It's Easier Than You'd Think To Hack A Root Beer Float At The Costco Food Court

If you enjoy the winning combination of bubbly root beer and vanilla ice cream, Costco might just have you covered. Per a Reddit thread, it's possible to create your own root beer float in the Costco food court, which is best known for serving up tasty pizza and hot dogs. According to one commenter, ordering vanilla soft serve in a cup and combining it with root beer allows you to enjoy a quick and convenient dessert beverage during (or after) your shopping excursion.

Redditors are downright wowed by the suggestion, with one stating, "This!!! Yes thank you!" Another person claimed they used to use a similar hack at their local convenience store. However, some commenters stated they were unable to perform the root beer float trick at their closest Costco. As explained by one person, "No root beer at my local Costco, sadly. Great idea otherwise." This begs the question: why is root beer conspicuously absent at some Costco food courts?

Why your mileage may vary when it comes to the root beer float hack

As reported by NPR, Costco chose to cut ties with Coca-Cola (the maker of Barq's Root Beer) over conflicts about pricing back in 2009. According to the warehouse retail chain, the price of Coca-Cola's products did not allow the store to offer good deals to shoppers. As a result, Costco removed Coke products from store shelves. A few years later, Costco opted to serve Pepsi in its food court instead of Coca-Cola, and this practice has remained pretty consistent ever since.

It should be noted that Pepsi has a root beer of its own in the form of Mug Root Beer, which means that some Costco stores may carry that specific brand. Additionally, Costco often reviews its contracts with beverage companies, so it's possible that Coke products may become available within the food court again. Until that time, Costco members will need to be a little craftier when making ice cream-based beverages.

Some sweet alternatives to root beer floats

In the event that your nearest Costco location is without root beer in the food court, all is not lost. A TikTok video shows a shopper attempting the root beer float hack and failing since that particular store does not offer root beer in its fountain drink station. Instead, the shopper quickly pivots and pours Mountain Dew over their vanilla ice cream, which they describe as "the new Orange Julius." One commenter also offers the innovative suggestion of combining Dr. Pepper and Coke to concoct a root beer-like beverage.

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You can also make a float that hews close to the flavors offered by creamsicles. In this case, look for orange soda in the food court and add it to your vanilla ice cream. Pepsi manufactures Orange Crush, which means there's a good chance that you can find it at Costco. And if you're not satisfied with any of the fountain drink options, you can always pick up your preferred flavor of ice cream and soda from the store and whip up your own floats at home.