Milkshake

Last updated

Milkshake
Strawberry milk shake (cropped).jpg
A strawberry milkshake topped with a strawberry
Alternative namesThick shake, frappe, cabinet
TypeBeverage
Place of originUnited States
Main ingredientsMilk, ice cream, and flavorings or sweeteners

A milkshake (sometimes simply called a shake) is a sweet beverage made by blending milk, ice cream, and flavorings or sweeteners such as butterscotch, caramel sauce, chocolate syrup, or fruit syrup into a thick, sweet, cold mixture. It may also be made using a base made from non-dairy products, including plant milks such as almond milk, coconut milk, or soy milk. Dry ingredients such as whole fruit, nuts, seeds, candy, or cookies may be incorporated.

Contents

Milkshakes originated in the United States around the turn of the 20th century, and grew in popularity following the introduction of electric blenders in the subsequent two decades. They became a common part of youth popular culture, as ice cream shops were a culturally acceptable meeting place for youth, and milkshakes became symbolic of the innocence of youth.

Preparation

Full-service restaurants, ice cream shops, soda fountains, and diners usually prepare the shake in a milkshake machine. At home, a blender is more commonly used. Milkshakes can also be mixed by hand using a spoon. Milkshakes may be made from any flavor of ice cream; additional flavorings, such as chocolate syrup, malt syrup, or malted milk powder, are often added prior to mixing.

Many fast food outlets do not make shakes from the individual ingredients; rather, they use automatic milkshake machines which freeze and serve a pre-made milkshake mixture consisting of milk, a sweetened flavoring agent, and a thickening agent. These are similar to soft-serve ice cream machines, but they keep the shake at a drinkable consistency.

Terminology

Terminology around the distinction between a milkshake that uses ice cream and other forms of flavored milk varies regionally. An ice cream-based milkshake may be called a thick shake to distinguish it. In parts of New England and eastern Canada, the name frappe ( /fræp/ FRAP) is used. [1] [2] Rhode Island residents sometimes refer to milkshakes as "cabinets". [3] A milkshake containing malted milk powder is sometimes called a malt. The term concrete is used for particularly thick milkshakes that do not spill when turned upside down, such as those offered by the restaurant chain Culver's. [4]

In some jurisdictions there are legal requirements about what can be called a "milkshake", such as requirements for the percentage presence of milk fat and non-fat milk solids. Because of this, it is common for restaurants to avoid using the term "milkshake" to refer to their products, such as simply calling them "shakes" rather than "milkshakes". Fast food restaurants that do not refer to their similar products as "milkshakes" include Wendy's (which calls their product a "Frosty"), Burger King, Dairy Queen, Del Taco, McDonald's, Shake Shack, and Sonic Drive-In. [5]

History

A strawberry and a chocolate shake, each topped with whipped cream, sprinkles, and a maraschino cherry Milkshakes at Mels Diner.jpg
A strawberry and a chocolate shake, each topped with whipped cream, sprinkles, and a maraschino cherry

1880s–1930s

When the term milkshake was first used in print in 1885, [6] a milkshake was an alcoholic whiskey drink that has been described as a "sturdy, healthful eggnog type of drink, with eggs, whiskey, etc., served as a tonic as well as a treat". [7] However, by 1900, the term referred to "wholesome drinks made with chocolate, strawberry, or vanilla syrups". By the "early 1900s people were asking for the new treat, often with ice cream". By the 1930s, milkshakes were a popular drink at malt shops, which were the "typical soda fountain of the period ... used by students as a meeting place or hangout". [7]

The history of the electric blender, malted milk drinks, and milkshakes are interconnected. Before the widespread availability of electric blenders, milkshake-type drinks were more like eggnog, or they were a hand-shaken mixture of crushed ice and milk, sugar, and flavorings. [8] Hamilton Beach introduced its Cyclone Drink Mixer in 1910, and it was widely used in soda fountains. [9] [10] [11]

The Hamilton Beach design, with the motor on top, remains the most common kind of milkshake machine.[ citation needed ] In 1922, Steven Poplawski invented the bottom-motor blender, which is sometimes used for making milkshakes. [12] With the invention of the blender, milkshakes began to take their modern, whipped, aerated, and frothy form.

