Cover work surface with a silicone baking mat. Spray kitchen shears with nonstick cooking spray.

In medium, heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine granulated sugar, water, and corn syrup. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally until sugar dissolves.

Cook until sugar reaches 300° F (149° C) on a candy thermometer, periodically swirling the pan as needed, and brushing down the sides with a wet pastry brush to prevent crystallization.*

Remove from heat. Swirl in root beer flavoring and brown gel food coloring.

Pour onto prepared silicone mat.

Put on your cotton gloves, then add a pair of rubber gloves over top.

Allow the sugar syrup to rest on the mat, periodically folding the mat over itself. As you do this, you’ll start to see the sugar sticking to itself and forming a mass, rather than immediately running back into a puddle.

You’ll know the sugar is ready to pull when it comes together into a ball, and does not lose its shape. It will still be hot and easily pliable, but no longer “gooey” or runny.

With gloved hands, fold the sugar over itself several times, until it starts to feel thicker and slightly less pliable. Do this 20-30 times, or until streaky and lighter in color. The longer you pull, the more opaque your candy will look, but it will also be harder to cut.

Pull hot sugar into a short, thick tube.

Working in small sections**, pull the tube into a long rope, about 1/2-inch in diameter. Use kitchen shears to cut the rope into 3/4-inch pieces. Repeat until you’ve used all of the hot sugar.

Allow candy pieces to cool on the silicone mat.

Store root beer hard candy in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 months.