Colorado Gave the World the Root Beer Float, and the Origin Is Pure Magic

Did you know one of the most classic summer treats in America was born right here in Colorado?

Yep, the beloved root beer float has Colorado roots, and the story behind it is downright poetic.

The Root Beer Float Colorado Original

The root beer float is simple: vanilla ice cream melting into fizzy, icy root beer. It’s the kind of treat that hits just right on a hot afternoon. And it first came to life in August of 1893, thanks to a spark of inspiration in the mountains of Cripple Creek.

Meet the Coloradan Behind the Float

The inventor was Frank J. Wisner, owner of Cripple Creek Brewing. One summer night, he looked up toward Cow Mountain and noticed the moon lighting up the snowy peaks.

The sight reminded him of ice cream floating in a dark soda. Instead of just appreciating the view and moving on, he did what great inventors do: he walked back inside and made it real.

Inspired by the Snowy Mountains in Colorado

Wisner didn’t call it the root beer float at first. He named it after the mountain that inspired it: the Black Cow Mountain. So the original name for the drink was the Black Cow. When you hear people (especially in certain parts of the U.S.) call any ice-cream-in-soda drink a “black cow,” now you know why.

He served the very first one on August 19, 1893, and people loved it.

And here we are more than a century later, still enjoying the same simple joy he dreamed up while staring at a Colorado mountainside.

Read More: You’re Going to Love This Colorado Daredevil’s Wild Story

Colorado didn’t just give the world scenic beauty. We also gave it one of the greatest summertime treats ever made. I’d call that a win.