Soda jerk

Uncommon card · No. 140427

In the United States, a soda jerk (or soda jerker) was a person—typically a young man—operating the soda fountain in a restaurant, preparing and serving soda drinks and ice cream sodas. The drinks were made by mixing flavored syrup, carbonated water, and occasionally malt powder over either ice or a few scoops of ice cream. The drink would then be served in a tall glass with a long-handled spoon, most commonly known as a "soda spoon", and drinking straws. Soda jerks were relatively common in the United States from the 1920s until the late 1950s; due to economic and social trends, the occupation essentially no longer exists.

Read on Wikipedia · Image Alan Fisher, World Telegram staff photographer, Public domain