Rootbeer beer

[Ittiz]

So and idea I had was to use sassafras root, wintergreen ect... in beer to make a rootbeer beer. I was unsure about whether it'd actually taste good or not though. So before making a giant batch of it I decided to take some rootbeer extract I made and instead of putting it in soda water I put it in a rich dark lager. Quite frankly I found it quite good, the rootbeer flavor complimented the beer flavor quite well. I don't think a sour ale would be good, it has to be a dark rich beer, maybe a little bitter.

So I was thinking about making a real batch of beer, but adding rootbeer ingredients as well. Then adding enough maple syrup (grade B) or birch syrup (I'm not a big fan of molasses in drinks) so that the AVB stops the fermentation with sweetness still intact.

Has anyone tried this and what do people think if this idea?

 

[estricklin]

I'd certainly be interested to hear the results, hell I might even be crazy enough to make a batch too. The big questions as I see them are:

1. The base beer. Maybe something simple, somewhat bitter but not overly tannic from excessive dark malts. Definitely not too hoppy.
2. How much spices and which ones. Star of Anise, sasperillus, wintergreen etc etc...
3. Probably the biggest question, how to leave enough sweetness behind to make the whole thing really pop.

It could be pasteurized and force carbed, you could rely on specialty grains to bring out some more sweetness, (though it would be more of a caramel sweetness), backsweeten and keg only?