarsparilla on the nose. The taste, well.....like a Sarsparilla flavoured beer. It is not as deep a flavour as the proper Sarsparilla, which might be a good thing for those who think Sarsparilla tastes too strong, like medicine :icon_vomit: . I cracked this first one on a very hot and humid day, and I got to say it didn't go down too bad. SWMBO gave it a 5/10. Overall I think, not a tipper.

So, could I improve on the above? Absolutely. Would I bother? I don't think so. It was one of those thing I just had to try.

 

[manticle]

I really enjoyed sars as a kid and would actually be very interested in hunting up some traditional recipes. My understanding is root beer was traditionally a low abv drink. There is a smilax plant which is indigenous to Australia that can be used to make sarsparilla I believe.

I reckon if you do do it again, maybe add the sars cordial at a later point after primary ferment has wound down. Fermentation tends to strip things like hop aromatics, fruit flavours etc so it may have affected your sars in the same way. Also I'm under the impression that yeast don't like preservatives.

Interesting anyway.

 

[3GumsBrewing]

If Sarsaparilla is the same as Root Beer (the yanks seem to think so)? then LMGTFY

Otherwise I found this here on AHB - Linky

I'd be interested in your results, I loved the stuff in the USA !

Cheers
DK

 

[Hashie]

I really enjoyed sars as a kid and would actually be very interested in hunting up some traditional recipes. My understanding is root beer was traditionally a low abv drink. There is a smilax plant which is indigenous to Australia that can be used to make sarsparilla I believe.

I reckon if you do do it again, maybe add the sars cordial at a later point after primary ferment has wound down. Fermentation tends to strip things like hop aromatics, fruit flavours etc so it may have affected your sars in the same way. Also I'm under the impression that yeast don't like preservatives.

Interesting anyway.

It's my understanding that it is made from the root of Sassafras trees. I once did a tour around an old forestry operation (early 20's and 30's) in Tasmania where the guide told a story of the loggers making a beer from sassafras bark. For my mind this would be similar to root beer or sarsaparilla.
That said the root is classified as a narcotic so may be hard to come by. But the again, I've always thought it'd be interesting to try.

 

[manticle]

It's my understanding that it is made from the root of Sassafras trees. I once did a tour around an old forestry operation (early 20's and 30's) in Tasmania where the guide told a story of the loggers making a beer from sassafras bark. For my mind this would be similar to root beer or sarsaparilla.
That said the root is classified as a narcotic so may be hard to come by. But the again, I've always thought it'd be interesting to try.

Both sassafras and smilax have been used. I read somewhere that sassafras may contain carcinogens - no idea how true this is.

 

[Hashie]

Both sassafras and smilax have been used. I read somewhere that sassafras may contain carcinogens - no idea how true this is.

That may be why it's on the restricted list. I know it's on there, just can't quite remember why!