The use of malted milk powder in milkshakes was popularized in the US by the Chicago drugstore chain Walgreens. Malted milk powder – a mixture of evaporated milk, malted barley, and wheat flour  – was invented by William Horlick in 1897 for use as an easily digested restorative health drink for disabled people and children, and as an infant's food. [13] [14] However, healthy people soon began drinking beverages made with malted milk simply for the taste, [14] and malted milk beverages containing milk, chocolate syrup, and malt powder became a standard offering at soda fountains. In 1922, Walgreens employee Ivar "Pop" Coulson made a milkshake by adding two scoops of vanilla ice cream to the standard malted milk drink recipe. [15] This item, under the name "Horlick's Malted Milk", was featured by the Walgreen drugstore chain as part of a chocolate milkshake, which itself became known as a "malted" or "malt" and became one of the most popular soda-fountain drinks. [16]

The automation of milkshakes developed in the 1930s, after the invention of freon-cooled refrigerators provided a safe, reliable way of automatically making and dispensing ice cream. In 1936, inventor Earl Prince used the basic concept behind the Freon-cooled automated ice cream machine to develop the Multimixer, a "five-spindled mixer that could produce five milkshakes at once, all automatically, and dispense them at the pull of a lever into awaiting paper cups". [17]

Newspaper articles from the late 1930s suggest the term 'frosted' was sometimes used to refer to milkshakes, particularly those made with ice cream. In 1937, the Denton Journal in Maryland stated that "For a 'frosted' shake, add a dash of your favorite ice cream." In 1939, the Mansfield News in Ohio stated that "A frosted beverage, in the vernacular, is something good to which ice cream has been added. Example par excellence is frosted coffee –that hot, tasty beverage made chilly with ice and frosty with ice cream." [18]

1940s–1950s

By the 1950s, popular places to drink milkshakes were Woolworth's "5 & 10" lunch counters, diners, burger joints, and drugstore soda fountains. These establishments often prominently displayed a shining chrome or stainless steel milkshake mixing machine. [19]

These establishments made milkshakes in Hamilton Beach or similar styles of drink mixers, which had spindles and agitators that folded air into the drinks for "smooth, fluffy results" and served them in 12+1⁄2-US-fluid-ounce (370 ml) tall glasses with bulbous top. Soda fountain staff had their own jargon, such as "Burn One All the Way" (chocolate malted with chocolate ice cream), "Twist It, Choke It, and Make It Cackle" (chocolate malted with an egg), "Shake One in the Hay" (a strawberry shake), and a "White Cow" (a vanilla milkshake). [20] In the 1950s, a milkshake machine salesman named Ray Kroc bought exclusive rights to the 1930s-era Multimixer milkshake maker from inventor Earl Prince, and went on to use automated milkshake machines to speed up production at McDonald's restaurants. [21]

Milkshakes had also become popular in other parts of the world, including the United Kingdom and Australia. In Australia, milk bars had grown popular and milkshakes were normally served lightly whipped and often in the aluminum or stainless steel cups in which they were prepared. In addition to more traditional flavors, spearmint and lime-flavored milkshakes became popular in Australia.

2000s–present

This milkshake was made using liquid nitrogen. Vapor can still be seen forming at the top. Strawberry-Mint Liquid Nitrogen Shake at HBurger in Denver.jpg
This milkshake was made using liquid nitrogen. Vapor can still be seen forming at the top.

In 2006, the U.S. Agricultural Research Service developed reduced-sugar, low-fat milk shakes for lunch programs. The shakes have half the sugar and only 10% of the fat of commercial fast-food shakes. Schools need a milk shake machine or soft-serve ice cream machine to serve the milkshakes. The milkshakes also have added fiber and other nutrients and reduced levels of lactose, which makes the shakes suitable for some people with Lactose intolerance. [22]

U.S. sales of milkshakes, malts, and floats rose 11% in 2006, according to the industry research firm NPD Group. Christopher Muller, the director of the Center for Multi-Unit Restaurant Management at Orlando's University of Central Florida said that "milkshakes remind us of summer, youth – and indulgence", and "they're evocative of a time gone by". [23] Muller stated that milkshakes are an "enormously profitable" item for restaurants, since the drinks contain so much air. The market research firm Technomic states that about 75% of the average-priced $3.38 restaurant shake in 2006 was profit. An executive from Sonic Drive-In, a U.S. chain of 1950s-style diner restaurants, calls shakes "one of our highest-volume, revenue-producing areas". [23]

A 2016 article stated that chefs are trying out innovative ideas with milkshakes to keep customers interested in the drinks. [24] The article noted that coffee-flavored shakes are popular "because it complements both sweet and savory" dishes. Another trend is using different types of milk, such as almond milk, coconut milk, soy milk, or hemp milk. [24]

