Root beer is a sweet, fizzy soft drink flavored with extracts from the roots and bark of certain plants, especially sassafras and sarsaparilla, along with flavors like wintergreen. Unlike most sodas that taste like fruit or cola, root beer has a distinct, complex flavor that's hard to describe: slightly spicy, a bit like wintergreen or licorice, and often creamy.

Root beer became popular in America in the 1800s, sometimes sold as a health tonic before becoming a favorite refreshment. The most famous version, A&W Root Beer, was created in 1919 and helped make root beer stands a classic part of American culture. Today you'll find root beer at picnics, baseball games, and burger restaurants across the country.

One of the best ways to enjoy root beer is in a root beer float, made by dropping a scoop of vanilla ice cream into a glass of root beer. The ice cream creates a foamy top and turns the drink into a delicious dessert.

Early versions were actually brewed like beer (though usually without alcohol), using roots, herbs, and spices. While most modern root beer is simply carbonated like other sodas, it kept the name and the idea of its handcrafted origins.