A Tribute to Woody (Homemade Ginger Ale Float)

Author Notes

Vernors Ginger Ale is a Michigan icon ... sweet, gingery, fizzy. It's a golden ginger ale as opposed to a "dry" one and makes the claim of being the oldest surviving ginger ale in the country. Slogans have included "Detroit's Drink", "Deliciously Different" "Barrel Aged, Bold Taste, and "It's what we drink around here". I'm not sure if it's readily available all over the country, but if it is, try it. Served cold, it's refreshing, served hot, it's good for what ails you. Make a shake or float with it ... but if you can't find it, here's a recipe for the ginger syrup and the shake or float. Oh, by the way, "Woody" is the gnome that appears on the can or bottle. - inpatskitchen —inpatskitchen

Test Kitchen Notes

In any form, ice cream floats are a delightfully lazy route to a happy summer. Here, with one extra step, you get a kicky homemade ginger syrup, lifted by seltzer and bear-hugged by slow-melting vanilla ice cream. It's a fitting ode to a proud Michigan soda pop tradition, made with a handful of ingredients you probably have socked away in your kitchen -- your hot, sticky kitchen. Best go make yourself a float. - A&M —The Editors