Use in protests

In May 2019, during the build-up to the EU parliament elections in the United Kingdom, the throwing of milkshakes emerged as a protest tactic, usually targeting right-wing politicians. The movement originated with the "milkshaking" of Tommy Robinson, with a second thrown later that month. [25] [26]

The UK police requested that an Edinburgh McDonald's refrain from selling milkshakes on May 17 during a visit by Nigel Farage. This prompted Burger King to tweet in response: "We're selling milkshakes all weekend. Have fun." [27] Burger King's tweet was later banned by the UK's Advertising Standards Authority, because they felt that it "condoned the previous anti-social behaviour and encouraged further instances", and that it was therefore an "irresponsible" advertisement. [28] At a separate visit in Newcastle on May 20, Farage had a Five Guys milkshake thrown at him. [29] Carl Benjamin had a total of four milkshakes thrown at him that week. [30] The act of milkshaking is similar to that of egging as a form of protest against political figures. [31]

Filmmakers sometimes utilize milkshakes as a visual shorthand for themes of purity, innocence, and uncorrupted youth, representing them as embodiments of 'sweetness and goodness. [32] In All About Eve , by director Joseph L. Mankiewicz, Bette Davis's character is unhappy to see a man she likes chatting up her young female assistant, so Davis's character orders an alcoholic Martini, and "then mockingly suggests [that] Eve [the young assistant] will have a milkshake", thereby "asserting womanhood over girlhood through milkshake's associations with virginity". [32] Similarly, the socially awkward character Steve Buscemi plays in Ghost World is made fun of by a teenage girl because he orders a "virginal vanilla milkshake"; in Manhattan , by director Woody Allen, the director draws attention to the difference in age between his 42-year-old character (he also acts in the lead role) and his teenage girlfriend by having her drink a milkshake. In the film Lolita in 1997, a teenage girl drinks a milkshake while she is with the middle-aged man (her mother's new boyfriend) who is attracted to her. [32]

The characters from Archie Comics are often depicted drinking milkshakes. The TV series Riverdale , inspired by the comics, depicts the characters in a 1950s-inspired local diner, Pop's Chock'lit Shoppe; to promote the show, the cast shared a milkshake during an appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon . [33]

Master Shake, one of the main characters from the American animated series Aqua Teen Hunger Force (also known by various alternative titles), is a life-sized anthropomorphic milkshake.[ citation needed ]

The term Milkshake Duck , coined on Twitter in 2017, refers to a person who initially becomes popular on social media, only to become disgraced as other users comb through their online presence and find offensive statements or an unpleasant history. [34]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Frappuccino</span> Starbucks iced coffee drink

Frappuccino is a line of blended iced coffee drinks sold by Starbucks. It may consist of coffee or crème base, blended with ice and ingredients such as flavored syrups and usually topped with whipped cream and or spices. It may also include blended Starbucks refreshers. Frappuccinos are also sold as bottled coffee beverages in grocery stores, convenience stores and from vending machines.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cream soda</span> Soft drink

Cream soda is a sweet soft drink. Generally flavored with vanilla and based on the taste of an ice cream float, a wide range of variations can be found worldwide.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Flavored milk</span> Sweetened dairy drink

Flavored milk is a sweetened dairy drink made with milk, sugar, flavorings, and sometimes food colorings. It may be sold as a pasteurized, refrigerated product, or as an ultra-high-temperature (UHT) treated product not requiring refrigeration. It may also be made in restaurants or homes by mixing flavorings into milk.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Malted milk</span> Powdered gruel with a malted flavor

Malted milk or malt powder or malted milk powder, is a powder made from a mixture of malted barley, wheat flour, and evaporated whole milk powder. The powder is used to add its distinctive flavor to beverages and other foods, but it is also used in baking to help dough cook properly.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coffee milk</span> Drink made from coffee syrup and milk

Coffee milk is a drink made by mixing coffee syrup or extract with milk, in a manner similar to chocolate milk. Since 1993, it has been the official state drink of the U.S. state of Rhode Island.

