Root Beer Float

Trickle root beer over scoops of cool, creamy vanilla ice cream and watch it pop, fizz, and bubble into a creamy, foam-capped drink. This homemade root beer float recipe is our shortcut to summertime bliss.

The history of the root beer float dates to 1893, when a Colorado brewery owner thought to add a scoop of vanilla ice cream to his house-brewed root beer. The story goes that, inspired by the peaks of nearby Cow Mountain, he called the frosty treat a Black Cow Mountain, later shortened to Black Cow—a name some still use today (others use the term “Black Cow” to refer to a variation made with a squirt of chocolate syrup, and still others one that replaces the root beer with Coke). An ice cream float can be made with any carbonated drink, from orange soda to cola, but the birchy notes of root beer pair especially well with creamy vanilla-bean-flecked ice cream. Use chocolate ice cream and it’s called a Brown Cow.

A classic root beer float is the best way to cool down on a hot day, and since this drink/dessert requires virtually no prep time, it’s a fun, easy recipe to make with kids—especially for their first time in the kitchen. Serve the soda fountain favorite in any tall glass (tumblers, float glasses, even beer steins will work) and garnish with a dollop of whipped cream, maraschino cherries, or sprinkles. Drink your float with a straw (we like these reusable ones) or use a long-handled spoon to excavate frothy spoonfuls of ice cream with childlike glee. After all, you’re never too old for a root beer float.