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House-Made Root Beer Bitters | Sugar House Detroit

House-Made Root Beer Bitters

$19.95
5 oz bottle — ships nationally
In Stock

Vanilla, sarsaparilla, and warm spice — concentrated into a bitter tincture that tastes like root beer extract without the sweetness. Made from sarsaparilla root, vanilla bean, star anise, and wintergreen, then infused in high-proof spirit for three weeks. Root beer bitters pull out the caramel and oak notes hiding in barrel-aged spirits. They turn a bourbon Old Fashioned into something nostalgic and warm, and give dark rum drinks a depth that sugar alone cannot deliver.

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About This Product

Vanilla, sarsaparilla, and warm spice — concentrated into a bitter tincture that tastes like root beer extract without the sweetness. Made from sarsaparilla root, vanilla bean, star anise, and wintergreen, then infused in high-proof spirit for three weeks. Root beer bitters pull out the caramel and oak notes hiding in barrel-aged spirits. They turn a bourbon Old Fashioned into something nostalgic and warm, and give dark rum drinks a depth that sugar alone cannot deliver.

Ingredients
  • Sarsaparilla root
  • Vanilla bean
  • Star anise
  • Wintergreen
  • Grain alcohol
  • Water

All botanicals sourced whole. No extracts, no artificial flavors.

How to Use
  • 2–3 dashes per cocktail
  • Works in stirred, shaken, and non-alcoholic drinks
  • Store at room temperature away from direct sunlight
  • No refrigeration needed
  • An opened bottle stays potent for years

What to Make with House-Made Root Beer Bitters

Bourbon Old Fashioned

Bourbon, sugar, root beer bitters

Vanilla and sarsaparilla complement barrel-aged spirits. The root beer bitters pull out the caramel and oak notes hiding in your bourbon.

Dark Rum Flip

Dark rum, whole egg, cream, root beer bitters

A winter drink that tastes like it belongs by a fireplace. The bitters give it depth beyond the egg and rum.

Root Beer Float Cocktail

Vanilla vodka, cream soda, root beer bitters

Sounds nostalgic. Tastes like a grown-up version of exactly what you remember.

Dark & Stormy

Dark rum, ginger beer, lime, root beer bitters

The sarsaparilla in the bitters deepens the ginger beer. Warmth layered on warmth.

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Common Questions

Frequently Asked Questions

Vanilla, sarsaparilla, and warm spice. It tastes like root beer extract — concentrated and nostalgic, but dry rather than sweet. The flavor profile is built for bourbon and rum drinks.

No. Root beer bitters are a bitter tincture that includes sarsaparilla and vanilla among its botanicals. The high-proof base extracts the flavors differently than soda. More concentrated, more complex, zero sweetness.

Bourbon Old Fashioneds are the go-to. Also: dark rum drinks, cream cocktails, and anything where you want warm vanilla-spice notes. A root beer float cocktail with vanilla vodka and cream soda is the crowd favorite.

At 2–3 dashes per cocktail, a 5 oz bottle makes roughly 80–100 cocktails. For most home bartenders, that is 4–6 months of regular use.

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