A Better Ice Cream Soda

Tips: It's summer and it's hot out there. Cold ice cream and cold soda are a classic combination. But I dislike soda, which is too sweet and too heavily carbonated and contains stuff that's pretty bad for you. Luckily, in the past few years, some great alternatives have come along, and I have two to suggest. Both can be found at some natural foods stores and upscale markets; both are all natural, lightly carbonated, and contain no phosphoric acid or high fructose corn syrup. The first is Wild Fruitz, a line of sparkling juices (www.wildfruitz.com or 1-888-688-7632). The second is Reed's Ginger Brew (www.reedsgingerbrew.com, 1-800-99-REEDS). I have listed the flavors I used to develop this formulation, but feel free to experiment with other varieties in the same product lines.The tastes you get from these products are true and delicious, so if you use ordinary soda to make this I shall come to your house and call you a philistine. There now.

But let us not forget that the ice cream and chocolate syrup are important here, as well. Most Americans can find Godiva Ice Cream, and both the Belgian Dark Chocolate and the White Chocolate Raspberry will work here. Sharon's Chocolate Sorbet, for all that it isn't ice cream, is also a good bet. For the chocolate syrup, I've used Hershey's Special Dark, readily available to those living in the US. This is quick to make and requires no cooking, of course, but it must be served immediately upon completion.

Ingredients:

• Dark chocolate sorbet OR ice cream OR white chocolate raspberry ice cream
• Chocolate Syrup, if the dark chocolate sorbet or ice cream is used
• 1 bottle (12 ounces) Wild Fruitz Raspberry Sparkling Juice OR Reed's Original Ginger Brew, chilled until very cold

The sorbet or ice cream should be slightly softened if it's very hard when you take it out of the freezer. To do this, remove the lid and plastic liner (if any) from the top of the carton; microwave at 50% (medium) power for 10 to 20 seconds for a full pint, just until slightly softened.

Into the bottom of a tall glass, place a couple of heaping tablespoons or a smallish scoop of sorbet or ice cream. If you're using the dark chocolate sorbet or ice cream, add a couple of tablespoons of the chocolate syrup; if you're using the white chocolate raspberry ice cream, add about a tablespon of your cold beverage. With a tablespoon, mash and stir the ice cream-syrup or ice cream-beverage together (work quickly) until smooth. Fill the glass to within about a half-inch of the top with more of your beverage of choice, pouring slowly (you might not use the entire bottle of Wild Fruitz or Reed's--OK). Stir everything to blend. Garnish with a scoop of the same sorbet or ice cream you used in the bottom of the glass, balancing the scoop partly on the rim of the glass. Serve immediately!

Yield: 1 serving

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