When you hear the word sasparilla, a lot of people will think of those cartoons with the character of Yosemite Sam in them. You know, the ones when he walks through the saloon doors and demands a sasparilla. When it first came out, the drink was often referred to as either sasparilla or sarsaparilla. The taste was comparable to that of a root beer today. Sarsaparilla is still made today and in fact it's a carbonated beverage, but the taste is pretty much made up by the combination of different artificial flavors. When you ask people about the original way to make sarsaparilla, you will find that there are often debates about it.

Sarsaparilla is made from a plant in which the vine is mostly used. This plant you can find in such locations as Central American, Mexico, and South America. Of the plant the most valuable part is the root. This part of the sarsaparilla plant is used in medicines. The root of a sarsaparilla is actually bitter, and in order to use it in medicines a pharmacist will add sugar water to the root. It was this way that the drink of sarsaparilla came about. It would be the first soft drink, even made before Pepsi. Being the first soft drink offered out there and a different taste made this drink very popular among people.

The debate that comes about when talking about sasparilla is what the ingredient was that actually gave the drink its name. While it is true that the sarsaparilla root was used for medicines, it often would be made into a beverage. Some formulas show that the sarsaparilla root would be substituted in the formula by a mix of birch oil and sassafras.

This is why some people think that when the drink is called sasparilla it means that sassafras was used to mix the drink. While others just say the sasparilla name is a shortened version of sarsaparilla. But one thing is for sure, if you drink the modern version you will find that it will normally have the birch oil and sassafras mix.

You will find that the root of the sarsaparilla plant is still used in medicines and the roots may be found in either a health food store or some grocery stores. It seems that sarsaparilla is harder to find, although some small bottlers do produce it, but the interest in root beer has made the demand for sarsaparilla lower. However, you will find that with a bit of patience you should be able to find the drink in a smaller health food store possibly. Or you may even ask if they can order some in for you if you are that interested in trying the drink.

So although sasparilla may not be as popular as it once was, you may still be able to find it, and it is a drink that you should try at least once, if not only to say when you're watching cartoons with your grandkids or kids that you've tried that drink when Yosemite Sam asks for it.