Root beer is now a ubiquitous soft drink in America, but it’s modern form is nothing like the original teas brewed by Indigenous peoples on the American continent. It’s loaded with sugar. It’s made with artificial flavoring. It’s much less of a medicine than it originally was made to be.
Back in 1871, Charles E. Hires was involved in the wholesale drug business. He came up with a mix of herbs to sell for people…