View source for Ice cream float

{{Short description|Soft drink with ice cream}}
{{More citations needed|date=January 2024}}
{{Infobox food
| name             = Ice cream float 
| image            = Soda jerk NYWTS.jpg
| caption          = A [[soda jerk]] passing ice cream soda between two soda fountains in 1936
| alternate_name   = Ice cream soda, Coke float, root beer float, spider
| country          = [[United States]]
| region           = [[Philadelphia, Pennsylvania]]
| creator          = Robert McCay Green
| course           =
| type             = [[Dessert]]
| served           =
| main_ingredient  = [[Ice cream]], [[syrup]] and [[soft drink]] or [[carbonated water]]
| variations       =
| calories         =
| other            =
}}
An '''ice cream float''' or '''ice cream soda''', also known as an '''ice cream spider''' in [[Australia]] and [[New Zealand]],<ref>"spider, n.4" ''The Oxford English Dictionary''. 2nd ed. 1989. [[OED Online]]. Oxford University Press.</ref> is a chilled [[beverage]] made by adding [[ice cream]] to a [[soft drink]] or to a mixture of flavored [[syrup]] and [[carbonated water]].

When [[root beer]] and [[vanilla ice cream]] are used, the beverage is referred to as a '''root beer float''' (United States).<ref>{{cite news|last1=Wenzl|first1=Megan|title=The Hidden History of Root Beer Floats in Chicago|url=http://chicago.eater.com/2015/9/15/9261695/root-beer-floats-chicago-history-5-outstanding|access-date=April 26, 2016|publisher=Chicago Eater}}</ref> A close variation is the '''coke float''', which is made using [[cola]].

==History==
The ice cream float was invented by Robert M. Green in [[Philadelphia, Pennsylvania]], in 1874 during the [[Franklin Institute]]'s semicentennial celebration. The traditional story is that, on a particularly hot day, Green ran out of ice for the flavored drinks he was selling and instead used vanilla ice cream from a neighboring vendor, inventing a new drink.<ref>{{cite journal | title=Soda beverages in Philadelphia | journal=American Druggist and Pharmaceutical Record | volume=48 | year=1906 | page=163 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=A9IAAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA163 }}</ref>

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 larger, fancier soda fountain. After some experimentation, he decided to combine ice cream and flavored soda. During the celebration, he sold vanilla ice cream with soda 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 (law)|will]] instructed that "Originator of the Ice Cream Soda" was to be engraved on his tombstone.<ref>{{cite journal | title=Ice Cream Soda a New Drink | journal=The Soda Fountain | volume=20 | publisher=D. O. Haynes | year=1921 | page=66 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=SfPNAAAAMAAJ&q=%22ice+cream+soda+a+new+drink%22&pg=PP75}}</ref>

There are at least three other claimants for the invention of the root beer float: Fred Sanders,<ref name="sundaebest"/> Philip Mohr,<ref name=sundaebest>[https://books.google.com/books?id=Wr_yPYvkNWwC&dq=%22fred+sanders+was+a+very+successful%22&pg=PA53 Sundae Best: a history of soda fountains] by Anne Cooper Funderburg; Popular Press, 2002</ref><ref>The Three Principal Claimants for the Invention of Ice Cream Soda; Soda Fountain, Vol. 18; November 1913</ref> and [[G.O. Guy|George Guy]], one of Robert Green's own employees.<ref>"Ice Cream Soda Invented By Seattle Pioneer" ''[[Seattle Times]]'' May 19, 1965. p.40</ref> Guy claimed to have absentmindedly mixed ice cream and soda in 1872, much to his [[customer delight|customers' delight]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.corbisimages.com/stock-photo/rights-managed/BE056588/toddler-making-ice-cream-soda|title=Toddler Making Ice Cream Soda|work=corbisimages.com|access-date=March 21, 2015}}</ref>

==Regional names==
{{More citations needed|section|date=September 2021}}
[[File:Lime spider.jpg|thumb|upright|A lime spider]]

In Australia and New Zealand, an ice cream float is known as a "spider" because once the carbonation hits the ice cream it forms a spider web-like reaction. It is traditionally made using either lime or pink [[cream soda]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.heraldsun.com.au/ipad/spider-drink-story-has-legs/news-story/9857d6281011e00dad0c6b2dba3e5d76|title=Spider drink story has legs|date=June 3, 2011|website=www.heraldsun.com.au}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.macquariedictionary.com.au/resources/aus/word/map/search/word/spider/Western%20District/|title=Macquarie Dictionary entry for 'spider'|website=Macquarie Online Dictionary|date=25 October 2023 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/life-style/food-wine/drinks/115526978/what-is-root-beer-anyway|title=What is root beer, anyway?|author=Laura Macfehin|date=September 7, 2019|publisher=Stuff.co.nz}}</ref>

