Sarsaparilla is a sweet, root-flavored soft drink that was especially popular in America during the 1800s and early 1900s. If you've ever watched an old Western movie and seen cowboys ordering drinks at a saloon, they might be asking for sarsaparilla (pronounced “sass-puh-RILL-uh”), which was a common alternative to alcoholic drinks.

The drink gets its name and flavor from the roots of sarsaparilla vines, which grow in Central and South America. People discovered these roots had a distinctive taste, somewhat similar to root beer but with its own unique character. Before modern sodas became widespread, pharmacists and general stores would mix up sarsaparilla using these roots along with sugar and carbonated water.

While you won't find sarsaparilla as easily today as you would Coke or Sprite, some old-fashioned soda companies still make it, and certain stores carry it as a specialty drink. The word sarsaparilla itself has become a symbol of the Old West era, showing up in stories and movies as a reminder of what people enjoyed before modern soft drinks took over. You can still try it if you find a shop that specializes in old-time candies and sodas.