Drink Dandelion and Burdock

Now I didn't actually promise not to do a series and three's not a series anyway so indulge me with a quick look at Dandelion and burdock as seen in Wikipedia. I haven't had the stuff in years but it is a childhood memory.

It is a traditional British soft dink, traditionally made from fermented dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) and burdock (Arctium lappa) roots (no surprises there then) and is naturally fizzy. However the "dandelion and burdock" drink for sale in many retail outlets usually contains neither plant (nor surprises there either). The retail drink is often carbonated and contains artificial sweeteners. An alcoholic version, the 'DB&G' is made by mixing dandelion and burdock with gin. There have been a small number of stories concerning its origin, most now widely considered to be apocryphal. One notable example has it that St Thomas Aquinas, after praying for inspiration for a full night, walked from his place of prayer straight into the countryside and, "trusting in God to provide", concocted the drink from the first plants he encountered. It was this drink that aided his concentration when seeking to formulate his theological arguments that ultimately culminated in the Summa Theologica.
Dandelion and burdock shares a historical origin with a number of drinks originally made from lightly fermented root extracts, such as (don't tempt me) rootbeer and sa(r)s(a)parilla. They were included for a supposed health benefit. The dominant flavour in these drinks is usually sassafras or wintergreen, both now derived artificially rather than from the plant itself, in part because during the 1960s safrole, the major component of the volatile oil of sassafras, was found to be carcinogenic. All of these drinks, while tasting similar, do have their own distinct flavour. Dandelion and burdock is most similar in flavour to sa(r)s(a)parilla. It is best served chilled and is a light refreshing soft drink popular amongst children. The drink has recently seen an increase in popularity after previously poor sales. Like many other mass-produced soft drinks, commercial dandelion and burdock drinks often contain a source of phenylanine because they are sweetened with aspartame. This is marked on the containers because it is a risk for sufferers of the congenital condition phenylketonuria. This ingredient is not, however, essential. A dandelion and burdock drink contains basic ingredients found in most other similar drinks including carbonated water,high fructose corn syrup, sugar, manmade colourings, phosphoric acid, citric acid, manmade flavourings.