Enjoy the Flavors of a Bygone Era
Several months ago I published “Double Quick! Ten Oddly Delicious 1940s Beverages.” Most of the recipes in that post—except for the infamous Buttermilk Fruit Drink and a couple others—were geared toward cold weather. If you live in the Southern hemisphere you might want to check out that post now. For those of us in the Northern hemisphere, considering the current heat wave it seems a good time to share some hot-weather drink recipes.
Folks back in 1944 must have also enjoyed ice-cold beverages. The Canada Dry Ginger Ale company’s full-page ad in the June 24 Saturday Evening Post shared several recipes for sparkling fountain drinks to make at home.
The Soda Fountain Experience
Soda fountains were the coffee or boba tea shops of an earlier era where young and old alike could stop a moment to relax and enjoy a sweet treat with friends.
I remember the small-town soda fountain where my grandparents lived. The pharmacy was in the rear of the store. Revolving card kiosks were in front. The midsection shelves were filled with medicines, sunscreens and bandaging. There was a small section beside the pharmacy with gifts like stuffed animals, glass paperweights and fancy pens.
The smell of the place was the first thing you noticed, though. The Drug Store had a candy-and-cream sort of aroma, no doubt from all the confections behind the tall soda counter. Anything from a banana split to a simple fountain cola could be had in a flash.
My mother used to walk there after school. Her friends got limeades—she preferred orangeades—and they would chat until she hurried home to watch American Bandstand at 4:00. Not many years after, I would walk to the same soda counter with my Granny. We would perch on two high, spinning, round red bar stools and settle in for a soft drink. They were nothing like today’s plastic-clad sodas! They were intensely sweet, bubbly and refreshing over crushed ice.
Advertisement in June 24, 1944 Saturday Evening Post
Making Soda Drinks at Home
The Canada Dry company had provided fizzy ginger ale and sparkling club soda since the early 1900s. Their products were available during World War II for many populations. They could be combined with countless varieties of ice creams, fruit juices or soft drink extracts to make inexpensive fountain-style drinks at home.
Their 1944 advertisement includes soda drink ideas along with an offer for more free “recipes for dozens of soda drinks, fruitades, punches, and fountain treats.” The address for requesting the leaflet does not even have a zip code!
I tested the lemonade, grapefruit-ade, limeade, orangeade, ice cream soda and grape juice sparkler—and followed the ad’s suggestion to try other juices by making a pineapple juice sparkler. Canada Dry’s Club Soda must be popular because the shelves at my local grocery were wiped clean, but any club soda or seltzer water works in these recipes.
The originals call for mixing juice with sugar, ice cubes and sparkling water. Because sugar will not dissolve in cold liquids, I changed the sugar to a sugar syrup. It takes only a moment to make: Simply boil an equal amount of water and sugar, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Then it’s ready for use. I used an equal amount of sugar syrup for the sugar called for in each recipe.
Take these drinks to the next level by freezing some of the juice-sugar mixture in ice cube trays. Use them where ice cubes are called for and it will keep the drinks from being watered down. You could also add sliced fruits or maraschino cherries.
For the ice cream soda, I used vanilla bean ice cream but any flavor that combines with chocolate would do. If you are feeling adventurous, you could follow the ad’s suggestion to use jam or preserves instead of chocolate syrup! That could lead to untold combinations.
The recipes are easy to follow and hit the spot for hot, humid days. What variations would you try?
References
Canada Dry Water advertisement, “How to Make Sparkling Soda Drinks in Your Own Home!” The Saturday Evening Post, Vol 216 No. 52. June 24, 1944, p. 62.
Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath!
Fret not yourself; it tends only to evil.
Psalm 37:8