Today we celebrate the Vanilla Milkshake.

National Vanilla Milkshake Day is celebrated on June 20 and it’s all about celebrating the original vanilla milkshake. It’s made by blending milk, ice cream, and vanilla for a classic style beverage.

The vanilla milkshake has an interesting history. In 1885, the term “milkshake” showed up in print for the first time. The word milkshake combines the word ‘milk’, from the Old English ‘milc’ or ‘meoluc’, and the word ‘shake’, from the Old English ‘sceacan’ meaning ‘move quickly back and forth’. The concoction of cream, eggs, and whiskey was often served with other alcoholic tonics such as lemonades and soda waters. Who has been holding out on this recipe? Don’t worry, we have it for you here:

Original 1885 Milkshake Recipe

Ingredients 

• 1 cup cold milk
• 3 ounces your favorite whisky or bourbon
• 4 tablespoons malted milk powder
• 2 cups vanilla ice cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups ice
• malt balls, if desired for garnish (Whopper’s brand)
• chocolate shavings, if desired for garnish

 

Instructions

Milkshake

1. Add milk, whisky, malted milk powder, vanilla ice cream, vanilla extract and ice to a blender. Next, add the 3 ounces of whisky (you can add 4 ounces if you want stronger whiskey flavor).
2. Blend on low slowly increasing the speed until smooth consistently is reached. This takes about 2 to 3 minutes. Add more milk for a thinner milkshake.
3. Pour vanilla whisky milkshake into 4 separate glasses (8 ounces per glass). Top with whipped cream if desired.
4. Enjoy!

 

By the early 1900’s, 1922 in fact, whiskey milkshakes were reformulated for the kid-friendly treat we think of today. A Walgreens employee in Chicago, Ivar “Pop” Coulson, took an old-fashioned malted milk (milk, chocolate, and malt) and added two scoops of ice cream, creating a drink which quickly became popular for young adults around the country.

Milkshakes were then sold under the name “Horlick’s Malted Milk”, at the Walgreen drugstore chain, the chocolate milkshake became known as a “malted” or “malt” and became one of the most popular soda-fountain drinks. Malted milk was traditionally made from wheat and malted barley extract mixed with reduced, dry whole milk. It was invented by British food manufacturer William Horlick in 1873. William and his brother James founded their malted milk company in Chicago, but they soon shifted production to a larger plant outside Racine, Wisconsin, in 1875. William patented a formula in 1883, naming the new product Malted Milk four years later. So as these two concoctions collide to become something new, soda fountains across the country are pumping out Milk Shakes and Malts

Throughout the 1930’s milkshakes proliferated because of the invention of freon-cooled refrigerators and the invention of the automated ice cream machine. This allowed shops to produce five milkshakes at once, automatically dispense them by pulling a lever into the serving glass. In the late 1930s, several newspaper articles used the term “frosted” to refer to milkshakes made with ice cream.

By the 1950s, milkshakes were the popular drink in places like Woolworth’s “5 & 10” counters, roadside diners, burger joints, and drugstore soda fountains. During this time, milkshakes gained popularity in the UK and Australia.

Fun Facts about Milkshakes

• Milkshakes can be a cure for hangovers! Just drink a banana milkshake sweetened with honey. It helps soothe your stomach, plus it builds up depleted blood sugar levels and electrolytes such as magnesium and potassium.
• It would take 3,200,000 16-ounce milkshakes to fill up an Olympic-sized pool.
• During the filming of the original movie PLANET OF THE APES, milkshakes were a popular food for the actors dressed in ape costumes. The ape masks didn’t allow them to eat a regular meal, so they put a straw in their mouths and had milkshakes.

In recent years milkshakes have maintained their popularity, adding countless flavor variations. In 2006, the U.S. Agricultural Research Service developed reduced-sugar, low-fat milk shakes for lunch programs with only 10% of the fat of commercial fast-food shakes.  Some milkshakes now have added fiber and other nutrients, and they have much less lactose, which makes the shakes appropriate for some lactose-intolerant people. Something this good deserves to be consumed by the masses. But why are milkshakes such a big business?

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 calls shakes “one of our highest-volume, revenue-producing areas.

Now, there are entire national franchise chains dedicated to milkshakes. And to this day, chefs continue to innovate the beloved milkshake. We’d love to hear from you in the comments if you have made any milkshake creations of your own.

Making a classic vanilla milkshake at home is simple, you only need three ingredients: vanilla ice cream, milk, and vanilla extract. Put everything in a blender and mix for about 2 to 3 minutes and serve. It’s no wonder there is an entire day dedicated to this interesting concoction.