Saloon-Ready Sarsaparilla

Category: Cocktails & Appetizers | Blog URL: http://seattlefoodgeek.com/2009/07/saloon-ready-sarsaparilla/

This recipe was entered in The Foodista Best of Food Blogs Cookbook contest, a compilation of the world’s best food blogs which was published in Fall 2010.

Photo: Scott Heimendinger

Ingredients

3 cups organic brown sugar

2 1/2 cups water

1 1/2 cups cut sarsaparilla root (available from online sources)

1 liter club soda

Special equipment: French press

Preparation

Add the sugar and water to a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil.

Remove the lid and strainer from your French press and add the sarsaparilla root. Fill with the hot simple syrup (sugar water) and let steep for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Reattach the strainer and top of the French press and, well, press. Pour the liquid into a container (glass iced tea bottles work great). Refrigerate until ready to serve, or store cold for up to 2 weeks.

When ready to serve, combine 1 part sarsaparilla syrup with one part club soda over ice.

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About

There are contemporary drinks, throwback drinks, retro drinks, vintage drinks… and then there’s sarsaparilla. Until a few weeks ago, I had only heard sarsaparilla mentioned in cowboy movies. However, at a recent visit to Tilth (Oprah voice: amaaaaazing) I saw it on the menu and had to try it out. It is refreshing, herbal, lightly carbonated and (to my surprise) non-alcoholic. Maria Hines, the lovely and talented chef/owner of Tilth was generous enough to share her recipe, which I’ve adapted below.