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Nothing quite screams summer like the memory of sipping perfectly crafted ice cream sodas. The layered flavors intertwined with the scrumptious sweetness, combined with that unmistakable fizzle from carbonated fountain drinks—ah, nothing is more heavenly on a hot summer day! Today, June 20th is National Ice Cream Soda Day and it’s the perfect opportunity to gather your closest friends or family together and relive those wonderful memories again! We here at Bee Inspired are excited to help you celebrate this special day by offering insight into perfecting an ice cream soda for any occasion - whether it’s making them dairy-free for a loved one following a lactose-intolerant diet or sprucing up classics with new combinations; we have all of your flavor needs covered! Let’s get started revisiting childhood pleasures as we pay homage to National Ice Cream Soda Day.
It's National Ice Cream Soda Day
In honor of this holiday I planned to share a New York Egg Cream Recipe that I learned to make during my brief tenure at Manny’s Place Deli in Baltimore. Ice cream sodas have a rich history, often enjoyed at the local soda fountain, a staple of American culture. Egg Creams contain neither eggs nor cream. Egg cream soda is made with milk, seltzer, and chocolate syrup. I quickly learned in my research stage that an egg cream is not an ice cream soda, and so I began my journey.
Lesson 1: An Egg Cream IS NOT an ice cream soda.
Your typical ice cream/soda concoction might be similar to root beer floats, with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and a can of sweet, syrup-y soda. An ice cream soda is a little different though, but just as delicious. For the record, ice cream soda made with root beer is called a root beer float.
What is an Ice Cream Soda?
An ice cream soda is a bit of a combination between an egg cream and a float. Here I was, thinking that anything with a bubbly drink and ice cream was the same thing! (National Ice Cream Soda Day had me learning new things. It’s always nice to learn new things.) National Ice Cream Soda Day had me learning new things, including the various methods of making ice cream sodas.
An ice cream soda is a chilled beverage that includes ice cream, a soft drink or a combination of flavored syrup and soda water.
When I was a kid, we would go to Woolworths or Reads and sit at the soda fountains, watching the soda jerk make our old-fashioned afternoon treat. It was typically on a 200 degree day in Baltimore where nothing else could possibly satisfy our combination of thirst and near heat-stroke.
The hero of our syrup in this ice cream soda on National Ice Cream Soda Day is, drumroll please, honey! Run to the market and pick up this amazing honeycomb ice cream.
How to Make a Honey Ice Cream Soda
First, you’ll want to gather your ingredients, you’ll need:
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Warm water
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Honeycomb ice cream
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Carbonated unflavored soda water
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Lavender sprigs, fresh picked
For an extra touch, you can also add a dollop of whipped cream on top.
It takes only a few minutes
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Start with a tall soda glass
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Fill the bottom with the honey syrup made with equal parts of our Eastern Shore Honey and warm water. The syrup will mix easily with the soda.
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Add about 2 inches of unflavored carbonated soda and mix the syrup with the carbonated water.
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Add several scoops of honey ice cream in the tall glass.
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Fill the balance of the tall glass with unflavored carbonated soda until the glass is filled and the resulting foam rises above the top of the glass.
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Garnish with sprigs of fresh picked lavender.
For a fruity twist, try adding a splash of raspberry syrup to the mix.
Make our Honey Soda Even Better
Even simple sweets like this can be customized! Feel free to play with your food, and have fun with this recipe. Here’s our favorite suggestions:
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Use different artisanal Bee Inspired Honey each time you make this soda
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Switch out the ice cream for plain old vanilla, or maybe even black raspberry
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Use dairy-free ice cream. Coconut milk ice cream is delicious.
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Add cocoa nibs and a drizzle of honey over top
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Top with toasted coconut and chopped pecans
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Switch out the honey ice cream for chocolate ice cream for a rich, decadent treat
On this very special occasion of National Ice Cream Soda Day, let us come together and celebrate in the comforting nostalgia that comes with slurping on this delicious beverage! Whether you mix up creative blends or stick with traditional favorites, it’s sure to be a treat that everyone in the family can enjoy.
Cooking up an ice cream soda is quite an experience––from pouring in sparkling soda and stirring in creamy ice cream, to diving into the unique combinations of flavors and succulent textures.
Let’s grab those straws and raise a glass to all of us who appreciate food culture! So make sure to gather around with your friends and loved ones, bust out the cold drinks and favorite ice cream flavors, and cheers to National Ice Cream Soda Day! If you decide to try making this recipe, share a snapshot with us using @beeinspiredsgoods on Instagram.
