Ingredients

• 1 gallon water
• 1-1/2 cups molasses
• 1 tsp. dry yeast
• 1/2 ounce each of hops, dried burdock, yellow dock, sarsaparilla, dandelion, sassafras and spikenard roots

Preparation

Wash the herbs and bruise them thoroughly with a potato masher or pastry blender. Cover with the water, bring to a boil and simmer for 20 minutes over low heat. Strain into a large crock. Add the molasses and cool to lukewarm.

When the mixture is lukewarm, add 1 teaspoon dry yeast and stir. Cover the crock with a cloth and put it in a warm, draft-free place 70-80 degrees F. After 2 hours, pour into clean bottles to within 1/2 inch of the tops. Cap with capper and metal caps, but not corks. Place the capped bottles on their sides in a warm and draft-free spot (70-80 degrees F) for 5 days, then set upright in a cool place. The root beer will be ready to drink in 10 days, but will keep for the whole summer.