The Accidental Chocolate Sundae Root Beer Float
A Surprise on Hot Nights in the City
During much of March 2012, the temperature outdoors in Ohio stayed in the 80s F for an early summer season. People began thinking about summer foods and drinks and the cafe patios around town were always full right after work and on weekends.
One evening, I decided to have a root beer float.
Ordering the beverage treat through a local drive through window of a long-time restaurant chain, I heard the order taker hesitate. Then he brightened and said he would surely have one ready for me at the window. As it turned out, the young man had not ever heard of a root beer float, nor realized that his restaurant sold them. However, what he invented was pretty interesting!
Kids will love this drink, but parents will probably not like it to be consumed every day. It is sweet and full of dessert, but it can be an occasional celebration that children will remember.
The crewman at the restaurant I patronized made a chocolate sundae in the bottom of a large drink cup and then filled the remainder of the cup with root beer.
Interestingly, not everyone knows what a root beer float contains. Since the spread of Sonic Restaurants in our state, the public has accepted a large number of fancier soda beverages and slushies, so plain root beer and ice cream may seem second rate - or a poor excuse for a refreshing drink.
The recipe for the surprising accidental beverage I received is listed below.
The Accidental Chocolate Sundae Root Beer Float
Yield - 1 Large Summertime Beverage
Ingredients
- 1 Large Beverage Glass - at least 22-ounce size
- 1 Drinking Straw
- 1 Long Handled Iced Tea Spoon
- Vanilla Ice Cream
- Chocolate Syrup
- Chopped Nuts - optional
- Whipped Cream
- 1 Maraschino Cherry
- Root Beer - Hire's or Dad's are good brands.
Instructions
- Place one or two scoops of vanilla ice cream in the bottom of the drink glass.
- Pour chocolate syrup over the ice cream and top with nuts.
- Fill remainder of glass with root beer and top with whipped cream.
- Float a maraschino cherry on top and serve with spoon and straw.
For variations that use a cola beverage, use lime, cherry, or orange syrup instead of chocolate and fill with cola.
Root Beer History
A Historic Popular American Drink
If you are unable to find your favorite root beer, you might try making your own.
Several brands of root beer syrups that contain ingredients from a number of roots and other natural sources are on the market, with Zatarain's available since 1889. In fact, the very first product of founder Emile Zatarain was root beer.
Root beer is said to have first appeared in 1876, 100 years after America's founding, at the Centennial Exhibition in Philadelphia, which was America's second capital.
Pharmacist Charles Hires introduced the product that was made from 25 different roots, berries, and herbs. Adding carbonated water, he made his name synonymous with root beer - Hires Root Beer, per se.
Root Beer Festivals in Middle America
A hopping big Root Beer Festival is held every year in Alto Pass, Illinois (pop. 406) at the local well known Root Beer Saloon at #4 Main Street.
The establishment is built to look like a wild west saloon and its staff pours locally brewed root beers all year long. It is also a coffee house and soda shop as well as a gourmet cuisine restaurant.
Specialty food events occur regularly at the Root Beer Saloon and here are a few examples:
- Mar. 31st/ April 1st: Gangster Fest Chicago Style Gourmet Delights. Gangster Fest happens several times a year!
- May: Mother's Day Weekend - Everything Lobster & Others
- July 7th/July 8th: Buffalo Hot Wings Weekend with NY hot sauces.
- Late August: Root Beer Festival Cool Off With Many Ice Cream Floats, Shakes, Banana Splits, Peach Delights; Croissant Sandwiches
- Mid-November: Deer Festival Bavarian Stuffed Pork, Crawfish, Shrimp
Alto Pass is in the southernmost portion of the State of Illinois and southeast of St. Louis Missouri (see map below). Alto Pass is celebrates as the "Home of the Brave, Grave and Porky"
Greater St. Louis Area
Attractions to Enjoy With Your Root Beer Float
- Bald Knob Cross of Peace: Is the tallest Cross in the western hemisphere, located in the beautiful Illinois Ozark Mountains. This is a great place for photography.
- Crab Orchard National Wildlife Refuge: This wildlife refuge is located west of Marion, Illinois on the northern edge of the Ozark Foothills. It is one of the largest refuges in the Great Lakes-Big Rivers Region of the American Midwest. The refuge is well maintained and open to hunting with a license during appropriate times of the year.
