In August 1924, a reader contributed a recipe to the Detroit Free Press for “a nectar that the Olympians pined for but didn’t know how to make.” The cool summer drink consisted of sarsaparilla (a sassafras soft drink) poured over a scoop of vanilla ice cream, and stirred until smooth. The name of this sweet, godly elixir? The Boston Cooler. It makes sense that a Detroiter would wax poetic about the Boston Cooler: Motown has become synonymous with the sweet treat. Though the Boston Cooler—originally a cocktail of rum, lime,…
