There's something magical about root beer. It's a sweet and spicy drink that has been around since the 1800s, and you can easily find it on the shelves of most grocery stores today. It's like liquid candy, but with a kick. What is root beer? How did it become popular in America? Why do we love it so much? In this article, I'll briefly explain the history of root beer and why you might enjoy Dapper Yankee's Root Beer Barrel soap and deodorant.
What is root beer?
According to the Oxford English Dictionary, "root beer" is a sweetened carbonated beverage that contains sassafras as its primary flavoring. The term was first used in 1866 and referred to a medicinal drink made from roots, bark and herbs.
In modern times, root beer is made with natural ingredients such as extracts of wintergreen oil (methyl salicylate), sassafras oil and vanilla bean along with sugar or honey for sweetness; carbonated water; spices like cinnamon or nutmeg; preservatives like sodium benzoate; artificial colors such as caramel coloring and artificial sweeteners like aspartame.
Root beer is commonly made with the extract of sassafras, a perennial deciduous shrub or small tree native to eastern North America. Sassafras oil has been used for centuries as an herbal remedy for treating coughs, colds and fevers.
Root beer is typically served cold and can be enjoyed on its own or as a mixer in alcoholic drinks. It is available in bottles, cans or on draft at some restaurants and bars; however, this might be tricky to find.
The first commercial root beer was sold in 1876 by Charles Hires
Charles Hires was a pharmacist who sold root beer in his drugstore. He was inspired by a recipe for root beer that was published in the 1876 edition of the "United States Dispensatory," which is basically an encyclopedia of medicinal herbs. This recipe called for sassafras, wintergreen, licorice, and ginger--all ingredients still used today in making root beer!
Hires' root beer was a success and he sold it in his drugstore until his death in 1894 at age 58 (which is pretty good considering how long people lived back then).
Hires' son took over the business and renamed it the Hires Company. He was a real entrepreneur who started several other businesses, including a taxi company and a limousine service.
In 1919, the Hires Company was sold to a pharmacist named Roy Allen. Allen was a huge fan of root beer and had been selling it in his pharmacy for years. He bought the recipe from Hires' son and decided to expand sales by bottling it for distribution.
In 1921, Allen began selling his bottled root beer in Virginia and Maryland. The product was very successful, so the next year he decided to sell it nationwide. At that time, bottled soda was a new concept, so Allen made sure people knew what they would be getting by putting pictures of his product on the labels!
In 1922, Roy Allen opened his first franchised bottling plant in Los Angeles. It was a huge success and soon there were hundreds of stores selling Hires' root beer all over the country. In 1925, Roy Allen changed the name of his company from the Hires Company to The A&W Root Beer Company.
That same year, Allen sold his company to two men named Frank Wright and Ben Kinser. They changed the name of the company again, this time to The A&W Root Beer Company.
In 1923, A&W Root Beer was sold to Charles E. Guth and Roy Allen’s son. This marked the third name change for the company in just four years! Guth and Allen decided to keep the product the same but make some changes on the label, including adding a straw-like root beer mug with two eyes and a smiley face.
It was also around this time that the company began to advertise on billboards and posters. One of their most famous advertisements was a picture of a young boy dressed in overalls with two big front teeth holding up an empty mug while saying “Root Beer Is It!”
This advertisement was so popular that it was used for over 20 years. Over the years, A&W Root Beer has continued to grow and expand even after Guth’s death in 1925. It is now one of the most popular soft drinks in America!
Dapper Yankee Root Beer Barrel Soap
Dapper Yankee Root Beer Barrel Soap is roughly a 5 oz. bar of pure root beer bliss. Its scent is unlike anything you've ever experienced, outside of maybe those little root beer candies. It's an exquisite and sweet combination of root beer and warm vanilla.
When you use Root Beer Barrel soap or deodorant you're going to smell so good that you might try to gnaw your arm off. And once the ladies catch a whiff of this scent on you, look out! Dapper Yankee is not responsible for any harm (or pleasure if you're freaky like that) that may come to you from using our products. But we will take credit for helping you meet your wife or scoring on your next date! You're welcome.