In the UK and Ireland, it is usually referred to as an "ice-cream float" or simply a "float," as "soda" is usually taken to mean [[Carbonated water|soda water]]. Sweetened carbonated drinks are instead collectively called "soft drinks," "(fizzy) pop," or "fizzy juice."

In Mexico, it is known as "''helado flotante''" ("floating ice cream") or "''flotante''". In El Salvador, Honduras, Guatemala, Costa Rica, and Colombia, it is called "''vaca negra''" (black cow); in Brazil, "''vaca preta''"; and in Puerto Rico, a "black out".

In the United States, an "ice cream soda" typically refers to the drink containing ice cream, soda water and flavored syrup, whereas a "float" is generally ice cream combined with a carbonated soft drink (usually root beer).

==Variations==
{{More citations needed|section|date=September 2021}}
Variations of ice cream floats are as countless as the varieties of drinks and the flavors of ice cream, but some have become more prominent than others. <!-- Please keep this list limited to notable dishes only. Additionally, please keep list in alphabetical order. -->

===Butterbeer===
In 2014, [[The Wizarding World of Harry Potter (Universal Orlando Resort)|The Wizarding World of Harry Potter]] themed area at the [[Universal Orlando|Universal Orlando Resort]] debuted the drink composed of the ingredients [[brown sugar]] and [[butter|butter syrup]] mixed with [[cream soda]] and [[whipped cream]] based on the [[Fictional universe of Harry Potter#Food and leisure|originally fictional drink]] [[Places in Harry Potter#Hogsmeade|served at Hogsmeade]]. In 2016, [[Starbucks]] debuted the ''Smoked Butterbeer Frappuccino Latte''.<ref>{{citeweb|url=https://www.cosmopolitan.com/lifestyle/a15336139/starbucks-smoked-butterscotch-latte-butterbeer/|title=Starbucks Is Bringing Back Its Smoked Butterscotch Latte (Which Tastes Just Like Butterbeer)|last=Barbour|first=Shannon|publisher=[[Cosmopolitan (magazine)|Cosmopolitan]]|date=Jan 17, 2018|access-date=September 20, 2024}}</ref>

===Beer float===
[[File:Beer float.jpg|thumb|A beer float]]

A beer float is made of Guinness stout, chocolate ice cream, and espresso.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Thirsty Reader: A Guinness Milkshake |url=https://www.thekitchn.com/post-14-45288 |website=Kitchn}}</ref> Although the Shakin' Jesse version<ref>{{Cite web |title=Emeryville &#124; Rudy's Can't Fail Cafe |url=http://iamrudy.com/drinks/emeryville/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120614071914/http://iamrudy.com/drinks/emeryville/ |archive-date=June 14, 2012 |access-date=July 8, 2012}}</ref> is blended into more of a milkshake consistency, most restaurant bars can make the beer float version.

===Boston cooler===
[[File:Boston Cooler.jpg|thumb|upright|A Boston cooler with Vernors ginger ale]]

Today, a Boston cooler is typically composed of [[Vernors]] ginger ale and vanilla ice cream.<ref name="wcrz">{{cite news |last=Fenech |first=Jeremy |date=September 26, 2012 |title=What is a Boston Cooler? |url=http://wcrz.com/what-is-a-boston-cooler/ |access-date=April 6, 2013 |newspaper=wcrz}}</ref>

The first reference to a Boston cooler appears in the [[St. Louis Post Dispatch]] where a New York bartender claimed to have coined the phrase for a summer cocktail of [[Sarsaparilla (soft drink) |sarsaparilla]] and ginger ale. In the 1910s, the term was applied in soda fountains and ice cream parlors to a scoop of ice cream served in a melon half. The name was also applied to a number of different ice-cream float combinations, including [[root beer]], though ginger ale became the most common soft drink component. <ref>{{cite web |last=Newman |first=Eli |date=July 25, 2016 |title=CuriosiD: What's the Origin of the Boston Cooler? |url=https://wdet.org/2016/07/25/curiosid-whats-the-origin-of-the-boston-cooler/ |access-date=March 1, 2023 |website=WDET.org |publisher=WDET and Wayne State University}}</ref>   

