The primary flavor of aromatic Root Beer came from the root bark of the Sassafras tree or vine of the Sarsaparilla plant.
Licorice extract was added as a flavor-enhancing ingredient.
This made the bold and bitter taste of the Sassafras and Sarsaparilla (sarsaparilla root) more subtle due to the natural sweetener in licorice root called ‘glycyrrhizin.'