Root Beer Floats Are Go-To Treats on National Ice Cream Day!

Kirsten Gilliam
Root Beer Floats Are Go-To Treats on National Ice Cream Day!

Houston eateries are, ahem, rooting for an old-fashioned take on cool treats this National Ice Cream Day, which is Sunday, July 19!


FM Kitchen & Bar on Shepherd — a popular neighborhood bar and restaurant known for cool cocktails, craft beers, burgers, and locally sourced comfort food — is pitching root beer floats made with Houston-made Saint Arnold’s Root Beer. The frothy, ice-creamy beverage, also known as a Brown Cow or Black Cow, can be made not only with the local brewery’s bubbly beverage, but also Mexican Coco-Cola and Mexican Fanta. Available for both dine-in and curbside, the floats go for $6 each.

Of course, the traditional Texas favorite float also remains on the menu at The Burger Joint, Fat Cat Creamery and Good Dog locations, all of which also source St. Arnold’s root beer.

At the same time, Ariana Quant, head pastry chef of Uchi parent company Hai Hospitality, has an idea for a make-it-yourself new spin on root beer floats — root beer granita. The recipe is simple. First make a simple syrup by bringing a quarter cup each of sugar and water to a boil and letting it cool slightly before adding three 12-ounce bottles of root beer. (We’re recommending St. Arnold’s naturally.) Then pour it into a glass pan, freeze it and use a fork to scrape it into little crystals. Serve it topped with vanilla ice cream and a drizzle of chocolate sauce.

At the restaurant, Uchi is featuring a decidedly fancier affair — coconut-lychee sorbet — to mark National Ice Cream Day. The frozen confection will be accompanied with blueberries pickled in Calamansi vinegar.

AT TOP: FM Kitchen & Bar

Food
Chapman & Kirby Launches Free Concert Series for Spring

Danny Ray and the Atlantic Street Band performs May 31 (photo from dannyrayatlanticstreetband.com)

CHAPMAN & KIRBY, THE premier event destination in Houston’s East Village, is thrilled to announce the launch of its Spring Music Series, kicking off on Friday, April 12. Chapman & Kirby has become synonymous with top-tier events and unforgettable experiences, many attended by celebrities both local and worldwide. With concert ticket prices soaring to hundreds and even thousands of dollars in the last year, this eight-week music series promises to be a welcomed opportunity to engage with live music for free, showcasing an eclectic lineup of talented acts.

Keep Reading Show less

The pool at Zen

THE MANAGER OF Grand Velas Riviera Maya says a funny thing as she tours a writer around the 206-acre all-inclusive between Cancun and Tulum. “I still get lost sometimes. If I forget what I’m doing and stop looking at the signs, I wind up in the parking lot.”

Keep Reading Show less
People + Places

The Cottages at the Boat Basin

THERE'S A REASON that many Houstonians glorify a quaintly picturesque life on Nantucket. Actually, there are several: a storied history, charming shops, cobblestone streets, impossibly fresh oysters (and need we even mention the weather?).

Keep Reading Show less
People + Places