Soda Jerk's Chocolate Ice Cream Soda

Are you craving an ice cream parlour favorite?  Ever tried an ice cream soda?  I used to make a million of these when I worked at an old fashioned ice cream parlour.  They are quick and easy to whip up.  Plus they look impressive.  Want to taste the yumminess?

The Ingredients
1/4 c. of your favorite chocolate syrup
8-10 oz. club soda
1 1/4 scoops of vanilla ice cream

optional garnishes
whipped cream
1 marashino cherry or many

Materials
1 frosted 12-16 oz glass (stick in freezer for a few minutes)
1 Iced tea spoon
1 straw
1 small plate (optional- but keeps the mess under control)

Hints
Use as thick a glass as possible if you want the glass to stay frosty.  Mine was not very thick, and the frost only lasted a bit.

Add the chocolate syrup and 1/4 scoop of ice cream to your frosted glass.  Take your Iced tea spoon and moosh up (yes- I did say moosh)the syrup and ice cream. You want to make it smooth with no lumps.  Use this time to scrape the chocolate syrup off the side of the glass.  It makes for a prettier presentation PLUS more chocolate in your drink.  Always a good thing.
Once the chocolate mixture is smooth, add 8-10 oz. of club soda. You want about a quarter inch or so from the top of the glass so you don't make mess when adding the full scoop.  Unless you like messes...
Vigorously stir the chocolate mix and club soda until color is even.  There will be a nice foam on the top.  It adds to the presentation and texture of the drink.

Hint: 
If you are making multiple sodas, do the liquid parts on all before you add the scoops of ice cream on the edges.





 

Scoop out a fair sized scoop of ice cream - about 4 oz. or the size of a 5 year-old's fist.  You want the scoop to be as round and stuck together as possible.  Carefully place and push the center of the scoop onto the edge of the glass. You want it pushed down about a quarter of the diameter of the scoop.  It should not fall one way or the other. 

Add the garnish of whip cream and cherry.
Place your lovely creation on a plate and serve with a straw and long handled spoon.




 ***Just in case you don't know how-
     How to make a pretty whipped cream base
 Hold the whip cream can at about a 75-90 degree angle.  Imagine the base of the tower you want and slowly, working from the outside of the spiral, squirt the whipped cream into ever smaller circles. 

Watch your creation be devoured.  Hopefully they saved some for you!
 

Options for different flavors.....
You can change the beverage part easily by changing and/or mixing the syrup flavors or ice cream. Just keep the amount of syrup to around 1/4-1/3 of a cup.  Otherwise the flavor is overwhelming. 

Try chocolate and mint syrups with a scoop of mint chip ice cream. One of my favorites was cherry chocolate syrup with cheesecake ice cream. Or try strawberry syrup with chocolate ice cream. Death by chocolate is tasty. Use chocolate syrup and chocolate ice cream with chocolate whipped cream.  A cherry is optional on that one. Or make a drinkable banana split with chocolate syrup mixed with banana ice cream in the drink, and strawberry ice cream on top. An all vanilla soda is yummy...or lemon..or whatever you fancy.  The sky is the limit on all possible combinations