“Root Beer Float”

The childhood classic, reimagined.

illustration: John Perry Yates
root beer float cocktail recipe john perry yates illustration

There is no ice cream or root beer in this drink, but a mix of cream, amari, sarsaparilla bitters and stout certainly do a fine job of pretending. This bittersweet, fluffy mixture—which takes its inspiration from the Italian Futurist approach to mixology—is somewhere in between a Ramos Gin Fizz and the soda fountain classic.

Ingredients

Serving: 1

  • 1 ounce Amaro Ramazzotti
  • 1 ounce Amaro Ramazzotti
  • 1/2 ounce Branca Menta
  • 1/2 ounce Branca Menta
  • 2 ounces stout
  • 2 ounces stout
  • 1 ounce cream
  • 1 ounce cream
  • 1/2 ounce simple syrup (1:1, sugar:water)
  • 1/2 ounce simple syrup (1:1, sugar:water)
  • 1 egg white
  • 1 egg white
  • 2 dashes sarsaparilla bitters
  • 2 dashes sarsaparilla bitters
  • soda, to top
  • soda, to top

Directions
  1. Add Branca Menta, Ramazzotti, cream, simple syrup and egg white to a mixing glass or tin and dry shake.
  2. Add stout and ice and shake quickly.
  3. Pour over ice into a Collins glass.
  4. Top with soda and two dashes of sasparilla bitters.

Tagged: amaro, float, Futurists

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