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America's Melting Pot
Black Cow hero image coming soon
Gilded Age & Progressive Era - American soda fountains, malt shops, drive-ins, malls, smoothie bars, and regional drink counters
Black Cow is fizzy Americana from the soda-fountain counter: Often root beer float or root beer mixed with ice cream; name varies by region.
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Difficulty
Easy
Prep time
10 minutes
Cook time
0 minutes
Total time
10 minutes
Servings
2 servings
Region
Cripple Creek, Colorado
Era introduced
Gilded Age & Progressive Era
Introduced by
American soda fountains, malt shops, drive-ins, malls, smoothie bars, and regional drink counters
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Black Cow is a toast to the old American soda fountain. Often root beer float or root beer mixed with ice cream; name varies by region. Before every drink came bottled or canned, fountain counters mixed syrup, dairy, soda water, fruit, and ice into small pieces of theater. This one keeps that hand-mixed counter charm intact.
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