User:Mitchelljasin/Birch beer

Ingredients
The one ingredient used in all recipes of Birch beer is birch sap. Most recipes use some fermentation, but the amount of alcohol in the beverage depends on the brand. The process of fermenting birch syrup is done using baker's yeast. The process of fermentation is done to decompose sugar to alcohol. Other common ingredients include sugar, cinnamon, vanilla beans, and water. Homemade recipes of Birch beer also include honey and malt.

Birch extract preparation[edit]
Various types of birch beer made from birch bark are available as well, distinguished by color. The color depends on the species of birch tree from which the birch oil is extracted (though enhancements by artificial coloring are commonly present). Popular colors include brown, red, blue and clear (often called white birch beer), though others are possible.

After the bark is collected, it is distilled to make birch oil. The oil is added to the carbonated drink to give it the distinctive flavor, reminiscent of wintergreen and methyl salicylate. Black birch is the most common source of extract in the northeastern region of the United States, where that species is indigenous.