The ice cream soda or float is a treat that is typically made by mixing ice cream with either a soft drink or flavored syrup and carbonated water. The microscopic bubbles present in the ice cream act as "nucleation sites" which trigger the formation of large bubbles of carbon dioxide. The drink originated in the United States in the late 19th century, most likely by either Robert M. Green of Philadelphia or Fred Sanders of Detroit.
Contents |
Origins
Green's account, published in "Soda Fountain" magazine in 1910, states that while operating a soda fountain at the Franklin Institute's semi-centennial celebration in Philadelphia in 1874, 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 16 different flavors of soda water. The new treat was a sensation, and soon other soda fountains began selling ice cream sodas. Fred Sanders owned a successful confectionery, the Pavilion of Sweets, in Detroit, first opened in 1875. One night, some customers came in shortly before closing time and ordered sweet cream sodas. Since Sanders had run out of sweet cream, he quickly concocted a new treat by adding ice cream to soda water. Regardless of its origins, it quickly became very popular, to such a degree that it was almost socially obligatory among teens, although many adults abhorred it. According to legend, it was banned, either entirely or on holy days, by some local governments, giving rise to the ice cream sundae.
Variations
Variations of the ice cream soda are as countless as the varieties of soda and flavors of ice cream, but some have become more prominent over the years than others.
Root beer float
Also known as a "brown cow" or "black cow", the root beer float is traditionally made with vanilla ice cream, but can also made with other flavors. A&W Restaurants are well known for their root beer floats. The Friendly's chain also had a variation known as a "sherbet cooler," which was a combination of orange or rainbow sherbet and seltzer water. (Nowadays it is billed as a "slammer".)
Boston cooler
A boston cooler is typically composed of ginger ale and vanilla ice cream. Variations abound, however, with club soda, sherbet, rum, milk, sugar, or even coffee sometimes added or substituted for the key ingredients. In Ohio, the root beer floats are also referred to as a Boston cooler. The origin of the Boston Cooler lies in Detroit, Michigan, the city in which Fred Sanders is credited with inventing the ice cream soda in his shop along Boston Boulevard. It is known that by the 1880s the Boston cooler was being served in Detroit, made with the local Vernor's, an intense golden ginger ale, unlike the common modern dry ginger ales. Whatever the exact origins, the name almost certainly has no connection to Boston, Massachusetts, where the beverage is virtually unknown. It can be found most often in the Detroit region's many Coney Island style restaurants, which are plentiful because of Detroit's Greektown district influence. National Coney Island is one of the few restaurant chains to list the Boston Cooler in their menu. It is also found at the Detroit Dairy Queens and at Halo Burger, a mid-Michigan fast food chain.
Snow White
The Snow White is made with 7 Up and vanilla ice cream. The origins of this dessert is unknown, but it is found in some Asian eateries.
Coke float
A product served at McDonald's restaurants in several markets that utilizes Coca-Cola brand sodas and soft serve ice cream.
Sources
- Gay, Cheri Y. (2001). Detroit Then and Now, p. 5. Thunder Bay Press. ISBN 1-57145-689-9.
- Bulanda, George; Bak, Richard; and Ciavola, Michelle. The Way It Was: Glimpses of Detroit's History from the Pages of Hour Detroit Magazine, p. 8. Momentum Books. ISBN 1-879094-71-1.
- Houston, Kay. "Of soda fountains and ice cream parlors." (Date not available.) The Detroit News.
