My favourite drink as a boy was always cola, but I distinctly remember another contender which I rarely got a chance to enjoy, but when I did – it was amazing. It still surprises me how few people have actually tasted D&B as a child, for me it embodies all the sweet delight of being a young scally living in the countryside, as I did.
So the challenge of trying to recreate proper dandelion and burdock was presented to me the main feature being that no one actually includes the ingredients dandelion or burdock in their recipes, nowhere could I even find a description of what they taste like.
There is a story which tells of an Italian monk who, whilst deep in prayer, was sent a message from God to go out an make a tonic/elixir from the first ingredients he comes accross. St Thomas of Aquinas the monk in question, lived around the 13th century, if the story has any truth to it, it would make Dandelion & Burdock one of the oldest soft drinks… err.. ever.
So what does D&B taste like? Well, not dandelion or burdock I can tell you! For me the key to the flavour profile is anise. Whilst tasting other commercially available D&B’s I kept coming accross a sort of aniseed ball finish, which I guess is why it is so popular with children. I also came accross flavours of ginger and spice, but generally a feel of summer, hedgerows and well, fun. It also shares some similarities to root beer, in fact I would say it is kind of the English equivalent of American root beer.
The root beer thing was also the answer to my next question, which part of the plants do you use? I ultimately ended up using the roots of both plants, but the internet is not without its references to ‘dandelion leaf tea’ and other such concoctions. The ‘roots’ of these soft drinks and indeed ginger ale, the first commercially made soft drink, is fermented roots. I have chosen to use dried roots in my recipes though, they are easier to control and store and also provide a highly concentrated flavour. There is also some talk of D&B originating from a tonic style drink used to cleanse the liver (a property of dandelion root), it is suprising how many of our best loved soft drinks are based on medicines. Incidentally i’ve also found reference to ‘dandelion root coffee’, not something i’ve tried yet but judging by the roots stubbornness in a blender I would not advise putting it through your coffee grinder!
So here is my recipe, as always, give it a go and see what you think, play around with it if you like, then give me some feedback. This recipe will make a strong syrup which will then need to be watered down with soda 1:4.
Heat 1.5 litres of water in a pan, when boiling add:
- 2 teaspoons fine ground dandelion root (Might need a mortar & pestle)
- 1.5 teaspoons fine ground burdock root (Might need a mortar & pestle)
- 5x 50p sized slices of root ginger
- 1 1/2 star anise
- 1 teaspoon of citric acid
- Zest of an orange
Leave that little lot to simmer for 15-20 minutes, it will smell a lot like a health food shop, then strain through a tea towel, muslin isn’t really fine enough. Whilst the liquid is still hot you need to dissolve about 750g sugar. If you prefer is sweeter or ‘not-sweeter’ adjust the sugar. If you’re finding the drink a bit flavourless simply add more sugar, it accentuates the flavours of the roots and anise.
In the summer I mix it with plenty of ice and stir through borage flowers for the ultimate English soft drink! Enjoy.
Variations
- Frederic’s – Use 4x the amount of citric acid for more ‘bite’ and double the amount of spices for more flavour.
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Sounds like a lovely recipe Tristan, but where on the high street can I get hold of dandelion root and burdock root?
Chris
Something I forgot to mention.
I have seen both roots in health food shops from time to time. They are also available in some of the online health food shops as well as some of the witchcraft type stores.
traditinalmedicinals.com
witchcraftshop.co.uk
and ebay,
so I can make fantastic D&B and cast spells… this just got interesting
We serve Fentimans, but I like the idea of trying it myself
Chris
I really rate the Fentimans Dandelion & Burdock, there Curiosity Cola is good too, but that’s where it ends for me. The Fenitmans ginger beer in particular is a bit dissapointing.
[...] first feature simply involved making Dandelion & Burdock in a similar way to the Cola which I did last time. IT all went smoothly and I felt more relaxed [...]