By the 1880s a version of the Boston cooler was being served in Detroit by [[Sanders Confectionery]], made with Sanders' ice cream and Vernors.<ref name="wcrz" /> Originally, a drink called a Vernors Cream was served as a shot or two of sweet cream poured into a glass of Vernors. Later, vanilla ice cream was substituted for the cream and blended like a [[milkshake]]. The local myth, that it was named after Detroit's Boston Boulevard, is belied by the fact that Boston Boulevard did not exist at the time.<ref>{{cite web |date=August 31, 2007 |title=Griffin, Holly, "FIVE THINGS: About coolers" ''Detroit Free Press'' (August 31, 2007) |url=http://www.accessmylibrary.com/coms2/summary_0286-32766171_ITM |access-date=February 13, 2010 |publisher=Accessmylibrary.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |date=June 20, 2008 |title="Daily TWIP: Ice Cream Soda Day", ''Nashua Telegraph'' (June 20, 2008) |url=http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=NTGB&p_theme=ntgb&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=1216F2F3F4A48060&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM |access-date=February 13, 2010 |publisher=Nl.newsbank.com}}</ref><ref>[http://www.historicbostonedison.org/history.shtml "History"]{{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070910210550/http://www.historicbostonedison.org/history.shtml|date=September 10, 2007}}, ''Historic Boston Edison Association''</ref>

It remains a popular summer drink in the Detroit area.<ref name="wcrz" />

===Chocolate ice cream soda===
This ice cream soda starts with approximately 1 oz of [[chocolate syrup]], then several scoops of chocolate ice cream in a tall glass. Unflavored [[carbonated water]] is added until the glass is filled and the resulting foam rises above the top of the glass. The final touch is a topping of [[whipped cream]] and usually, a [[maraschino cherry]]. This variation of ice cream soda was available at local [[soda fountain]]s and nationally, at [[Dairy Queen]] stores for many years.{{Citation needed|date=April 2024}}

A similar soda made with chocolate syrup but vanilla ice cream is sometimes called a "black and white" ice cream soda.{{Citation needed|date=April 2024}}

=== Cream soda ===
[[File:Creamsoda Ueshima1.jpg|thumb|right|203x203px|A Japanese style cream soda in [[UCC Ueshima Coffee Co.|Ueshima coffee shop]]]]In Japan, an ice cream float known as a cream soda is made with vanilla ice cream and [[melon soda]], often topped with a single [[maraschino cherry]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Garcia |first=Krista |date=2018-12-18 |title=The Emerald Green Drink of 1970s Japan |url=https://tastecooking.com/emerald-green-drink-1970s-japan/ |access-date=2024-04-28 |website=TASTE |language=en-US}}</ref>

===''Helado flotante''===
In Mexico, popular versions are made from coca-cola with coconut and [[Kahlúa]] ice cream, from chocolate coca-cola with vanilla ice cream, and from red wine with lemon ice cream.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2014-07-03 |title=Top 5: flotantes |url=https://www.timeoutmexico.mx/ciudad-de-mexico/restaurantes-cafes/top-5-flotantes |url-status=live |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20250228024016/https://www.timeoutmexico.mx/ciudad-de-mexico/restaurantes-cafes/top-5-flotantes |archive-date=2025-02-28 |access-date=2025-06-20 |work=Time Out Ciudad de México |language=es-MX}}</ref>

===Nectar soda===
This variant is popular in [[New Orleans]] and parts of [[Ohio]], made with a syrup consisting of equal parts almond and vanilla syrups mixed with sweetened [[condensed milk]] and a touch of red food coloring to produce a pink, opalescent syrup base for the soda.<ref>{{cite book |last=Woellert |first=D. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jB83DwAAQBAJ&pg=PA64 |title=Cincinnati Candy: A Sweet History |publisher=Arcadia Publishing (SC) |year=2017 |isbn=978-1-4671-3795-9 |series=American Palate |pages=64–65 |language=it |access-date=January 15, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Goldstein |first1=D. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=XPNgBwAAQBAJ&pg=PT848 |title=The Oxford Companion to Sugar and Sweets |last2=Mintz |first2=S. |publisher=Oxford University Press |year=2015 |isbn=978-0-19-931362-4 |series=Oxford Companions |page=pt848 |access-date=January 15, 2019}}</ref>
===Purple cow===
In the context of ice cream soda, a purple cow is vanilla ice cream in purple grape soda. The Purple Cow,<ref>[http://www.purplecowlr.com/ The Purple Cow]</ref> a restaurant chain in the southern United States, features this and similar beverages. In a more general context, a purple cow may refer to a non-carbonated grape juice and vanilla ice cream combination. [[Grapico]], a brand of grape soda bottled in [[Birmingham, Alabama]], is ubiquitously linked to ice cream floats in that state.

