Milk Shake Trivia

1.
The first time milkshake appears in print seems to have been made around 1885 and may have included whiskey in the ingredient list. Talk about having a kick!

2.
Milkshakes were considered a health food in the late 1800's. The varieties made with malt were considered a restorative for the old and infirm and even used as a kind of baby food! Not everything was bad, back in the old days!

3.
William Horlick is credited with the creation of the original malted milkshake which was given as a health tonic. Horlick's is the name of a popular milk additive, although usually found in Europe today. It is similar to Ovaltine, popular in the United States. Malt, incidentally, really is good for you.

4.
Quick serve restaurant Steak and Shake markets their shakes as "hand dipped, the original way", but this is not entirely true. Milkshakes in the 1880's usually were more of an eggnog instead of an ice cream drink. It was thought to be healthy and, especially when combined with malt, it was given as a tonic.

5.
The soda fountain in the Chicago, Illinois Walgreens is often credited with being the birthplace of the modern milkshake made of ice cream, milk and flavoring and blended in a blender.

6.
Some soda fountains added soda and milk, making something that was a hybrid of a float and a milkshake. The fizzy soda made it hard to blend in a blender, so that recipe never really caught on.

7.
Banana milkshakes with just a touch of honey is an old-school hangover recipe. Definitely a step up from the raw egg cure, but you probably shouldn't pair this with the original milkshake recipe

8.
Smoothies are a form of milkshake, they just require fresh fruit and, in some cases yogurt or ice to blend. Ice cream can make them too sweet, if there is any such thing.

9.
In parts of Canada and the American Northeast a milkshake is known as a frappe (sounds like slap) or a velvet, and in Rhode Island if it includes ice cream it is called a cabinet. Supposedly the name cabinet comes from the cabinet the mixer was enclosed in, but no one knows for sure..

10.
It wasn't until 1922, when the blender was invented, that the modern milkshake was born. They quickly became an American take-away food and soda fountain favorite, especially when paired with burgers and fries.

11.
The blender was invented specifically for making malts and milkshakes. Previous to this they were mixed with a spoon or a whisk. I guess that's one way to burn off the calories...

12.
Ray Croc introduced the multi-mixer to the McDonald's corporation in the 1950's. This really set the stage for milkshakes to become an incredibly popular fast-food selection. Would you like some fries to go with that shake?

13.
Milkshakes are usually prepared in a machine that blends the ingredients together, but some places, especially fast food establishments, use a machine which freezes the product together in a creamy, frozen slush. Milkshakes are not actually shaken. But milkblends just sounds silly.

14.
The process of blending the milkshake inserts air into the mixture which is what makes them both thick and smooth. Mixing them the old fashioned way didn't yield such a perfect consistency.

15.
A vary popular way to eat milkshakes, especially chocolate ones, is by dipping French fries or potato chips into it. This may also get one accused of being pregnant.

16.
Wendy's fast food chain began making a very thick milkshake called a Frosty when it opened in 1969. A frosty is actually half vanilla, half chocolate, although a vanilla frosty was introduced in 2006. The Frosty continues to be one of the most popular menu items at the fast food chain.

17.
Many coffee shops offer a coffee-flavored milkshake in which espresso is added. In some cases, actual ground espresso is also tossed in for an interesting texture! Many places use a coffee-flavored syrup instead.

18.
Another popular modern milkshake flavor is Chai. This is created by adding chai mix or actual brewed chai into a milkshake. For an even more Indian flair, it is possible to use coconut milk instead of regular milk. Paired with a curry for dinner? Yum.

19.
September 12 is National Milkshake Day. Personally, I would have chosen a time in August, but there really is never a wrong time for a milkshake! Make mine triple thick!

20.
In Europe milkshakes are often called thickshakes, while beverages made with just milk and flavorings are often called milkshakes. In the United States this is called flavored milk.

21.
Milkshakes are often considered a no-no food for dieters, but you can make an at-home variety with powdered milk, ice cubes and vegetable oil (trust me) that is low-fat, and just as thick and rich as the ice cream variety. It does take a little more doing than plopping a couple scoops of ice cream into a blender with milk, though.

22.
Hershey's now markets some ready-to-drink "milkshakes" that are thick and rich, as well as heavy on calories. However, since they are not frozen they are more like a very thick, extremely sweet chocolate milk.

23.
Sometimes a milkshake made with malt is called a flip. The origin of this term is unknown and has pretty much fallen out of use altogether.

24.
Sometimes milkshakes made with fruit flavors are also called coolers and are not necessarily blended in a blender, but are served more like floats or sundaes. These can include some kind of alcohol as well, but are not necessary to be called a cooler.

25.
The most popular milkshake flavor is chocolate, followed closely by vanilla and strawberry. However, a milkshake can come in any flavor you can think of. Broccoli mashed potato milkshake, anyone?