A coffee cabinet is an ice cream-based milkshake found almost exclusively in Rhode Island consisting of coffee ice cream, coffee syrup, and milk. The ingredients are mixed in a drink blender or milkshake blender.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Soda jerk</span> Occupation

Soda jerk is an American term used to refer to a person—typically a young man—who would operate 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Soda fountain</span> Device dispensing carbonated soft drinks

A soda fountain is a device that dispenses carbonated soft drinks, called fountain drinks. They can be found in restaurants, concession stands and other locations such as convenience stores. The machine combines flavored syrup or syrup concentrate and carbon dioxide with chilled and purified water to make soft drinks, either manually, or in a vending machine which is essentially an automated soda fountain that is operated using a soda gun. Today, the syrup often is pumped from a special container called a bag-in-box (BiB).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ice cream float</span> Soft drink with ice cream

An ice cream float or ice cream soda, also known as an ice cream spider in Australia and New Zealand, is a chilled beverage made by adding ice cream to a soft drink or to a mixture of flavored syrup and carbonated water.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Iced coffee</span> Coffee served chilled

Iced coffee is a coffee beverage served cold. It may be prepared either by brewing coffee normally and then serving it over ice or in cold milk or by brewing the coffee cold. In hot brewing, sweeteners and flavoring may be added before cooling, as they dissolve faster. Iced coffee can also be sweetened with pre-dissolved sugar in water.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chocolate syrup</span> Chocolate-flavored condiment used as a topping or ingredient

Chocolate syrup, sometimes called chocolate sauce, is a sweet, chocolate-flavored condiment. It is often used as a topping or dessert sauce for various desserts, such as ice cream, or mixed with milk to make chocolate milk or blended with milk and ice cream to make a chocolate milkshake. Chocolate syrup is sold in a variety of consistencies, ranging from a thin liquid that can be drizzled from a bottle to a thick sauce that needs to be spooned onto the dessert item.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Slushy</span> Flavored frozen drink

A slushy is a type of beverage made of flavored ice and a drink, similar to granitas but with a more liquid composition. It is also commonly called a slush, slurpee, frozen beverage, or frozen drink. A slushie can either be carbonated or non-carbonated; the carbonated version is sometimes called a frozen carbonated drink or frozen carbonated beverage.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chocolate ice cream</span> Dessert

Chocolate ice cream is ice cream with natural or artificial chocolate flavoring. One of the oldest flavours of ice creams, it is also one of the world's most popular. While most often sold alone, it is also a base for many other flavours.

Flavored syrups typically consist of a simple syrup, that is sugar, with naturally occurring or artificial (synthesized) flavorings also dissolved in them. A sugar substitute may also be used.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coca-Cola Freestyle</span> Touch screen soda fountain

Coca-Cola Freestyle is a touch screen soda fountain introduced by The Coca-Cola Company in 2009. The machine features 165 different Coca-Cola drink products, as well as custom flavors. The machine allows users to select from mixtures of flavors of Coca-Cola branded products which are then individually dispensed. The machines are currently located in major Coca-Cola partners and retail locations as a part of a gradual and ongoing deployment.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nesquik</span> Brand of products made by Nestlé

Nesquik is a brand of food products made by Swiss company Nestlé. In 1948, Nestlé launched a drink mix for chocolate-flavored milk called Nestlé Quik in the United States; this was released in Europe during the 1950s as Nesquik.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sno-ball</span> Shaved-ice dessert

A sno-ball is a confection made with finely shaved ice and flavored sugar syrup. Commonly confused with the snow cone, the ice of a sno-ball is fine and fluffy; while a snow cone's ice is coarse, crunchy, and granular. Moreover, whereas in a snow cone the flavored syrup sinks to the bottom of the cup, in a sno-ball the ice absorbs the syrup.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Milkshake machine</span> Machine for mainly commercial use

A milkshake machine or drink mixer is a kind of countertop electric mixer used to make milkshakes, flavored milk, frappés, and other blended beverages. Milkshake machines are generally used in ice cream stores and fast food restaurants, and are not common as domestic appliances, where blenders are typically used instead.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blueplate Lunch Counter and Soda Fountain</span> Defunct restaurant in Portland, Oregon, U.S.

Blueplate Lunch Counter and Soda Fountain was a restaurant in Portland, Oregon, United States. Located in downtown's Dekum Building, the diner and lunch counter was established by chef–owner Jeff Reiter in 2006. The menu had American-style comfort food such as chicken and dumplings, French toast, meatloaf, and hot dogs, as well as banana splits, egg creams, milkshakes, and sundaes.

