April 19, 2024

Des Moines high school students create root beer to sell

Rebecca Bowen, right, and John Martin of Confluence Brewing Company bottle root beer developed by students at Roosevelt High school on Wednesday in Des Moines. The biology students created the recipe, sourced the ingredients and worked with Confluence to brew and bottle the final product. (The Des)

DES MOINES (AP) — A group of students at a Des Moines high school has brewed and branded a root beer recipe as part of a two-year project.

“Rider Root Beer” was created by chemistry students at Theodore Roosevelt High School. Student entrepreneurs and artists helped brand the product.

Roosevelt teacher Kate Galligan said the project was part of the STEM initiative, which helps bring relevant science, technology, engineering and mathematics issues to the classroom.

Galligan said the students worked in groups to create the recipe, which includes a hint of chocolate.

“They wanted to do something with a little different twist to it,” Galligan said. “It took a long time to do this inquiry-based lab.”

Seniors Kate Chartier, 17, is one of the students who has been working to “perfect” the root beer on and off during science courses since her sophomore year.

“(We learned through) trial and error,” Chartier said. “Not everything works, you know? You have to develop it.”

Confluence Brewing Company bottled about 800 32-ounce growlers of the beverage. The school is selling them for $10 each.

Confluence and local graphic design company 818 helped the students brand the root beer with artwork.

“In order to create a good product you have to put in a lot of work,” said Henry Gunderson, a 17-year-old entrepreneurial student.

Roosevelt principal Kevin Biggs said he believes the project helped students gained real-world skills.

“It’s a dream come true,” Biggs said. “This is a perfect example of how education can be used in a deep, meaningful process.”