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In this week\u2019s episode of CuriosiD, where WDET answers your questions about Detroit and the region, Dan Golodner from Huntington Woods asks:\n\n\u201cI moved from Washington, D.C. to Detroit in the mid-\u201990. And I\u2019ve always loved the root beer float and people said, \u2018You have to try the Boston Cooler.\u2019 So, I tried it and was like, \u2018What\u2019s the deal here? Why\u2019s it called a Boston Cooler and not a ginger ale cooler or something like that? I\u2019m just curious.\u201d\n\nDan Golodner, Huntington Woods\n\nThe Short Answer:\nThe term \u201cBoston Cooler\u201d has a complicated history dating back at least as early as 1889. The way the drink was made and what it consisted of went through a few different iterations before it settled on the Vernors and vanilla ice-cream combination that we know today. At some point in the 1920s, Boston Cooler could refer to any sort of soda-pop and ice cream combination. For instance, Hires, a root beer company, promoted their own version of the Boston Cooler.