Recipe for Homemade Root Beer

Homemade root beer has been a huge part of the Gygi family–especially at Halloween time for all the fun family celebrations. We had the pleasure of having one of our sales associates, Marcie, join us in the Gygi kitchen to make homemade root beer. Marcie’s grandmother would dress up as a witch every Halloween and brew homemade root beer on her porch for all of the trick-or-treaters. And Marcie is passing the tradition along to us and you! If you are looking for a themed beverage to add to your festive spread, this recipe for homemade root beer is definitely a crowd favorite sure to impress all your family and friends. This is an insanely easy recipe, and so much fun! 

The key to making this drink ‘pop’ is the magic of food-grade dry ice. It’s so exciting to watch all of the dark root beer bubble and fizz while the white fog billows out the top of the container. You can find dry ice pretty easily at most grocery stores, but you might want to call ahead to check just in case. Now, dry ice adds the carbonation to the rootbeer, but it won’t create the same level of bubbliness you would expect from typical soda. This recipe calls for just water, but you can also mix in some carbonated water if you want those extra bubbles. 

But first, some precautions for using dry ice. Because dry ice is extremely cold, it can cause burns if touched directly. You will want to keep it away from small children and always use oven mitts or other insulated gloves or even tongs while handling the dry ice. Also, make sure you work in a well-ventilated area and do not put a lid on the container, because the carbon dioxide will build up and cause it to burst. Otherwise, there is nothing to be scared of, and it’s completely safe to drink once the dry ice dissolves completely (about 30-40). 

Next up, you might want to use a fun container to mix your root beer in. In keeping with the season, we used a bowl in a bowl–or better, a bowl in a cauldron. There are some food-safe cauldrons out there, but if you aren’t able to find one, you can simply place a food-safe bowl or similar container inside your cauldron for all your brewing needs. 

Homemade root beer is a classic fall treat! And we carry the syrup that you will need for homemade root beer! So get ready to cheer cause we are sharing it with you. Here’s the recipe for homemade root beer:

4 oz Root Beer Syrup

10 Cups Granulated Sugar

3 Gallons Cold Water

3 Lbs. Dry Ice

1. Add root beer extract and sugar to the cold water and mix thoroughly in an uncovered food-safe container. Do not cover the container with a lid at any time while making the homemade root beer.
2. Add dry ice to the mixture and stir frequently to prevent the dry ice from clumping to the bottom.
3. Continue to stir until all of the dry ice has dissolved. Allow about 40 minutes to carbonate.

You can watch the process on Instagram here. 

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Can’t get enough of root beer this fall? We can help with that!

Gygi Root Beer Gumballs

Root Beer Barrels

LorAnn Root Beer Flavoring: 1 ounce or 2 Drams

Stasero Root Beer Flavoring Syrup