A Boston cooler is Vernors ginger ale poured over vanilla ice cream and stirred into a thick float, often served in a chilled glass with a long spoon.
Where to eat it: 2 restaurants across 1 city.
Dr. James Vernor, Michigan's first licensed pharmacist, began aging his ginger ale base in oak barrels in 1862 before being drafted into the Civil War; he came back to find it deliciously different and opened his Woodward Avenue soda fountain in 1866. The Boston cooler emerged from Detroit soda fountains in the early 1900s and is now the canonical Michigan summer drink; ginger ale and vanilla ice cream, never sarsaparilla. Vernors trademarked the term in 1967.
Common allergens: Dairy
Tip from the editors. Vernors is sharp and very gingery; substitute another sharp ginger ale, not a sweet one. The proportion is 60 percent soda to 40 percent ice cream.
American Coney Island on West Lafayette since 1917 has served Coney dogs round the clock in Detroit. Located in Downtown. At 114 W Lafayette Blvd.
Try: Coney dog with chili, mustard and onion
Tip: Open 24/7 every day of the year. Coney with mustard and raw onion is the canonical order.
Lafayette Coney Island on West Lafayette in downtown Detroit since 1924 serves chili dogs around the clock. At 118 W Lafayette Blvd. Booking recommended.
Try: Coney dog with chili, mustard and onion
Tip: Cash preferred; the counter is the order line. After-bar crowd peaks 02:00-04:00.
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