Cool! I saw you do this on Market Kitchen (and the cola drink too) and wanted to make it myself. I used to like this as a kid too!
i have very old copy of aerated waters,cordials etc by stevension and howell you may be intrested in from 1896 it uses lots of essences which could be made today like you syrups hop ale,stout beer ginger stout horehound beer all non alcholic root beer sarsaparilla beer etc
mawsons in lancashire also do dandelion and burdock cordial
Sounds like a very cool book, i’ll look out for it if it’s still in print. Thanks
[...] this: The Wild Drink Blog – Blog Archive » Homemade Dandelion and Burdock Recipe There are loads of tasty-looking things on there. [...]
hi thanks for the information on D/B
dandelion coffee is easy to make, collect dandelion roots, wash & slice thinly, grill tillgolden brown, grind or chop up finely then make cofee as normal, enjoy.
Im off to dig up a burdock bush.
cheers Dave
It would be good to modify this recipe to use fresh ingredients… the dried ones may taste better, but you lose a lot of the tonic effects of the plants…
Dude, your a star i’ve been looking for a recipe for D&B for ages man. All the web sites i looked on just wanted to sell me bucket loads instead. You have made my year! Locally there is a large crop of both Dandelions (like everywhere else i spose) and Burdock so watch this space and i’ll let you know how i get on. Once again THANK YOU!
I would strongly disagree with your review of Fentimans on your blog and would suggest you reevaluate it. We have much evidence to support the overwhelming reviews suggesting that all of our products are best in the industry. I would like to have you read Denise Mickelsen’s Blog from Fine Cooking. Fentimans does something that is unheard of which is authenticating a production method that celebrates its old world heritage in a time of sugary syrups and carbonated water blends.
I would hope that our goal achieving flavour profiles in todays world of mass production with articficial flavouring would be honoured rather than criticised!
Craig, if you think that reading someone elses food blog is going to influence my own opinions, think again.
In any case, i’ve quite clearly praised both the Fentimans cola and dandelion & burdock, they are great products. Your ginger beer on the other hand, is genuinely not one of the best. Want to try something better? Luscombe organic ‘Hot’ ginger beer is a product really worth raving about.
If you would like any more constructive feedback on the ginger beer let me know.
And yes, since I have been so kind as to let you market your product on my blog, I would accept a free trip to look around your brewery..!
Hi,
Just wondering if thw Dandelion and Burdock root included in the recipe are fresh or dried?
Thanks
Hi Paul, thanks for your comment. I use dried dandelion root as it concentrates the flavour more. I’ve not tried fresh, but as one commenter says, apparently fresh root has more of a homeopathic effect.
Jim Socha…
I found your beer post today while searching for root beer home made. You really made some great points on your post Buying Home Brew Supplies Online | Home Made Beer Brewing. I’m not sure I completely understand though….
Thanks for the recipe. I’ve recently moved to a village called Clatford. Apparently Clat is the old Saxon word for Burdock. Now I can grow both plants and make some original Clatford brew.
Thank you for this great recipe! I’ve tinkered a bit with it and one modification that I can recommend is upping the citric acid (we went 4x) for not only a crisper drink but one where the initial syrup will keep longer (our syrup grew mold of some sort and had to be dumped) due to the increased acidity. We also doubled the herbal components for more flavor and I use dried orange peel since I don’t have to remember to go shopping when we need another batch done. Otherwise, it’s our house beverage here at home!
Good stuff, I’m going to edit the posts with any variations on my recipe.
Just like to add that on Saturday last, I and some freinds tasted both Mawsons and Fentimens D&B, and all four of us preffered the Mawsons.
Thanks for posting this. Difficult to believe how many traddie recipes we’ve lost.
I would be very curious to try your recipe or something similar, bottling it with sugar and yeast, and letting it carbonate naturally.
Similar to this Ginger Ale recipe::
http://biology.clc.uc.edu/Fankhauser/Cheese/Ginger_Ale_Ag0.htm
I’ve also seen recipes that use raisins as a source of yeast (it apparently can usually be found on the skin).
peace,
-Alex
Alex. I’ve not gotten round to trying it yet (though I am going to be messing with fermented soft drinks soon), but simply watering down the syrup recipe above and adding yeast should do the trick.
