What gives root beer ts distinct flavor?

Root beer gets its distinctive flavor from a variety of herbs, spices, and roots, including sassafras, ginger, vanilla, anise, and molasses. The exact combination of ingredients varies from one root beer brand to another, but these are the most common flavors used. Sassafras, in particular, is known for its sweet, spicy, and slightly minty flavor, which is often considered the essence of root beer. It was widely used as the primary flavoring ingredient for root beer until the 1960s when the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) banned the use of sassafras root due to potential health concerns. Nowadays, most root beer brands use natural or artificial sassafras flavorings or substitute sassafras with other similar-tasting herbs like licorice or sarsaparilla.