- Cypress Creek National Wildlife Refuge | GORP.com: Research and find the best information on Cypress Creek National Wildlife Refuge with GORP's Cypress Creek National Wildlife Refuge Guide. Get parks and camping information, trail maps, hiking maps, and other outdoor resources to help book your next
- Rendleman Orchards: This fun place to visit has produced fruits and vegetables since it opened in 1873. It is located in Alto Pass (see map above) and is an official Illinois Centennial Farm. it produces and ships peaches, nectarines, apples, and many vegetables to the commercial produce markets throughout the Midwest.
- Shawnee National Forest: This large national forest is home to the "Little Grand Canyon", a swamp, lakes, fishing activities, and many more features, including wildlife and native plants. rock formations in the "Garden of the Gods" are on the Illinois state quarter. Located at 50 Highway 145 South, Harrisburg, IL 62946.
This content is accurate and true to the best of the author’s knowledge and is not meant to substitute for formal and individualized advice from a qualified professional.
© 2012 Patty Inglish MS
Comments
An Awesome Hub so much of information fantastic!!!
Very interesting. It is very hard to find root beer in England. Pat likes it but Tricia does not. However, the other thing that interests us is that Ohio had unseasonably warm weather in March 2012. There were some days here when it was warm enough to wear summer clothes for a walk along the seafront. The weather has turned strange.
Thanks Patty I will get some for the week-end. I am sure it will go down a treat with this lovely warm weather we are having.
I have had the traditional root beer float - root beer with vanilla ice cream - but never enjoyed the chocolate syrup concoction you described, Patty. Hmmmm, something to look forward to.
That festival in the metropolis of Alto Pass sounds like a hum-dinger. If you blink while driving through, do you miss the town? Just wonderin'.
Thanks Patty I will check, why didn't I think of that. As geoff would say to me "what is red backwords"?
Will let you know.
Thanks for the explanation Patty. I don't remember what sarsaparilla taste like but my Granddad use to make a kind of tonic using it. I do know what sweet potato taste like though...lol. Thanks again.
I grew up with a family that drank root beer floats, using just vanilla ice cream and root beer. This hub brought back memories. Your recipe sounds delicious and I'm sure there aren't any calories! I never knew there were root beer festivals either. Very interesting hub. Thanks.
Hi Patty, It just that i have not thought of root beer barrel hard candy in a while and seeing it in your hub i could almost taste one(love them).
I will check out the Old Tyme Candy Company in northern Ohio, thanks !
Mmm this sounds delicious I must try the The Accidental Chocolate Sundae Root Beer Float this is amazing.
The only problem I can't get root beer here! bummer I know but that won't stop me.
Thanks for the share.
Hi Patty, It was so nice to hear that they tried to make you a good root beer float and that you did enjoy it as well. All these good thing we enjoyed when we were younger are now slowly disappearing. It is even hard to find root beer barrel hard candy any more.
Vote up and more !!!
I thought chocolate was always in a root beer float!? At the very least, chocolate ice cream!!? Of course, I think chocolate goes in everything! Like the hot oatmeal I am having for breakfast right now ~ sprinkled with semi-sweet chocolate chips!! Yum, root beer, chocolate ice cream, semi-sweet chocolate chips and chocolate covered nuts and cherries on top! GREAT Hub Patty! Now I better go exercise!! Blessings, Earth Angel!!
Hey Patty, please forgive the dumb question but what does root beer taste like? I don't think I have ever had it. I have heard of it many times though. I am trying to figure out if it is similar to what we know as Malta, a kind of non-alcoholic stout made from malt.
That recipe looks pretty interesting too.
Mmm...ice cream floats and summertime just go together, don't they? Thanks for the recipes; hubby loves root beer so I'll have to give these a go to see what he thinks. Voted up.
Just today I mentioned Meryl Streep to a young woman and she asked, "Who?" So I think "young" is the key word in both situations!
What an interesting story and recipe to go with it. I didn't realize root beer had lost popularity. Since we can't buy root beer where we live, I plan to buy one of the extracts you recommend and attempt root beer making! Thank you...voted up and awesome.
23