About This Recipe
No summer can go by without a root beer float. This is one of the wonderful “recipes” from my childhood. I use quotation marks because it isn’t really a recipe, but a combination of two fabulous ingredients that combine to make something so much more than the sum of its parts.
Every summer I think about the menu we had when I was small. Every year, my dad would grill steaks and my mom would make her infamous potato salad, which she would serve with a fruit salad, potato chips, baked beans, and brownies.
Root beer floats were always part of that celebration.
It does seem kind of silly to give you a recipe for a root beer float, which is just a combination of root beer and ice cream. But I think the type of ice cream you use in this recipe is important. Don’t try to use frozen yogurt, and for heavens’ sake, avoid low fat products. Use the best ice cream you can find. And for root beer, I prefer A&W; it’s the brand I think tastes best.
Enjoy this easy recipe on a warm summer day.
Tips for the best Root Beer Float:
- Use a really good quality root beer. A&W root beer is my favorite, since it was served at the classic drive-in restaurants everyone frequented when I was young.
Why this recipe works:
- The contrasting flavors and textures of smooth and creamy ice cream and tingling and tart root beer combine to make each flavor stronger.
- Some of the root beer will freeze on contact with the ice cream, which makes delightful little crunchy bits.
- As the ice cream melts, the root beer becomes creamy. Still, serve each float as soon as it’s made so you get the whole experience.
- Oh good grief – just go make one!
Steps
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1
Done
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This dessert/drink is always better if you chill the glasses. And you should use big beer mugs for this recipe. |
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2
Done
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Put a scoop (about 1/2 cup) of ice cream into each chilled glass. |
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3
Done
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Slowly pour root beer into the glass, stopping occasionally to let the foam subside. |
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4
Done
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When the glasses are full, serve with an iced tea spoon. |
