Root Beer 101: Floats and Cows (2024)

FAQs

Why are rootbeer floats called black cows? ›

Wisner, owner of Colorado's Cripple Creek Brewing, created the drink after realizing that the snowy peaks on Colorado's Cow Mountain reminded him of ice cream floating in soda. He combined root beer and vanilla ice cream, and called it the “Black Cow”, or more popularly known today as a root beer float.

For instance, in some localities, a "root beer float" has strictly vanilla ice cream; a float made with root beer and chocolate ice cream is a "chocolate cow" or a "brown cow". In some places a "black cow" or a "brown cow" was made with cola instead of root beer.

Firmly press it down. Editor's Tip: There's a lot of debate around what goes in the mug first: the root beer or the ice cream. Well, in order to prevent overflowing and get the perfect creamy texture, add the ice cream and then pour over the fizzy root beer.

Also known as the “Black Cow,” the root beer float got its start in Colorado in a mining camp. Frank J. Wisner of Cripple Creek, Colorado, gets the credit for inventing the “Black Cow” way back in August of 1893.

If you haven't ever had or not familiar, basically a black cow is a root beer float.... but blended (like a milkshake but root beer instead of milk). You can catch us making this recipe any time, summer or winter when some A&W's are closed up around us for the season.

Vernor's boasts the oldest soda in America, but not the world. That belongs to Schweppe's, who created a carbonated mineral water in 1783. Other old sodas include Hires Root Beer (1876), Moxie 1876, Dr. Pepper (1885) Coca-Cola (1886) and Pepsi (1893.

As usual, science comes to the rescue to explain the foamy goodness that tops an ice-cold root beer float. When carbonated root beer comes into contact with the ice cream, carbon dioxide bubbles are released. Likewise, the soda helps to free air bubbles trapped in the ice cream.

Place 1 scoop of ice cream into each of two tall glasses. Pour root beer carefully over the ice cream.

The root beer float, also known as a "black cow" or "brown cow," is a classic American dessert that has been enjoyed for over a century.

The root beer helps to free air bubbles trapped in the ice cream. The fat in the ice cream coats the bubbles, protecting them and allowing them to expand to create the foam you see on root beer floats.”

What's so good about root beer float? ›

An Old Fashioned Root Beer Float with scoops of creamy vanilla ice cream and chilled root beer is a refreshing treat for a hot day. It's a quintessential summer dessert drink that is fun and nostalgic.

Wisner began to advertise his new creation as a "black cow" because of the dark color of the root beer and the white color of the ice cream, which reminded him of the black and white cows on his family farm. The name "brown cow" was also used, as some root beers were dark brown and some ice cream was not pure white.

noun. Midwestern U.S. a root beer float containing vanilla ice cream.

Holsteins are the black and white cows. Holsteins are used because they give a lot of milk. Jerseys are the brown cows. Jerseys give less milk but more cream.

A Black Cow is simple, really. Just soda (we used Coca-Cola) with vanilla ice cream. You might call it a root beer float or an ice cream soda. In New Zealand and Australia, they call it a Spider, and in the UK, it's known as a co*ke float.