Friday, July 10, 2009

Brown Cow, Black Cow or Root Beer Float?

Hansen's Root Beer +



Soy Vanilla Ice Cream=



The perfect cool down after a warm summer day of playing hard with friends!




Will it overflow??

AHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!



Then comes the clean up!



Brown Cow, Black Cow or Root Beer Float?
A root beer float is traditionally made with vanilla ice cream and root beer, but can also be made with other flavors. The definition of a black cow varies by region. 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."

Some Root Beer Float History from Wikipedia:
The origin of the name "black cow" has always been of interest to food and beverage experts and apparently dates to August of 1893 in Cripple Creek, Colorado. Frank J. Wisner, owner of the Cripple Creek Cow Mountain Gold Mining Company had been producing a line of naturally flavored, naturally carbonated premium soda waters for the citizens of the then booming Cripple Creek gold mining district. He had been trying to create a special drink for the children of Cripple Creek and came up with the idea for his concoction on a moon-lit winter's eve while staring out at his properties on Cow Mountain. The full moon's glow on the snow capped Cow Mountain reminded him of a big dollop of vanilla ice cream floating on top of his blackened Cow Mountain. As he told the story later, he was inspired by this view to hurry back to his bar and add a big scoop of vanilla ice cream to the one soda water he produced that the children of Cripple Creek seemed to like best - Myers Avenue Red root beer - and served it the very next day to a horde of thirsty youngsters. It was an instant hit. And while Mr. Wisner couldn't quite come up with the right name, the children had no problem christening it a "black cow" in homage to the rich, dark color of their favorite soft drink from Mr. Wisner (Myers Avenue Red root beer) and Frank's famous claims on Cow Mountain. Mr. Wisner was known to say many times in his later years that if he had a nickel for every time someone ordered a black cow, he'd have been a rich man.

14 comments:

caitlin said...

I love how you can tell how much you love your girls with your photography.

Also I don't think I have ever learned so much about a rootbeer float.. mm, you made me hungry :)

Happy Weekend Lisa!

Anonymous said...

Oh my! I can't even recall the last time I had one of these!! Now I MUST have one :-)

Lisa said...

Caitlin, I know, I can't help myself with the pics of the Little Ladies. Can be a little obnoxious about it sometimes. :)

dongdong said...

looks yummy! I don't like root beer myself. Your girls are so cute..love their expressions!

sarah in the woods said...

I like chocolate ice cream in my root beer, but I didn't know other people did too! Now I have a name for it.

Erin said...

Yum! Now you have me hankering for a rootbeer float. Thanks for the small history lesson too. Very interesting!

The Magic Onions said...

A coke float is my favourite... haven't had one in years... K would love to try one!!!

little luxury said...

Gonna try it....Thanks for sharing.My girls/boy will LOVE this.regards Laura

jane said...

yummmm! now i want one! happy weekend lisa!

Tara said...

Brown Cow for sure!

I have one bottle left of a micro-brew root beer in the fridge..... now to find some chocolate ice cream :0)

Alicia said...

I've always heard it called a brown cow when made with coke instead of root beer. I'm allergic to root beer so I always make them with coke and everyone tells me that's a brown cow. Maybe it's regional?

Christina J. said...

Like Alicia, I'd always heard Coke with vanilla ice cream was a brown cow. I've never heard of rootbeer with chocolate ice cream! Interesting.

Jenna said...

A walk down memory lane...every New Year's Eve of my childhood my parents and grandmothers would gather round the TV and watch the ball drop with big bowls of popcorn and huge glasses of Brown Cows: over the years I was finally allowed in on the careful mixing--two fingers of milk mixed with a generous squirt (or five) of chocolate syrup (which is then stirred to very dark chocolate milk-like consistancy) into which as many scoops of vanilla ice cream as the glass will hold and finally, the root beer poured over top (and given a slight stir to mix all that goodness up).
How can you not have a good year after that! ;-) Yummy!
(FYI--My waistline and I prefer to celebrate with just a glass of sparkling wine these days.)

Jenny said...

fun post :)