100-Year-Old Root Beer Recipe Thrives in Mexican Mountains

In the misty mountain town of Teocelo, Mexico, a century-old family recipe is keeping an ancient Indigenous tradition alive, one bottle at a time.

Zarzaparilla Flores has been producing zarza, a traditional root beer, since 1920 when Don Manuel Flores first opened shop in an old train storage building. Today, his grandson-in-law Rubén Olivares continues the legacy, mixing ginger, cardamom, star anise, cinnamon, lime, jamaica, and other secret ingredients the same way the family has for over 100 years.

Long before Coca-Cola or modern root beer existed, Indigenous communities in what is now Veracruz created zarza as a medicinal drink. Spanish colonizers encountered it in the 16th century and exported it to Europe, where it gained fame as a remedy for various ailments.

The small pueblo of Teocelo, home to about 11,000 people, became Mexico's zarza capital thanks to its perfect conditions. Nestled in humid, high-elevation mountains accessible only through narrow winding roads, the area's subtropical climate allows the necessary roots and plants to flourish.

The family business got its big break from an unexpected source: trains. During the early 1900s, a prominent trade route ran through Teocelo from nearby Xico to the United States, bringing waves of travelers who discovered the distinctive drink and spread word of it beyond Veracruz.

What started as Don Manuel selling just a few liters has grown into a thriving operation. The family now regularly produces 1,000-liter batches, shipping the syrupy concentrate in plastic bottles and jugs across Mexico.

The Ripple Effect

The zarza tradition represents something bigger than one family's business success. It's a living connection to Indigenous knowledge that survived colonization, commercialization, and changing times.

Climate change has actually helped the tradition continue. As warming temperatures pushed pineapple farming further south, Teocelo's cooler mountain climate became ideal for coffee and the herbs needed for zarza, allowing the business to thrive alongside local agriculture.

The family also produces other traditional drinks like hidromiel (mead) and liquors from fermented oranges and medicinal plants, including one made from a shrub once used to treat venomous snake bites. Each recipe preserves knowledge passed down through generations.

Antique photos line the shop walls, including one of Don Manuel and his wife hanging beneath two old rifles from the Mexican Revolution era. The images remind visitors that this isn't just about selling drinks—it's about honoring history.

Customers mix the molasses-like concentrate with water to their preferred strength, making each glass a personal ritual that connects modern Mexico to its Indigenous roots.

A taxi driver in Oaxaca once told a visitor that you could spend two lifetimes in Mexico and still not uncover all its secrets or taste all its regional treasures—and Teocelo's zarza proves him right.