The soda is named after [[Gelett Burgess]]'s 1895 nonsense poem [[Purple Cow]].

===Root beer float===
[[File:Root Beer Float.jpg|thumb|upright|A root beer float]]

Also known as a "black cow"<ref name="blackcow">{{Cite web |title=The Milwaukee Journal - Google News Archive Search |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1499&dat=19340810&id=GK9QAAAAIBAJ&pg=3644,4597898 |website=news.google.com}}{{Dead link|date=January 2023|bot=InternetArchiveBot|fix-attempted=yes}}</ref><ref>{{Cite magazine |date=December 14, 1931 |title=Letters, Dec. 14, 1931 |url=http://content.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,930017,00.html |magazine=Time |via=content.time.com}}</ref> or "brown cow",<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Cedartown Standard - Google News Archive Search |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=365&dat=19961024&id=jtcyAAAAIBAJ&pg=3018,4544198 |website=news.google.com}}</ref> 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. Frank J. Wisner, owner of Colorado's Cripple Creek Brewing, is credited with creating the first root beer float on August 19, 1893. 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 2008, the [[Dr Pepper Snapple Group]] introduced its [[Floats (drink)|Float]] beverage line. This includes A&W Root Beer, A&W Cream Soda and [[Sunkist (soft drink)|Sunkist]] flavors which attempt to simulate the taste of their respective ice cream float flavors in a creamy, bottled drink.

===Strawberry ice cream soda===
This drink is prepared similarly to a chocolate ice cream soda, but with [[strawberry syrup]] and strawberry (or vanilla) ice cream used instead.{{Citation needed|date=April 2024}}

===''Vaca amarela'' or ''vaca dourada''===
In Brazil, a ''vaca amarela'' (yellow cow) or ''vaca dourada''  (golden cow) is an ice cream soda combination of vanilla ice cream and orange or [[guaraná]] soda, respectively.{{Citation needed|date=April 2024}}

===''Vaca-preta''===
At least in [[Brazil]] and [[Portugal]], a non-alcoholic ice cream soda made by combining vanilla or chocolate ice cream and Coca-Cola is known as ''vaca-preta'' ("black cow").<ref>See article ''[[:pt:Vaca preta|Vaca preta]]'' at the Wikipedia in Portuguese. Retrieved September 17, 2012.</ref>

==See also==
{{div col}}
* [[Affogato]]
* [[Carbonated milk]]
* [[Cream soda]]
* [[Dirty soda]]
* [[Doodh soda]]
* [[Egg cream]]
* [[Italian soda]]
* [[Milkis]]
* [[Pilk]]
* [[Carbonated water]]
* [[List of brand name soft drink products]]
* [[List of soft drink flavors]]
{{div col end}}

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==Sources==
* Funderburg, Anne Cooper. "Sundae Best: A History of Soda Fountains" (2002) University of Wisconsin Popular Press. {{ISBN|0-87972-853-1}}.
* Gay, Cheri Y. (2001). ''Detroit Then and Now,'' p.&nbsp;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.&nbsp;8. Momentum Books. {{ISBN|1-879094-71-1}}.
* Houston, Kay. [https://archive.today/20120709214031/http://apps.detnews.com/apps/history/index.php?id=192 "Of soda fountains and ice cream parlors."] (February 11, 1996) The ''[[Detroit News]].''
* Alissa Ozols (2008) San Francisco.

==External links==
* {{Wikibooks-inline|Bartending/Cocktails/Glossary}}
* {{commonscategory-inline|Ice cream soda}}
* {{wiktionary-inline|ice cream soda}}
{{Ice cream}}
{{Soft drink}}

[[Category:1874 introductions]]
[[Category:American inventions]]
[[Category:Food and drink introduced in the 19th century]]
[[Category:Soft drinks]]
[[Category:Ice cream drinks]]
[[Category:American drinks]]