Great idea. Sounds like a creamsicle. Why didnt I ever see one before?
Root beer float. Oh my god, the BEST FOOD EVER. My favorite is made with diet Barq’s (less sugary than regular) and vanilla bean ice cream (NOT French vanilla).
Great, now this thread has derailed my planned dessert (frozen coffee Greek yogurt with hot fudge sauce). I’m now questioning if I should have a root beer float instead.
You get the fruit sherbet-with-ginger ale punch combo in teetotaler Southern gatherings, too. Like weddings. I’m rather fond of the punch.
Root beer, and I agree with another poster that said it has to be A&W.
I have also made them with orange soda (yes, it’s like a creamsicle) and grape soda (that may be known as a purple cow) but never with cola (because I don’t like it)
I have never tried it with ginger ale but I may have to try it now.
Coke, for me—'never cared for Root Beer, is all—vanilla ice cream/Sprite is an odd treat, when I need to settle my nerves or stomach.
I believe I’ve also tried Club Soda, when I was feeling especially bland, and “Birch Beer” experimentally (rather Pepto-Bismol-ey, really).
Ginger Beer might me an interesting experience, now that I think of it. 'Need to make a run to the novelty soda aisle…
Add some nutmeg and you’ve nearly got a Jamaican Guinness Punch
Or go to the restaurant!: http://www.moxietherestaurant.com/
Once upon a time I was particularly addicted to a Orange Crush/Chocolate Ice Cream combination. Sadly, though, most ice cream parlors don’t carry that kind of beverage…
On a side note: my wife’s ex-boss (let’s call him Jim) had a funny anecdote about Ice Cream Floats. He was travelling through Yucatán and stopped at an Ice Cream parlor to ask for a Float. The seller looked at him quizzically and asked him what that was. After hearing the description, he told Jim he didn’t sell that kind of stuff.
Jim told him: “Well, please sell me a Coke and a scoop of Vanilla Ice”
The seller:
"No. You’ll just combine them and eso no va (which, loosely translated means “that isn’t right”)
I like Boston coolers (vernors ginger ale & vanilla ice cream) and Snow White (sprite and vanilla ice cream), but root beer floats will always be #1.
When I was little, root beer over vanilla ice cream was the family’s New Year’s Eve tradition.
How about some toast instead?: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hdIXrF34Bz0
I prefer root beer over coke just for drinking purposes, so it’s a no brainer that a float gets the former.
A float is root beer and vanilla ice cream. Other combinations of soft drinks and ice cream might be good, and I’ll take one if you’re serving, but they’re not floats.
When I can choose, I’ll pick root beer for a float. But Coke is a very close second.
Many of the other combinations sound delicious, too.
I shouldn’t have read this thread, because now I want a root beer float, and root beer just isn’t a thing here. 
It’s one of the things I miss most about North America.
Whenever I think of ice cream floats I think “root beer!” Coke® never really enters into the equation for me. This coming from someone who used to drink Coke® like it was going out of style - I remember one time during a company event I must’ve downed 20 or 30 cans of that stuff (in my defense it was a summertime outdoor event and I wasn’t just sitting around while otherwise drinking Coke®. I was actually involved in several outdoor activities the burned some calories). I’ve since eased back a bit on “sody pop” (mostly thanks to the sage words of my wife). But yeah - when it comes to ice cream floats for me I call 'em “root beer floats” and not “Coke® floats”!
Root beer is classic so my vote goes that way.
In High School my go-to was mint chip ice cream and TAB.
Boston cooler (Vernors and vanilla ice cream). Mmmmmmmm! But now I want to try orange HiC and vanilla ice cream! But for the OP: root beer for me.
Root beer, no contest. Preferably IBC. I should try ginger beer sometime, too.
Damn you people - now I want a root beer float, and I haven’t had one in years - I literally can’t remember the last time.
Eva Luna, third-generation ice cream professional
We always did purple cows - grape Nehi and vanilla ice cream. But a coke float is ok too. Just no root beer as I can’t stand the stuff.
Since I asked the question I have drank several floats. IMO, the root beer float did the least for me. Maybe it was because I have had them before it seemed boring.
Coke floats reminded me of what I remember of floats as a kid. So it gets nostalgia points.
Orange Crush float was nice because of that ‘creamsicle’ taste.
I think the 7-Up float was the biggest surprise. I really enjoyed it.
The last one I tried was with Canada Dry black cherry wishniak. The soda alone is very, very sweet, but the ice cream tempered the sweetness nicely.
The above were all soda with vanilla ice cream. I have now run out of ice cream.
I still want to try some ginger beer and cream soda and then I want to try several with either chocolate ice cream or some thing other than mostly vanilla.