Brown Cow: National Ice Cream Soda Day

Today is National Ice Cream Soda Day, and, of course, I'm going to have a Brown Cow! See recipe below. Ice cream sodas, aka ice cream floats, are made by combining ice cream with soda or carbonated water and flavored syrup. Of course, mine always contain chocolate. While many people consider root beer and vanilla ice cream to be the classic ingredients for an ice cream soda, there are lots of variations. Be sure and experiment.

According to Wisegeek.com, "although the recipe for an ice cream soda is quite simple, there is a trick to creating the perfect drink. Plain soda foams because it releases carbon dioxide gas, but ice cream is actually a foamy mixture of liquid, ice crystals, and air pockets. Therefore, if you want to make an ice cream soda with a lot of foam, put the ice cream in the glass before pouring the soda. If you want to make a treat with a minimal amount of foam, add the ice cream after the soda has been poured."

Supposedly, the ice cream soda was invented in Denver in 1871 by Otto Baur.  Soon, there were soda fountains and ice cream parlors scattered throughout the United States.

Brown Cow Ice Cream Soda Recipe

Root Beer
1 tablespoon chocolate syrup
Chocolate ice cream

Pour a good quality rootbeer into glass, leaving about 2 inches on top.
Scoop some chocolate ice cream and drop in.
Drizzle 1 tablespoon of chocolate syrup on top.
Whipped cream optional

Celebrate!