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Float Recipes
You'll Have Fun Trying Old-Time Soda Fountain Float Recipes
Pharmacy soda fountains began inventing float recipes and serving "floats" by the 1890s. The first floats served consisted of citrus fruit drinks called ades, upon the top of which was "floated" a layer of rich cream, whipped cream, or grape juice. Some floats contained flavorful fountain syrups instead of citrus fruit juices, and soda water was sometimes added.
Sherbet and ice cream floats began to appear later around 1900 as brand-name soda pops became more prevalent.
How To Make Ice Cream FloatsYou can make a traditional ice cream float by first pressing a large scoopful of frozen vanilla ice cream firmly into the bottom of a large frosted drinking glass. Next, slowly, and carefully, fill the glass to the brim with your favourite flavour of soda pop by pouring the ice-cold pop down the sides of the glass to avoid having it foam over the brim. Carefully place a couple of drinking straws in the glass along with a long-handled spoon to eat the melting ice cream. The ice cream eventually melts and floats to the top.
Some of the old pharmacists also made ice cream floats using soda water and fountain syrup instead of soda pop. To make one, first drizzle two to four tablespoonfuls of your favourite fountain syrup over a scoopful of ice cream in the bottom of the glass and then carefully fill the glass to the brim with chilled soda water. Serve with two straws and a long-handled spoon.
Try combining your favourite flavours of homemade soda pop and ice cream together to suit your taste. Colorful names were often given to the different ingredient combinations; for example, a root beer float with vanilla ice cream is traditionally called a Black Cow. Have fun naming your own frosty beverage creations.
Below you will find several early float recipes which call for rich cream or grape juice or ice cream to be floated on top.
Old-Time Float RecipesThese vintage float recipes are taken from "The Dispenser's Formulary or Soda Water Guide" compiled by the editorial staff of The Soda Fountain, published by D. O. Haynes & Co., New York, in 1915. Note the old-time beverage prices.
Carbonated water (soda water) can be found in the soft drink section of most food stores.
Root Beer Cream FloatThis early root beer float recipe calls for rich cream and not ice cream. Cream also tastes good in carbonated cola beverages.
Fill a 12-ounce glass within an inch of the top with root beer, then float on top with spoon about 2 ounces plain, sweet, rich cream. The Root Beer Cream Float serves well as a novelty and should be priced at 10 cents.
Grape Float LemonadeFill a 12-ounce glass to within an inch of the top with plain lemonade, then carefully float on the top a sufficient quantity of grape juice to fill the glass, being careful not to disturb the lemonade. A good long drink, and a thirst quencher. Price--10 ounces, 10 cents.
Grape Float LemonadeMake a plain lemonade, fill a glass within 1 inch of top, then hold a teaspoon in center of glass and pour in slowly grape juice until the glass is full. Price--12 ounces, 15 cents.
Sherbet FloatTwo ounces pineapple syrup, one ounce sweet cream. Fill glass two-thirds full of carbonated water and float a ball of frozen sherbet on top. Use pineapple or orange sherbet. Price--10 ounces, 10 cents. --Harry G. Frame
Alaska Snowball, Or Snowball Float1/2 ounce pineapple syrup, 1/2 ounce lemon syrup, 1/2 ounce orange syrup, 1 egg, 2 ounces plain cream, 1/4 glass shaved ice. Shake, strain, toss, and serve. Drop in a ball of frozen pineapple ice or ice cream (vanilla will do) to float on the surface and the Alaska Snowball is a winner. Price--15 cents; all milk, 20 cents.
Grape TricklePlace in a 12-ounce glass partly filled with cracked, not shaved, ice, 1/2 ounce of lemon syrup, 1/2 ounce of pineapple syrup, 1/2 ounce of orange syrup, and a little more than 1/2 ounce of grape juice. Fill the glass with carbonated water and stir until all is thoroughly mixed.
Can also be dispensed as a "float," adding the grape juice last, so it floats on top of mixture. The author states that this formula makes "a very refreshing drink" and can be readily sold for 10 cents at a good profit. --J. M. Bingaman
Mont Blanc1 ounce strawberry syrup, 1/2 ounce orange syrup, 1/2 ounce vanilla syrup, 1/2 ounce grape juice, 1/4 glassful shaved ice. Mix the first three ingredients in a 12-ounce glass, three-quarters fill glass with carbonated water, add the ice, top with grape juice, and float the whipped cream over all. Charge 15 cents.
 Grandma Recommends...
Prairie Moon Beverage Syrups When the old fashioned ice cream float recipes call for flavoring syrups, you can save yourself time and money by using Rio brand syrup concentrates from Prairie Moon. I highly recommend them.
These quality fountain syrups come in over 50 popular flavors, including all the old fashioned soda fountain favorites like sarsaparilla, vanilla, cherry, chocolate, coffee, ginger ale, root beer, cola, lemon, maraschino cherry, banana, orange, pineapple, raspberry, and strawberry. Simply add water and your own sugar or sweetener to the concentrate. It couldn't be easier.
Prairie Moon also has an affordable selection of authentic, old-time fluted fountain glasses, paneled fountain glasses, and fluted 20-ounce tumblers that are perfect for serving your homemade float beverages.
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Float recipes are very easy to make, and the results always taste so good and so refreshing. Enjoy a refreshing old-time float today.
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