I believe 2 days fermentation, then 2 days in the fridge is pretty much the norm. The only hard bit is getting the sugar level just right.
The raisin thing is interesting, I haven’t heard of that one before.
Thanks Tristan, I now have a recipe for my Burdock root that I picked today. I think I should leave it to dry first though as I have read in the Grow Your Own Drugs book by James Wong that roots should be dried. However I work in a very large garden and have ample roots of both Dandelion, Burdock, and Ginger so I will give it a go and let you know the result.
Thanks again
I have both dandelion and burdock growing profusely in the garden. I have been intending to dig out a recipe for D&B for ages and now is my chance to give it a go. Thanks.
Have just brewed this up from dried d & b root bought from Neal’s Yard Remedies, Covent Garden London.
I used the doubled up spices recipe, and 50g of the citric acid.
The color is a deep amber, the anise comes through well (i used four stars), as does the orange zest, the ginger is mild and the d & b is a fragrant earthy undertone. The citric acid is not too sharp but adds body and “twang”.
Next time i will add 2 tablespoons of molasses to the mix (and reduce the sugar by 50g or so), for color.
All in all, a very nice result!
Many thanks for this recipe.
“I’ve also seen recipes that use raisins as a source of yeast (it apparently can usually be found on the skin).”
yup, my Welsh grandmother used raisins when making tea wine. lemon slices, tea bags, raisins, water, sugar. that’s all.
[...] using these herbs to make a soft drink syrup. The mention of St. Thomas is also on this page: Homemade Dandelion and Burdock Recipe | The Wild Drink Blog __________________ "Have courage for the great sorrows of life and patience for the [...]
once made can I use yeast to carbonate the finished db
Yup. Bottle the syrup with water to the desired strength, then add a small amount of yeast (activated in water) to the bottle. Leave to ferment for around 48 hours then refrigerate to stop the fermentation.
The yeast will convert the sugar into CO2. Be careful not to go over 48 hours or the bottle might explode and/or you may start making alcohol!
Thanks so much; I just tried brewing a batch, and its smelling delicious. One question: when you call for 1 1/2 anise, do you mean points or whole stars?
Hey Tristan! I really like D&B, I’ve made it once before. I use fresh D&B roots. I havn’t tried dried yet. I did try freezing it once though. It didn’t work out to well though. I’m just going to go make another batch so I’m off to work on it.
Thanks for the Recipe!
Tom
i made this this afternoon in a spare half hour it is the REAL THING!!!! I got the dried burdock root easily from my local health food shop and dug up 8 or so thickish dandelion roots from the garden,wrapped them loosely in kitchen roll afterwashing and peeling,and left in a warm placeto dry out for about 3 days ,then this afternoon pounded the roots with a mortar and pestle.I basically followed the fredericks recipe,added 6 star anise,and when the mixture was boiled left it to steep for 3 hours,then added just1lb of caster sugar,everyone here has had a glass….its gorgeous!and the sort of thing you can make all year round!
thank you so much….will be working on an alcoholic version for my brothers wedding.
Thanks for the D&B recipe, I’ll certainly be giving it a try this summer.
Hi Tristan,
Looks like I’m about two years too late to add to this conversation. But you might still be about so I thought I’d ask a question regarding your recipe.
I also fell in love with this drink when I was a young lass and only recently found it in an organic store. I really want to make it myself, but can you suggest a way to make it fizzy? your recipe only says to boil water? I’m guessing this won’t make it fizzy though….can you suggest anything?
Thanks heaps for the recipe! This drink, and anyone who loves it, ROCKS!
I’m going to give this a go for sure. I’m lost without a recipe so thanks for making one!
There’s some talk about different drinks from different places. Marks and Spencer do a great line in traditional soft drinks (in traditional bottles.) Ginger beer, dandelion and burdock and cream soda..
hello I really enjoyed reading your web site
Hi,
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