Ice cream float variation of ice cream soda was available at local soda fountains and nationally, at Dairy Queen stores for many years. A similar soda made with chocolate syrup but vanilla ice cream is sometimes called a "black and white" ice cream soda. Also known as a "black cow" or "brown cow", the root beer float is traditionally made with vanilla ice cream and root beer, but it can also be made with other ice cream flavors. The similarly flavored soft drink birch beer may also be used instead of root beer. In the United States and Canada, the chain A&W Restaurants
Independent soft drink Mexico. Independent soft drink An independent soft drink is a soft drink generally made by smaller privately run businesses or smaller corporations who use alternative marketing strategies to promote their product. The label was arguably started in the early 1970s in response to Coca-Cola and Pepsi Cola's mass media campaigns for the edge in the beverage market. Several groups decided to protest by making and in some cases publicly distributing their homemade brew. Jones Soda is one of the more commonly known "independent" companies, founded in 1987, as well as Jarritos, a popular "independent" soft drink company based from Guadalajara,