What the Doctor Ordered

Sarsaparilla, an ingredient in root beer, was thought to treat syphilis, among other ills, and peddled by enterprising Shakers as early as 1835. Another supposed cure-all in root beer, sassafras, was vended as a drink by Philadelphia pharmacist Charles Hires at the Centennial Exposition in 1876. Hires introduced a carbonated root beer in 1893 with the slogan, “Join Health and Cheer/Drink Hires Rootbeer.” Today’s Hires product no longer contains untreated sassafras oil, which the FDA banned as a potential carcinogen in 1960.