Make this delicious Homemade Root beer for your Halloween Party. This Homemade Root Beer Recipe with dry ice is easier than you might think!
HOMEMADE ROOT BEER
My kids love Homemade Root Beer! It is always a fun recipe to pull out for certain Holidays at our house. Those special occasions are made even more special when we make Homemade Root Beer. We usually make this at Halloween or for the Fourth of July!
If you love root beer as much as my family, you will love this recipe! This Homemade Root Beer has a delicious flavor and tastes so refreshing!
HOW TO HANDLE DRY ICE
It is super easy to make and isn’t as complicated as it may look. This recipe tends to scare some people because it requires the use of dry ice. But dry ice can be fun and easy to use if you know how to handle it properly. Dry ice is much colder than regular ice, and can burn the skin similar to frostbite. You should wear insulated gloves when handling it. Wear safety glasses and a face shield if you are cutting or chipping it. Keep dry ice out of the reach of children.
HOW TO STORE DRY ICE
Dry ice must be stored in a Styrofoam chest, insulated cooler, or a special cooler designed for the storage of dry ice. The cooler must then be located in a well ventilated place, such as the open lab. NEVER store coolers in closets, cabinets, refrigerators, or walk in coolers/cold rooms. Do not store dry ice in an enclosed or tight space as the carbon dioxide can build up and be dangerous. Never store dry ice in a traditional, well-sealed cooler as it can build up pressure inside and possibly explode.
HOW LONG WILL DRY ICE LAST?
This will vary due to how you’re storing it and the size of the brick you have. Based on a whole, five-pound block (that is intact, not broken up), the lifespan of dry ice is 18-24 hours in a styrofoam cooler. Outdoors, dry ice should last about 3-5 hours and in liquid for up to 45 minutes.
WHERE CAN I BUY DRY ICE?
Dry ice can be purchased at a lot of grocery stores. So be sure to ask around to see where it is available in your area or in your local grocery store. Be sure to store your dry ice in an insulated container. The thicker the insulation, the slower it will sublimate. Do not store dry ice in a completely airtight container or it may expand and cause the container to explode.
Dry ice doesn’t store very well, so make sure to buy the dry ice the same day you are making/serving the root beer! Don’t store it in an airtight container or in the freezer because this can lead to a build up of gas, which could explode. It is best to store it in styrofoam or in a cooler with a towel over it.
HERBS AND SPICES IN ROOT BEER
There are many herbs and spices that give root beer its distinct taste and delicious flavor. Traditional root beer traditionally has all of the following herbs and spices:
- sassafras root bark
- birch bark
- sarsaparilla root
- licorice root
- ginger
- nutmeg
- cinnamon
- star anise
- dandelion
This is not a comprehensive list and different recipes vary. In this recipe, we use root beer extract which doesn’t require us to add these spices, due to them already being mixed in.
HOW TO MAKE HOMEMADE ROOT BEER
INGREDIENTS IN HOMEMADE ROOT BEER
- water
- sugar
- root beer extract
- dry ice
INSTRUCTIONS FOR MAKING HOMEMADE ROOT BEER
-
Dry ice can be dangerous to handle. Never let children handle dry ice without proper supervision and gloves. Handle the dry ice with gloves or tongs so it does not burn your skin. Store and carry in styrofoam cooler.
-
In a large container, mix together the sugar and water, stirring to dissolve sugar completely. Stir in the root beer extract. Carefully place the dry ice into the cooler, and cover loosely with the lid to let simmer. Do not secure the lid, as pressure may build up.
-
Let the mixture brew for about an hour before serving. Transfer to a large pitcher for serving.
HOW TO ADD MORE CARBONATION TO HOMEMADE ROOT BEER
Dry ice doesn’t add a ton of carbonation, so if you want more carbonation in your root beer, use sparkling or soda water that is not flavored.
CAN I USE ROOT BEER CONCENTRATE?
This recipe calls for root beer extract, however, you may use root beer concentrate. Root beer concentrate has a stronger flavor, so you will need to use less in the recipe unless you want the stronger flavor.
SERVE IN A WITCH’S CAULDRON
I love to make this for our annual Halloween Party. So I will serve it out of a witches cauldron. I love this one and this one. We have both. I recently upgraded to the second one, but it is sold out quickly.
HOMEMADE ROOT BEER RECIPE
For best results make your Homemade Root Beer about an hour or so before serving!
HOMEMADE ROOT BEER
Make this delicious Homemade Root beer for your Halloween or Fourth of July party. This Homemade Root Beer Recipe with dry ice is easier than you might think!
