Italian Soda Float

One of my favorite things to look at on Instagram besides fancy street fashion is Japanese retro style cafes and coffee shops. One of the things that's really aesthetically pleasing to me in addition to the environs is the brightly colored cream soda floats that so many places serve. I have a plane ticket to go to Japan in February 2022, but it's starting to look unlikely that they'll be allowing tourists back into the country by then. Whether or not I get to go, in the meantime I wanted to try making my own soda float. I used this page for inspiration.

Notes:

• I used raspberry Torani syrup for the flavoring.
• I used a cherry flavored seltzer water because it's what I had in the house.
• If you want a pretty gradient effect like in the photo, add the syrup to the bottom of the glass, then the ice, then gently pour the soda water down the side of the glass.
  

Verdict: The flavor was nice (not overly sweet thankfully). The crushed ice helps support the ice cream on top and makes it look pretty, but it really gets in the way of eating the ice cream (but maybe you're supposed to mix it to melt it into the drink). I'm starting to wonder if this is a food that generally looks way better than it tastes. I would like to try again with less ice, and maybe a melon syrup for that bright green or blue color.

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RECIPE:

Italian Soda Float
Serves 1

2 tbsp flavored syrup of your choice (fruity flavor recommended)
6-8 oz soda water
4-5 ice cubes, crushed (enough to fill about half the glass)
1 scoop (about 3-4 oz) vanilla ice cream
1 maraschino cherry (optional)

Add syrup to the bottom of an 8-10 ounce glass. Add crushed ice to the glass. Slowly, gently pour the soda water down the side of the glass to almost fill it. Gently place the scoop of ice cream on top of the ice. Top with maraschino cherry. Serve with a long dessert spoon or straw.