National Vanilla Milkshake Day

In the beginning, the milkshake was considered an adult drink. The beverage had first appeared in print in 1885 and contained eggs and whiskey. It was described as a sturdy and healthy egg nog drink, that was served as a tonic and a drink. For as harmless as they seem now, the original milkshake wasn’t so kid-friendly. All of the fun flavorings wouldn’t come until later. In the early 1900s, different flavors of ice cream were used in milkshakes. Vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry syrups were the first ones and they were an immediate hit. At that time, the electric blender hadn’t been invented yet, and milkshakes were shaken by hand. The drink mixer wasn’t created until 1911 and when it was, milkshakes started appearing at soda fountains which increased its accessibility. The electric blender was created in 1922 by Stephen Poplawski, the owner of Stevens Electric company for the purpose of mixing beverages like malts and milkshakes. This handy invention took the milkshake from the soda fountain to the home and more restaurants would add milkshakes to their menus. In 1949, Dairy Queen added milkshakes to their menu and many other restaurants followed their lead. Today, the milkshake is still going strong. While the local soda/malt shop has become a vintage novelty, people can still order this classic treat at many restaurants and ice cream parlors. While many flavors have been created since the early days of the milkshake, the vanilla milkshake still holds strong as a classic reminder of days’ past.