c. 1915: Hires Household Extract Delicious, Refreshing

Root beer making, woman standing over bowl, sunlight from windows behind her.


c. 1915: Hires Household Extract Delicious, Refreshing

  • 1st–Pour contents of 1 bottle of Hires Extract over 4 lbs. of Sugar and mix well.
  • 2nd–Dissolve this mixture in 5 gallons of lukewarm water.
  • 3rd–then dissolve 1/2 Cake Fleischman’s Yeast in 1 cup of lukewarm water. (If Magic Yeast or Yeast Foam is used–dissolve 3 cakes in pint of lukewarm water–stir well and strain through cheesecloth.)
  • 4th–Next add this dissolved yeast to the mixture of sugar and extract. Stir well and bottle immediately–fastening corks in securely or sealing with a crown or stopper.
  • 5th–Now be sure to set in a warm place–(away from a draught) for 4 or 4 days to become effervescent.
  • 6th–Before drinking–put bottles on ice for a short time to make the Rootbeer delicious and sparkling.

Directions are also in Francais, Italiano, Deutsch, Espanol, Slovak, Po Polsku, and perhaps Arabic.

Simple Precautions
1st–Be sure to protect the bottles from draughts after sealing because if set in a cool place when first made, the beverage will sour and remain flat.
2nd–Be sure the yeast is of good quality. If it is not the Rootbeer will not effervesce when opened.
3rd–In cool weather–double the quantity of yeast.
4th–If the yeast is too strong or too much is used, it will cause the resulting drink to be unpalatable, whereas by using the right quantity it will always be delicious and refreshing.
5th–Don’t use the bottles over and over without washing. Clean them after using as you do your dishes.

12-page accordion-fold booklet, including covers. Historic, archived document.