Nostalgic Root Beer Floats
The Origins
Fall is only days away. Yes, you read that right; DAYS away. While Summer slowly recedes in the background kicking and screaming unrelenting in the heat, I still enjoy the quintessential summer treat: a root beer float.
The origins of the ice cream float per Wikipedia: “The ice cream float was invented by Robert McCay Green in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1874 during the Franklin Institute’s semicentennial celebration. The traditional story is that, on a particularly hot day, Mr. Green ran out of ice for the flavored drinks he was selling and used vanilla ice cream from a neighboring vendor, thus inventing a new drink.
His own account, published in Soda Fountain magazine in 1910, states that while operating a soda fountain at the celebration, he wanted to create a new treat to attract customers away from another vendor who had a fancier, bigger soda fountain. After some experimenting, he decided to combine ice cream and soda water. During the celebration, he sold vanilla ice cream with soda water and a choice of 16 flavored syrups. The new treat was a sensation and soon other soda fountains began selling ice cream floats. Green’s will instructed that “Originator of the Ice Cream Soda” was to be engraved on his tombstone.
There are at least three other claimants for the invention of ice cream float: Fred Sanders, Philip Mohr, and George Guy, one of Robert Green’s own employees. Guy is said to have absent-mindedly mixed ice cream and soda in 1872, much to his customer’s delight.
Root Beer Float
Also known as a “black cow” or “brown cow”, the root beer float is traditionally made with vanilla ice cream and root beer, but it can also be made with other ice cream flavors. The similarly flavored soft drink birch beer may also be used instead of root beer.
In the United States and Canada, the chain A&W Restaurants are well known for their root beer floats. The definition of a black cow varies by region. For instance in some localities, a “root beer float” has strictly vanilla ice cream; a float made with root beer and chocolate ice cream is a “chocolate cow” or a “brown cow”. In some places a “black cow” or a “brown cow” was made with cola instead of root beer. In some areas, for example, Northeastern Wisconsin and Northern Illinois, “black cow” is said to mean a root beer float where a portion of the vanilla ice cream and root beer have been mixed together before filling the glass with scoops of vanilla ice cream and root beer.”
Root beer floats conjure up images of the old time soda shop with a row of youths lined up at the bar the to savor the summer treat. Outside, 1950s cars are just as shiny as the brylcreem in men’s hair. The jukebox plays a collection of upbeat songs that teens will invariably tap their feet too. Teenage girls laugh and giggle at the latest high school gossip while stealing glances over at the bar where their crush is sitting.
How to Make a Root Beer Float
The best thing about this recipe aside from the enjoyment, is how simple it is.
- A&W Root Beer
- Blue Bell Vanilla Ice Cream (Blue Bell it’s a Texas thing)
- Mug
Scoop out two generous portions of ice cream and place them into the A&W root beer mug (of course, any mug will do), then slowly pour in your root beer, and that’s it!
If you’re anything like me, a root beer float is not just a Summer treat. It’s one that can be enjoyed any time of the year. So be sure to have a spoon ready!
