A&W ROOT BEER

A&W ROOT BEER

In 1919, when Roy Allen and Frank Wright started selling
their new root beer beverage to a thirsty America, national
Prohibition was taking its grip on the country.Their timing
couldn’t have been better. No longer able to legally drink
real beer, thirsty patriots had to settle for this sweet, foamy
concoction derived from roots, herbs, and berries. Roy and
Frank had thirteen years of Prohibition to make their mark
and their fortune from this refreshing drink. By 1933, when
Prohibition came to a screeching halt, Roy and Frank had
171 stands in various shapes and sizes, each with the
familiar A&W logo on them, all across the country. These
drive-up stands with their tray boys and tray girls bringing
cold drinks out to the cars were an inspiration for many
other roadside stands and diners, and the prelude to the
popular fast food drive-thrus of today. You can still get a
foamy mug of A&W root beer at outlets across the country,
or just enjoy some from a 12-ounce can.
But if it’s some home cloning you’d like to get into, check
out this improved version of A&W Root Beer that was first
printed in More Top Secret Recipes. The beauty is you
won’t have to worry about collecting roots, herbs, and
berries like the pros do. Instead you just need to get some
root beer extract, manufactured by McCormick, that you’ll
find near the vanilla in your local supermarket. Make up
some root beer syrup, let it cool off in the fridge, and you
can whip up 10 servings by combining the syrup with cold
soda water whenever you’re ready to drink. Cool, eh?

1 cups granulated sugar
1 cup very hot water
1 cup corn syrup
1 teaspoon McCormick root beer
concentrate
10 cups cold soda water

1. Dissolve the sugar in the hot water in a small
pitcher.
2. Add the corn syrup and root beer concentrate
and stir well. Cover and chill syrup until cold.
3. When the syrup is cold, pour ¼ cup syrup into 1
cup of cold soda water. Stir gently, add ice, and serve.
• MAKES 10 10-OUNCE SERVINGS.