Root beer sign showing the typical mug and foaming top

Root beer is a sweet soda. It is traditionally made using sassafras or sarsaparilla as the main flavor.

It does not have caffeine, though some root beer makers add caffeine. It can be carbonated or non-carbonated. Modern, commercially produced root beer is generally sweet, foamy, carbonated, nonalcoholic, and flavoured using artificial sassafras flavouring.