Why do you think they named ginger-ale, ginger-ale? why not clear-rootbeer?

Question

...I think ginger is a root.

Answer 1

You are right ginger is a root. "Root beer" was originally made from the bark of the sassafras tree root, not the root itself. Ginger ale was probably settled on as a name because Hires had already patented the name "root beer" in 1876 (they later lost the patent) for his sassafras flavored beverage. In some areas ginger ale is still called ginger beer. Ginger ale could be more accurately called root beer, but because of tradition and legal reasons, has to be happy with the name it has.