Have your tastebuds soured to the same old convenience store flavors? Or are you looking for a sweet way to experience history? Try a visit to one of the Kansas City area’s old school soda fountains.
Once a staple of downtown excursions, these stores were the place to meet friends, mingle, and enjoy a tangy, fizzy treat. The soda fountain got its start with the invention of soda water, which was water made to bubble by adding carbon dioxide, trying to emulate the mineral waters that flowed from natural wells.
At first these drinks were considered health tonics, prepared in pharmacies, but the soda fountain evolved into the drug store lunch counter, with drinks like the phosphate or egg cream gaining popularity during Prohibition. Soda jerks were the original mixologists, concocting these delicious treats using soda water, flavored syrups, ice cream, and other ingredients…