Ingredients
- 6 cups white sugar
- 3 1/3 gallons cold water cold
- 1 2 oz bottle root beer extract1
- 4 lbs dry ice
Instructions
-
Dry ice can be dangerous to handle. Never let children handle dry ice without proper supervision and gloves. Handle the dry ice with gloves or tongs so it does not burn your skin.
-
In a large cooler, mix together the sugar and water, stirring to dissolve sugar completely. Stir in the root beer extract. Carefully place the dry ice into the cooler, and cover loosely with the lid to let simmer. Do not secure the lid, as pressure may build up.
-
Let the mixture brew for about an hour before serving. Transfer to a large pitcher for serving.
-
Leftover root beer can be stored in one gallon milk jugs. Make sure to store in the refrigerator as to preserve the carbonation.
Recipe Notes
* Dry ice doesn't add a ton of carbonation, so if you want more carbonation in your root beer, use sparkling or soda water.
- This recipe calls for root beer extract, however, you may use root beer concentrate. Root beer concentrate has a stronger flavor, so you will need to use less in the recipe.
MAKE A ROOT BEER FLOAT
Want to take the Homemade Root Beer up a notch or two? Use the root beer to make some delicious Root Beer Floats! Just mix your Homemade Root Beer with some vanilla ice cream and you have a delicious treat! These Root Beer floats are a great way to celebrate the Fourth of July while you are watching some fireworks!
Looking for some other fun and festive drink recipes? Sharing some of our favorites below.
DRINK RECIPES
- Lemonade Recipe
- Limeade Recipe
- Orange Julius Recipe
- Copycat Strawberry Julius
- Homemade Rootbeer
- Copycat Chick-fil-A Frozen Lemonade Recipe
- Pineapple Dole Whip Recipe
- Strawberry Lemonade Slush
NON ALCOHOLIC DRINKS
HALLOWEEN DINNER IDEAS
Are you wanting to throw a fun and festive Halloween Dinner or Halloween Party for your friends and family but don’t want to go to the hassle of putting one together? We have got you covered!
HALLOWEEN PARTY LABELS
Interested in grabbing the Halloween Party Labels? I am offering them for a great deal at only $4.99! Simply click on the link below!
Wondering what to make for your Halloween Party and/or Halloween Dinner? I created a FREE printable Halloween Recipes eBook of some fun Halloween Recipes that we have made for our Halloween Dinners in the past. Some recipes are super easy and some are a little more complicated! But all are fun and festive for your friends and family to enjoy!
Simply click on the button below to grab your free copy of our Halloween Recipes eBook!
I hope you enjoy this recipe and these printables! Happy creating and Happy Halloween!
xoxo
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My daughter is turning seventeen soon, and wanted to have a small get-together with her friends. I think this would be a great treat for them to eat while they talk and do whatever teenagers do at a get together. I think I will also try using mason jars, they look really fun and festive. Thank you for the detailed recipe and helpful instructions for buying dry ice.
Sounds like fun. This recipe is really simple to make and so delicious. I hope everyone enjoys it!
I like how you shared such a lovely festive drink for the kids for this upcoming holiday. I do appreciate that you mentioned how airtight seals for dry ice containment would be quite a tragic idea for it would burst due to ever-expanding air inside due to the dry ice. I’ll be sure to keep that in mind when I purchase the ice this coming 24th. Hopefully, my drink would go as well as your recipe. Thanks for I’m sure that my kids would enjoy the smoking drink!
Jeremy- Thank you and enjoy!
Are glass cups required with this? How many glasses does this recipe make? Excited to try this with my son!
No, you can use any cup. Also, it makes around 40 glasses.
This is the recipe I use, and is the best! I don’t ever drink carbonation, but I can’t pass up homemade root beer, especially if it’s in a root beer float. So yummy!
Kara- I agree! We love homemade root beer at our house!
Homemade root beer is the best! It’s the only soda I’ll drink because it’s not fizzy. haha!!
Jennifer- I agree! I am not a fan of the fizz in soda either.
The dry ice makes this PERFECT for Halloween! When I was a little girl, I remember my grandma making homemade root beer for family reunions. It would be fun to restart the tradition with my own family. Thanks for the recipe!
Becca- This recipe brings back lots of memories for me when we make it too!
Homemade root beer is the best! This will be a fun family activity to do & my kids will love the dry ice!
Kristyn- It is so fun to make. The kids always enjoy when I make it.
I haven’t made homemade root beer in so long! Thanks for the inspiration!! Sounds so refreshing!!
Natalie- We don’t make it very often, but when we do its always a hit!
We love making homemade root beer!! My kids think it’s the best drink there is!
We do too!
Root beer is my kids favorite drink & of course, nothing beats homemade root beer!
Mine too!
This was my family’s favorite thing to make in the summer growing up! So much better than any store bought kind!
Katie- It really is.