If you’ve ever savored a refreshing root beer soda topped with a generous scoop of vanilla ice cream, you have the innovative entrepreneur Frank J. Wisner to thank. On August 19, 1893, Wisner invented the very first “Root Beer Float,” a drink he regarded as the ultimate sweet beverage.

How It Happened

The story goes that Frank. J. Wisner was working at a mining camp in Colorado, operating a soda fountain for his company, Cripple Creek Brewing. While gazing off into the distance, dreaming about ways to drum up business, his eyes fell upon Cow Mountain, a snow-capped peak off in the distance. He dreamily thought about how the mountain and the snow looked like ice cream on top of a cold glass of soda. 

Wisner had an idea- and that mountain peak in the distance was the inspiration. After a bit of trial and error, and, of course, some taste testing, Wisner proudly started advertising the “Root Beer Float” at his soda stand —an ice-cold glass of Cripple Creek’s root beer topped with vanilla ice cream, a nod to that snowy peak. 

The Root Beer Float was an instant success, and crowds would form at Wisner’s soda stand for a “Black Cow”- a nickname given to the float due to its inspiration. 

The Legacy

Although there is some speculation regarding the factual accuracy of this story, Frank J. Wisner is still widely recognized as the inventor of the Root Beer Float. Many people celebrate National Root Beer Float Day on August 6 and honor its inventor on August 19, 1893. So today, raise an ice-cold Root Beer Float, or “Black Cow,” in honor of this legacy.