National Root Beer Float Day – August 6

Did you know that August 6 is the National Root Beer Float Day in the United States of America? And do you even know what a Root Beer Float is? In case you don’t I am going to solve this mystery for you right now.  

The Root Beer Float is a beverage which is really popular in the United States, especially among children. To make one of these delicious beverages all you have to do is add a scoop of vanilla ice cream to a tall glass of root beer. (A little hint for everyone who is going to try it: If you reverse the directions and add the root beer to the ice cream you’ll probably end up with a big mess.) For its consumption all you need is a spoon and a straw. It can also be made with other flavors, though. For example you can add a scoop of chocolate ice cream instead of vanilla ice cream. Other popular ice cream sodas, also known as floats, include those made with soft drinks like Coca-Cola, Pepsi and flavored soda such as orange, grape, cinnamon etc.

The float itself has a couple of potential beginnings, but according to my research Frank J. Wisner seems to be the creator of the Root Beer Float. The origin of the beverage dates back to the end of the 19^th century when Frank J. Wisner was staring out his window one night at Cow Mountain in Colorado. To him the snowy peaks on the dark mountains looked like ice cream in a dark soda. That’s why the next day he came up with the idea to combine root beer and vanilla ice cream. The foamy beverage is also  known as “black cow” or “brown cow”.

How is this holiday celebrated? Americans usually celebrate it by making themselves, their family and their friends a root beer float. Some even throw a root beer float party on this holiday. 

For all of you who didn’t know – root beer is non-alcoholic which makes it the perfect refreshment for children. Although we don’t usually drink this kind of beverage in Europe to me personally it sounds very similar to iced coffee or chocolate milk as we know it in Austria.  

Here are some facts about the history of the Root Beer:

• Root beer was originally brewed in the 1800’s using sassafras and was considered a medicinal drink.
• Originally, root beer actually contained a small amount of alcohol.
• Sassafras was removed from the drink in 1976 after it was banned by the US Food and Drug Administration due to the carcinogenic properties in its oils.
• Today, root beer is made from flavored syrups, carbonated water, and spices such as vanilla, licorice root, nutmeg, molasses, cinnamon, and clove.
• While root beer is fairly popular in North America, with hundreds of brands, the drink is relatively unknown elsewhere in the world.

How did I even come up with the idea to write about the Root Beer Float? Well, over the last couple of years I have seen this deliciously looking beverage several times in American movies and series. Ever since I first saw it I have been wondering about its ingredients and what it might taste like. So, one day I started doing some research about it and after that it was not long before I tried one myself. Unfortunately I have to say that it looks a lot tastier than it actually is. Maybe the Root Beer Float is one of those acquainted tastes you have to get used to before actually liking it. Or maybe you just have to really like beer in order to become a fan of it which I am definitely not. Anyway, if you like beer and ice cream you should definitely try it one sunny hot summer day! :)

Here's a link to some recipes including root beer: http://www.thedailymeal.com/search/apachesolr_search/root%20beer%20float