A soda jerk (or soda jerker[1]) was a person — typically a youth — who operated the soda fountain in a drugstore, often for the purpose of preparing and serving ice cream soda.[2] This was made by putting flavored syrup into a specially designed tall glass, adding carbonated water and, finally, one or two scoops of ice cream. The result was served with a long-handled spoon, most commonly known as a "soda spoon", and straws.
The name soda jerk came from the jerking action the server would use on the soda fountain handle when adding the soda water.[3]
The position was highly coveted, and awarded only after several months or years of menial labour in the store.[4] Some modern theme diners are styled after establishments from the 1950s and include an actual soda jerk, along with standard jukeboxes and booth seating.
Michael Karl Witzel, [5] writing in The American Drive-In Restaurant (2002) describes the archetypal soda jerk as being "[a] consummate showman, innovator and freelance linguist...the pop culture star of the Gilded Age".[4]
The practice of operating a soda fountain in a drugstore reached its peak popularity in the 1940s, and a few drugstores in small rural towns still do. The proliferation of ice cream parlors declined as drive-ins and walk-up fast food stands grew in popularity, replacing the soda jerk with grill men and fry cooks.[4]