When Were Ice Cream Sundaes Invented?

When Were Ice Cream Sundaes Invented? Ice Cream sodas were invented almost 100 years ago in Evanston. Illinois, when selling soda was banned on Sundays. Ice cream sodas were so sinfully good that by the late 1890’s, many towns would not let them to be sold on Sunday.

So ice-cream parlor owners came up with a new Sunday treat: ice cream topped with syrup and sauces, but no soda. The soda less soda was originally called a Sunday. But because of religious disapproval to the name, the last “y” was changed to “e”. And that is why today, this cool dish is spelled “sundae.”

Another most popular historical chance is that the Soda fountain owner, Ed Berners of Two Rivers, Wisconsin is reputed to have invented the first ice cream sundae in 1881. Berners’ customer George Hallauer requested that Berners serve him a dish of ice cream topped with the syrup used for sodas. Berner liked the dish and added it to his regular menu, charging a nickel.

George Giffy, a competing soda fountain owner from nearby Manitowoc, Wisconsin felt he had to serve the same syrupy concoction as Ed Berners. However, Giffy felt that the nickel price was too cheap and decided to only serve the dish on Sundays, which soon became the name of the dish – the Ice Cream Sunday. Once Giffy realized that he was making good money from the “Ice Cream Sunday” he changed the name to the “Ice Cream Sundae” and served it daily.

And finally another historical chance is that the ice cream sundae was invented by Chester Platt who owned the Platt & Colt’s drugstore in 1893. Platt prepared a dish of vanilla ice cream for the Reverend John Scott on a Sunday. Chester Platt spiced up the ice cream with cherry syrup and a candied cherry. Reverend Scott named the dish after the day. In short now we know when and where were the ice cream sundaes invented.

Content for this question contributed by Johnny Sy Lim, resident of Metro Manila, Philippines