Great for making a complex flavored beer, or an authentic tasting root beer.
 
Licorice Root is a versatile ingredient you can use to flavor your homemade beer or root beer. In beer-making it is traditionally used in dark beers such as Porters and Stouts. Licorice Root imparts a very distinct licorice flavor and is surprisingly sweet. It contains Glycyrrhizin, a substance 50 times sweeter than sugar! 
 
Use 1/2 - 1 ounce per 5 gallons and add for the last few minutes of the boil.