Floats were a

beverage A drink or beverage is a liquid intended for human consumption. In addition to their basic function of satisfying thirst, drinks play important roles in human culture. Common types of drinks include plain drinking water, milk, juice, smoothies a ...

line introduced by the

Dr Pepper Snapple Dr Pepper Snapple Group (also called Dr. Pepper/7up Inc.) was an American multinational soft drink company based in Plano, Texas, and as of July 2018 it is a division (business), business unit of the publicly traded conglomerate Keurig Dr Pepper ...

in January 2008. Two flavors were available, A&W Float and Sunkist Float. The purpose of the concept was to mimic the flavor of an

ice cream float An ice cream float or ice cream soda (also known as a spider in Australia and New Zealand), is a chilled beverage that consists of ice cream in either a soft drink or a mixture of flavored syrup and carbonated water. When root beer and vanilla ic ...

of a given

soda Soda or SODA may refer to: Chemistry * Some chemical compounds containing sodium ** Sodium carbonate, washing soda or soda ash ** Sodium bicarbonate, baking soda ** Sodium hydroxide, caustic soda ** Sodium oxide, an alkali metal oxide * Sod ...

. Thus, the A&W flavor was intended to taste like a

root beer float An ice cream float or ice cream soda (also known as a spider in Australia and New Zealand), is a chilled beverage that consists of ice cream in either a soft drink or a mixture of flavored syrup and carbonated water. When root beer and vanilla ...

, while the latter is comparable to an

orange Orange most often refers to: *Orange (fruit), the fruit of the tree species '' Citrus'' × ''sinensis'' ** Orange blossom, its fragrant flower *Orange (colour), from the color of an orange, occurs between red and yellow in the visible spectrum * ...

creamsicle Popsicle is a Good Humor-Breyers brand of ice pop consisting of flavored, colored ice on a stick. History In 1905 in Oakland, California, 11-year-old Francis William "Frank" Epperson was mixing a powdered flavoring for soft drinks with water. ...

or Sunkist float. The drinks were creamy in nature and contained little

carbonation Carbonation is the chemical reaction of carbon dioxide to give carbonates, bicarbonates, and carbonic acid. In chemistry, the term is sometimes used in place of carboxylation, which refers to the formation of carboxylic acids. In inorganic ch ...

, and no

caffeine Caffeine is a central nervous system (CNS) stimulant of the methylxanthine class. It is mainly used recreationally as a cognitive enhancer, increasing alertness and attentional performance. Caffeine acts by blocking binding of adenosine t ...

. Ingredients included

skim milk Skimmed milk (British English), or skim milk (American English), is made when all the milkfat is removed from whole milk. It tends to contain around 0.1% fat. Background Historically, skimmed milk was used for fattening pigs, and was recommended ...

cream Cream is a dairy product composed of the higher-fat layer skimmed from the top of milk before homogenization. In un-homogenized milk, the fat, which is less dense, eventually rises to the top. In the industrial production of cream, this process ...

, and

nitrous oxide Nitrous oxide (dinitrogen oxide or dinitrogen monoxide), commonly known as laughing gas, nitrous, or nos, is a chemical compound, an oxide of nitrogen with the formula . At room temperature, it is a colourless non-flammable gas, and has a ...

to create

foam Foams are materials formed by trapping pockets of gas in a liquid or solid. A bath sponge and the head on a glass of beer are examples of foams. In most foams, the volume of gas is large, with thin films of liquid or solid separating the reg ...

. While it was recommended that they be served chilled, refrigeration of Floats is not mandatory. Available in 11.5-ounce, vintage soda-shop-inspired glass bottles with twist-off tops, Floats were sold at major US retail, grocery, and

convenience store A convenience store, convenience shop, corner store or corner shop is a small retail business that stocks a range of everyday items such as coffee, groceries, snack foods, confectionery, soft drinks, ice creams, tobacco products, lottery ticket ...

Marketing

The product's first

press release A press release is an official statement delivered to members of the news media for the purpose of providing information, creating an official statement, or making an announcement directed for public release. Press releases are also considere ...

was issued on January 2, 2008, which included bottle design photos, suggested retail prices, and other information. In the press release, Andrew Springate, vice president of marketing, stated: :"For years, beverage makers have tried to crack the code and develop an indulgent drink that tastes like a homemade float... The A&W and Sunkist Floats are indulgent treats like nothing consumers have experienced before; one pour and your taste buds will be amazed - no work, no hassle."Reuters, Thoma
"A&W Root Beer and Sunkist Soda Unveil First Authentic Ice Cream Float in a Bottle"
Reuters.com (January 2, 2008). Retrieved on July 30, 2008.

References

{{reflist

External links

Floats.com - Official Website
Products introduced in 2008 Ice cream brands Orange sodas Defunct brands Root beer