# What is a Soda float?

- Link: https://lifeandwork.blog/what-is-a-soda-float/
- Published: 2026-10-23T20:10:49-05:00
- Author: Bert Swope

Soda float or Ice cream soda float is a dessert-type or recreational-type drink 
made using ice cream and soda, carbonated water, or soft drink such as root beer(
hence the alternative name; root beer float). The drink may contain other ingredients
such as candy, syrup, milk, and whipped cream.

Ice cream soda originates from the US. It was first created by Robert McCay Green,
a flavored drink seller back in 1874 in Philadelphia, PA. The idea came to him on
a hot day after he ran out of the ice he was using to make flavored drinks and decided
to use vanilla ice cream instead. It’s worth noting there are other people who claim
to have invented the ice cream float, including Green’s own employees, George Guy,
Fred Sanders, and Philip Mohr.

Besides having a great taste, ice cream soda works because the carbon dioxide inside
the soda is displaced from the resulting solution to form a small fountain of foam
and bubbles that isn’t messy.

## What are the most common flavors of ice cream soda floats?

There are many flavors based mainly on the ingredients. The most common include 
vanilla, chocolate, strawberry, coke, root beer;

![Vanilla Ice Cream Float Made With Orange Soda](https://i0.wp.com/lifeandwork.blog/
wp-content/uploads/2020/03/c3102-beehive-337695.jpg?resize=790%2C527&ssl=1)

Vanilla Ice Cream Float Made With Orange Soda

### 1. Vanilla ice cream soda float

This drink is made using several scoops of vanilla ice cream and unflavored carbonated
water. The ice cream is put first in a glass before pouring in carbonated water 
until the resulting foam rises to the top. Some whipped cream is added and a cherry.

When Sprite soda or 7 Up is used instead of unflavored carbonated water, the resulting
drink is known as snow white. 

![Chocolate ice cream soda float](https://i0.wp.com/lifeandwork.blog/wp-content/
uploads/2020/03/80689-img_3217-1.jpg?resize=790%2C790&ssl=1)

Chocolate ice cream soda float with whipped cream and cherry on top

### 2. Chocolate ice cream soda float

This drink is made like the vanilla ice cream soda float. The only difference is
the ingredients used, i.e., chocolate ice cream or vanilla ice cream with chocolate
syrup.

![Strawberry ice cream soda float ](https://i0.wp.com/lifeandwork.blog/wp-content/
uploads/2020/03/17659-img_3206.jpg?resize=790%2C790&ssl=1)

Strawberry ice cream soda float

### 3. Strawberry ice cream soda float

This drink is made in a similar manner to vanilla float ice cream soda float but
using strawberry flavored ingredients like strawberry soda, strawberry syrup, and
strawberry or vanilla ice cream.

![Coke ice cream float](https://i0.wp.com/lifeandwork.blog/wp-content/uploads/2020/
03/be81e-bee-2189340.jpg?resize=790%2C719&ssl=1)

Coke ice cream float

### 4. Coke ice cream float

As the name suggests, this ice cream float is made with any cola/coke drink and 
vanilla ice cream.

![Root Beer Float with Vanilla Ice Cream](https://i0.wp.com/lifeandwork.blog/wp-
content/uploads/2020/03/e551e-img_3115.jpg?resize=790%2C790&ssl=1)

Root Beer Float

### 5. Root beer float

Root beer float or brown cow or black cow is made using root beer and vanilla ice
cream. However, some variations use other ice cream flavors. Beer may also be substituted,
making variations like black cow different in some regions in the US. While root
beer float contains only root beer and vanilla ice cream in some places, some areas
use chocolate ice cream to make a brown cow or chocolate cow. Some areas also substitute
beer with cola and call it a black cow such as Northern Illinois and Northeastern
Wisconsin.

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