Sunset Sarsaparilla Sunset Sarsaparilla ( also known as the Beverage of the West Coast ) is a well - known in " " . Background . Around or before 1918 , a local saloon owner living in a small town decided to produce a new brand of soft drink . This action was in response to the limited choices the American people had regarding carbonated beverages at the time . He asked his usual patrons what flavor he should make his new beverage , but to no avail . Luckily , a stranger down at the end of the bar suggested the bartender make a sarsaparilla - flavored drink . He agreed to share his family ' s recipe for their signature beverage with the barkeep , in return for permission to sample a bottle at the latter ' s own discretion , in order to ensure the recipe was being followed exactly to the letter . Seeking a potential for wealth and success , the saloon owner agreed , arranging a meeting with the stranger the next evening . However , the sheriff paid a visit to him the next morning , delivering the bad news that the stranger had unfortunately been ambushed and murdered by bandits on the road . Cursing his luck , the barkeep shut down his saloon early that day , just when the sun began to set . To his surprise however , he found a bottle and a letter sealed with blue wax in the shape of a star right on the surface of the bar , just as he had finished locking down the establishment . It turns out the sealed envelope contained the recipe for a sarsaparilla - flavored drink , the same one the now - deceased stranger had promised him earlier . The bartender sampled the contents of the bottle , finding it " singularly delicious . " He used the recipe to brew his now - signature beverage - Sunset Sarsaparilla . It eventually went to become a great success , churning in tons of profit for the former saloon owner . Being an honorable man , the barkeep payed for his mysterious benefactor ' s funeral , feeling it was the least he could do to repay him . Eventually , he moved to the big city and founded the Sunset Sarsaparilla Company , soon opening a bottling plant in the west side of Las Vegas . Before the Great War , a competitor attempted to negotiate a deal to buy out the Sunset Sarsaparilla company , but the offer was declined . On the other end of the deal was no more than John - Caleb Bradberton , founder , CEO and president of the rival Nuka - Cola Corporation . In response to this failed deal , he commissioned the development and release of a root - beer flavored variant of his signature drink . A regional exclusive to the area surrounding the famed Nuka - World theme park , the end result was Nuka - Cola Wild , an attempt by Bradberton to push the competing company out of the market . Post - War . The history of the star cap is largely a promotional story with may have only a hint of truth . False rumors about a ' contest ' involving specific Sunset Sarsaparilla bottle caps began to circulate around the bottling headquarters in Las Vegas , which in turn led to the announcement of the running " Legend of the Star " collection campaign . Stories of the contest became very distorted following the Great War , and the actual simple prize ( which consisted of a retelling of the fictitious story by the company spokes bot and a small metal Sunset Sarsaparilla deputy badge ) became a bloated tale of pre - War technology , weapons caches , and all sorts of other amazing loot . Characteristics . Sunset Sarsaparilla is a root - beer - type carbonated beverage found around New Vegas . With its easy availability and low cost , it is an excellent consumable that provides a high health regeneration effect , while also lacking the radiation present in many other drinks . Thanks to these factors , it supplements the somewhat - scarce s as a primary healing item in the Mojave . Company spokesbot Festus provides a comical list of potential side effects , but only while playing in Hardcore mode does drinking Sunset Sarsaparilla have the negative effect of mildly dehydrating the Courier . Crafting . With the " Honest Hearts " installed , the Courier can obtain a and make a home - brewed version of the drink . This is identical to the standard variety . Creation requirements