Ice cream drinks for a sweet and colorful 4th

Can you believe it’s the 4th of July? I hope all of you who are parents of kids in overnight camp, are getting happy letters and that all the kids everywhere are loving their summer activities. If you are a parent who now has the house to yourself, then make this holiday a great event with some adult friendly foods and great summer drinks.

Salmon is a staple for the 4th of July. It all goes back to nature and a story that may be pure mythology. In its natural habitat, salmon begin to spawn around the beginning of July. Simple historical concept — if a food was abundantly available, people ate more of it. There was a time when salmon populated all the New England rivers. Sadly, that time is mostly gone, but not our love for salmon.

The myth says that Abigail Adams served poached salmon with egg sauce, new potatoes and fresh garden peas to John Adams on the very first July 4th in 1776. Apparently, there are lots of holes in that story, but people like to cling to mythology. Based on that myth, the 1964 World’s Fair served salmon on July 4th as homage to Abigail Adams. The tradition stuck. While backyard barbecues are often meat based, celebrating the 4th of July with a salmon barbecue is delicious and, in all honesty, healthier than burgers and hot dogs.

In addition to being delicious, salmon is also pareve which means that you can cap off the dinner with delicious dairy treats for dessert. What could be better than a delicious ice cream treat to cap off the fireworks!

One of my favorite summer treats is an Ice cream soda or a float. I had my first ice cream soda when I was 5. My dad took me to the local Brigham’s for an ice cream cone, but I saw someone sitting at the counter and drinking from this tall glass filled with pink liquid and a huge scoop of ice cream resting on top of the glass. On top of that was a mountain of whipped cream and a cherry on top of all that. I begged my dad to buy me whatever that was and fell in love with the mix of bubbly liquid, ice cream and whipped cream. Though I barely ate half of it, ice cream sodas became my favorite summer treat.

Ice cream sodas and ice cream floats are the brainchild of pharmacist Robert M. Green who invented the concoction for the Philadelphia Exposition in October of 1874. There were cream sodas by then, a concoction of heavy cream, flavored syrup and soda water. But, at the exposition, the pharmacist ran out of cream, so he substituted a scoop of ice cream believing that the frozen scoop would melt into the soda. It didn’t quite do that, but customers clamored for the new treat and hundreds lined up at his window for every day of the Exposition, requesting the new ice cream drink instead of the cream soda drink. Patrons took the story of this new creation home and drug stores all over America began selling what became a summer favorite.

So what are the differences between an ice cream soda and a float? Floats are usually made with soda like Coke or root beer to which a scoop of ice cream is added. An ice cream soda is usually some syrup, cream and soda water or flavored soda with a scoop of ice cream perched on the rim of the glass. Both are worthy of some attention this summer! If your kids are away, have some fun with adult versions made with deliciously flavored liqueurs.

Summer is SO short, so enjoy and bring back your own memories of your favorite ice cream parlor!

NOTE: I use cream soda for most of these as the neutral vanilla flavor mixes well with most other flavors. You can substitute pareve ice cream or use diet soda and non-fat frozen yogurt to save calories.

Adult Peach Melba Float (Dairy, Adult)

1/2 oz. vodka

1/2 oz. peach liqueur

1/2 oz. raspberry liqueur

Cream soda

Raspberry sorbet, peach ice cream or vanilla ice cream

Place the ice cream in a tall glass. Pour the vodka and liqueurs over the top. Pour the cream soda over that to fill about 1/2-inch below the rim and mix gently. Garnish with fresh raspberries, maybe a slice of fresh peach, and a twig of mint.

Mocha Delight (Dairy, Adult)

1/2 oz. coffee cream liqueur

1/2 oz. chocolate cream liqueur

1 small scoop chocolate ice cream

1 small scoop coffee ice cream

1 small scoop vanilla ice cream

Cream soda

Chocolate syrup

Drizzle a bit of chocolate syrup against the side of a tall glass and swirl to coat the sides. Place two small scoops of ice cream in the glass. Pour the liqueurs over the ice cream followed by the soda. Stir and top with the remaining scoop perched on the edge of the glass, some whipped cream, and shaved chocolate. Decadent!

Iced Coffee Float (Dairy)

Iced coffee, double strength (decaf is my choice)

Cream soda

Your favorite ice cream like coffee fudge, mocha chip, vanilla, Oreo cookies and cream, or simple chocolate, coffee, or vanilla

Chocolate syrup and whipped cream

Make some double strength iced coffee and chill. Place ice cream in a tall glass and pour half iced coffee and half cream soda over the ice cream. Drizzle with chocolate syrup and garnish with whipped cream.

Decadent Chocolate Cherry Soda (Dairy, Adult and Kids)

1/2 cup half and half

4 Tbsp. chocolate syrup (for kids’ version)

4 oz. cherry liqueur (for adult version)

1 pint cherry chocolate chunk ice cream

1 liter black cherry soda

Place 2 to 4 tablespoons of the half and half in each of 3 or 4 tall glasses. Add a tablespoon of chocolate syrup for kids or the liqueur for adults. Mix well. Add a generous scoop of ice cream and pour the cherry soda over. Top with whipped cream and a cherry. Mix gently. Makes 3 to 4 ice cream sodas.

Best Summer Strawberry Float (Dairy)

1 lb. strawberries

1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

3 Tbsp. sugar

1 pint strawberry ice cream

1 bottle strawberry soda

Whipped cream

Wash, hull and slice the berries. Add the vanilla and sugar and stir. Set aside for 30 minutes. Remove 1 cup of berries and add the rest to a food processor. Pulse until smooth. Place in a fine mesh strainer and strain over a large bowl, pressing down with the back of a spoon. Discard any solids. Pour 1/3 cup of the sauce in each of the glasses. Add the ice cream and top with strawberry soda. Garnish with whipped cream and sliced berries. Makes 4 to 6 floats.

Raspberry Lime Sorbet Soda (Dairy or Pareve)

1 pint fresh raspberries

1/2 cup sugar

Juice from one lime

Chilled raspberry lime, or lemon lime seltzer, or raspberry soda

Medium cream, half and half or almond milk for a pareve treat

Raspberry sorbet

Lime sorbet or sherbet

Slices of lime, whipped cream for garnish

Mash the berries lightly with a fork and add the sugar. Mix well, cover and refrigerate overnight.

When ready to use, pour the berry mixture into a fine mesh strainer over a bowl. Press on the solids to extract all the juice. Discard the solids. Squeeze the juice from one lime into the raspberry sauce and mix well. For extra flavor, you can add some lime zest.

Add 3 to 4 tablespoons of the syrup to a tall glass. Add 3 tablespoons of the cream and mix while pouring in the chilled soda or seltzer. Fill the glass half full, add the sorbet and/or sherbet and add more soda. Garnish with a slice of lime or some whipped cream. Makes 3 to 4.