Are Root Beer and Sarsaparilla the Same Thing?

Both beverages are named after their distinct differences in ingredients when they were first made. Sarsaparilla was made from the Sarsaparilla vine, while Root Beer, roots of the sassafras tree. These days, Root Beer recipes do not include sassafras as the plant has been found to cause serious health issues.

What is the difference between sarsaparilla and root beer?

Sarsaparilla and root beer are made from the roots of native North American plants. ... Sarsaparilla is made from the sarsaparilla vine, while root beer was originally made from the roots of the sassafras tree. Modern root beers do not contain sassafras because of potential health risks of the plant.

Is sarsaparilla just root beer?

While sarsaparilla essentially is also a 'root beer', going by its definition, the drink is made from the sarsaparilla root alone. The plant is a vine that is abundantly present in Central America.