References

  1. ↑ milk shake. The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language: Fourth Edition. 2000
  2. ↑ "The Difference between a Milkshake and a Frappe – Yankee Magazine". Archived from the original on June 11, 2016. Retrieved June 2, 2016.
  3. ↑ "Cabinet". Dictionary of American Regional English. Retrieved February 7, 2021.
  4. ↑ American Dialect Society CABINET, CONCRETE, FROSTED, VELVET Text accompanying illustration on a poster advertising Hood's Ice Cream (observed in Hancock Pharmacy, State and Hancock Sts., Springfield, Mass., September 30, 1952).
  5. ↑ "Why You're Technically Not Able To Order A Milkshake At McDonald's". Daily Meal. September 9, 2023.
  6. ↑ "A Complete History of Milkshakes". Iceberg Drive Inn. Retrieved June 30, 2024.
  7. 1 2 Flexner, Stuart Berg (1982) Listening to America, Simon & Schuster: New York, p. 178, ISBN   0671248952
  8. ↑ Vanilla Milk Shake Recipe from the "Second Edition of The Neighborhood Cookbook" published by the Council of Jewish Women, Portland, in 1914. Fill a glass two-thirds full of milk, sweeten to taste with any fruit syrup or with sugar, and then flavor with vanilla. Fill glass up with cracked ice and shake well together until thoroughly mixed. http://www.homemade-dessert-recipes.com/milk-shake-recipes.html
  9. ↑ Frederick J. Osius, "Agitator implement", U.S. Patent 1,005,653, filed September 20, 1910, issued October 10, 1911.
  10. ↑ "Hamilton Beach Brands Holding Company: Our History". hamiltonbeachbrands.com.
  11. ↑ Anne Cooper Funderburg, "Milkshake", in Darra Goldstein, ed., The Oxford Companion to Sugar and Sweets, 2015, ISBN   0199313628, s.v.
  12. ↑ Poplawski, Stephen J. US Patent US1480914 – Beverage mixer, Issued February 18, 1922
  13. ↑ "The History of Malted Milk Powder". Kitchen Lore. July 22, 2011. Retrieved October 10, 2013.
  14. 1 2 "Wisconsin's Malted Milk Story – Online Exhibits – Wisconsin Historical Society". www.wisconsinhistory.org. Retrieved June 1, 2017.
  15. ↑ "Walgreen's history". Walgreens.com. Archived from the original on May 1, 2008. Retrieved October 1, 2009.
  16. ↑ The Encyclopedia of American Food and Drink, John F. Mariani [Lebhar-Friedman:New York] 1999 (p. 196–197)
  17. ↑ Demirdjian, Z.S. (March 10, 2006). "Inexpensive Research in Marketing: Empowering the Technologically Challenged Entrepreneurs" (PDF). Innovative Marketing. 2.
  18. ↑ American Dialect Society CABINET, CONCRETE, FROSTED, VELVET
  19. ↑ Diner Style Archived June 22, 2013, at the Wayback Machine . Artsparx.com. Retrieved on October 10, 2013.
  20. ↑ Shake One in the Hay. Archived March 16, 2010, at the Wayback Machine New York First
  21. ↑ Happy Meals in Kitty Hawk: How the Wright Brothers Spawned a Burger Nation Archived October 4, 2003, at the Wayback Machine . Jyi.org. Retrieved on October 10, 2013.
  22. ↑ Konstance, Richard P. (May 2000) "Shaking Up the Future". Agricultural Research magazine.
  23. 1 2 Fancier ways to get brain freeze. By Bruce Horovitz, USA TODAY
  24. 1 2 "Sweetening the bottom line with milkshakes". July 18, 2016. Retrieved June 1, 2017.
  25. ↑ "Milkshake thrown over Tommy Robinson". BBC News. May 3, 2019.
  26. ↑ "All the people who have been milkshaked so far this year" . The Independent. May 20, 2019. Archived from the original on May 14, 2022.
  27. ↑ "Milkshakes: a delicious drink, or the new symbol of the resistance?". The Guardian. May 20, 2019.
  28. ↑ "Burger King milkshake tweet 'encouraged' anti-social conduct". BBC News. October 2, 2019. Retrieved October 16, 2019.
  29. ↑ "Man charged with assault over Nigel Farage milkshake incident". The Guardian. May 21, 2019.
  30. ↑ "Ukip's Carl Benjamin hit by milkshake in Salisbury in fourth attack this week" . The Independent. May 19, 2019. Archived from the original on May 14, 2022.
  31. ↑ ""Lactose Against Intolerance!" How milkshake became a tool of protest". www.newstatesman.com. May 16, 2019.
  32. 1 2 3 "Celebrating milkshake in the movies". August 21, 2012. Retrieved June 1, 2017.
  33. ↑ Swartz, Suzie (April 24, 2018). "American Nostalgia on a Bun". www.theatlantic.com. The Atlantic. Retrieved May 10, 2018.
  34. ↑ Hunt, Elle (December 18, 2017). "What is a milkshake duck? And why isn't it the word of the year?". The Guardian. London. Retrieved May 9, 2018.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.