This Has Been Named Michigan’s Most Iconic, Beloved Dish

Tons of food and drink are special to Michigan. There's Detroit Style Pizza, Coney Dogs, Mackinac Island Fudge, Better Made Chips, Kellogg's Cereal, McClure's Pickles, Pasties, Paczki, Whitefish, Olive Burgers - And you can't forget about Faygo and Vernors!

READ MORE: This Has Been Crowned Michigan's Most Unforgettable Restaurant

But what item would you say is the most special to Michigan? Mental Floss sought to find the most beloved dish in each state. They say these 55 foods have super strong fandoms in their state.

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Mental Floss' pick for Michigan is actually a beverage - well, a beverage and a dessert.

Boston Cooler Named Michigan's Most Iconic Dish

It's the Boston Cooler - basically a Vernors Ginger Ale and Vanilla Ice Cream shake or float. It originated in Detroit and many restaurants and ice cream stands across Michigan still serve it today.

READ MORE: Food Network Has Named a Different Item Michigan's Most Iconic Food

Why is It Called the Boston Cooler?

Of course Vernors is made in Michigan... but why is this concoction called the Boston Cooler then?

There are actually a few different theories about that.

Firstly, a Boston Cooler started out back in the day as an alcoholic drink. According to Atlas Obscura, it was originally a cocktail of rum, lime, and soda water that born in Massachusetts in the late 1800s. It gradually migrated and morphed across bars and soda fountains until it became the ginger ale-ice cream combo it is today.

Some credit Fred Sanders, who owned one of Detroit's first ice cream shops and founded Sanders Candy, with first introducing the soda and ice cream combination to the Detroit area in the 1800s. Of course he would use Detroit's own Vernors in the beverage. Vernors did go on to trademark the name "Boston Cooler" in 1967.

According to Detroitisit.com, other theories are the Boston cooler got its name from Detroit’s Boston Boulevard and its proximity to Dr. Vernor's original soda fountain, or that it's connected to Detroit's Boston Edison network. 

Variations on the Boston Cooler

Today we see Michigan ice cream shops and restaurants experimenting with different versions of the Boston Cooler

Doug's Delight in Hazel Park, Mich., has created a Boston Cooler soft serve and Dairy Whip in Redford offers up a Black Cherry Boston Cooler or Black Cherry Vernors float.