Root beer, a beverage often associated with the comic strip character Dennis the Menace, has a rich history rooted in colonial America and the Prohibition era. Originally linked to home-brewed drinks like sarsaparilla, root beer gained popularity through soda fountains and later as a bottled soft drink. It has a herbal taste reminiscent of old-fashioned remedies and was marketed as a non-alcoholic alternative during Prohibition. In India, a similar drink called nannari made from the Hemidesmus indicus plant has a long history as a cooling summer beverage and is now even used to flavor alcoholic drinks.