Milkshake Facts for Kids

This page is about the beverage. For the British preschool block on Channel 5, see Milkshake!.

Quick facts for kids
Milkshake
A strawberry milkshake topped with a strawberry
Alternative names	Thick shake, frappe, cabinet
Type	Beverage
Place of origin	United States
Main ingredients	Milk, ice cream, and flavorings or sweeteners

A milkshake is a yummy, cold, and sweet drink. People often just call it a shake. It's made by mixing milk, ice cream, and tasty flavors. These flavors can be chocolate syrup, caramel sauce, or fruit syrup. Sometimes, people use milks like almond milk or soy milk instead of regular milk. You can also add things like fruit, nuts, candy, or cookies to make it even better!

Milkshakes first appeared in the United States around the year 1900. They became super popular when electric blenders were invented. Back then, ice cream shops were cool places for young people to hang out. Milkshakes became a symbol of fun and youth.

How to Make a Milkshake
Different Names for Shakes
The History of Milkshakes
See also

How to Make a Milkshake

You can make milkshakes in different ways. Restaurants and ice cream shops often use special milkshake machines. At home, most people use a blender. You can even mix one by hand with a spoon! You can use any flavor of ice cream you like. Many people add extra flavors too. Think about chocolate syrup or malted milk powder.

Some fast food places have special machines. These machines don't mix ingredients one by one. Instead, they use a ready-made mixture. This mixture already has milk, flavor, and a thickener. These machines are a bit like soft-serve ice cream machines. But they keep the shake just right for drinking.

Different Names for Shakes

People call milkshakes by different names in various places. If a shake is very thick and has ice cream, it might be called a thick shake. In some parts of New England and Canada, they say frappe. There, a milkshake might just be flavored milk without ice cream. In Rhode Island, a special kind of shake is called a cabinet.

If a milkshake has malted milk powder, it's often called a malt. Some very thick milkshakes are called concretes. These are so thick they won't spill even if you turn them upside down!

Some restaurants just call their drinks "shakes" instead of "milkshakes". This is because there are rules about what can be called a "milkshake." For example, Wendy's calls their frozen treat a "Frosty." Other places like McDonald's and Burger King also use different names for their shakes.

The History of Milkshakes

A strawberry and a chocolate shake, each topped with whipped cream, sprinkles, and a maraschino cherry

Early Days: 1880s to 1930s

When the word milkshake first appeared in 1885, it meant a different kind of drink. It was a strong drink with whiskey and eggs. But by 1900, a milkshake was a healthy drink. It was made with chocolate, strawberry, or vanilla syrups. Soon after, people started adding ice cream to these drinks. By the 1930s, milkshakes were very popular. You could find them in malt shops and soda fountains.

Electric blenders changed milkshakes forever. Before blenders, shakes were more like eggnog. Or they were just milk, sugar, and flavors shaken with ice. In 1911, Hamilton Beach made a drink mixer. This mixer became very popular in soda fountains. In 1922, Steven Poplawski invented a new kind of blender. With blenders, milkshakes became whipped, airy, and frothy.

Malted milk powder also became a big part of milkshakes. The drugstore chain Walgreens helped make it popular. Malted milk powder was first made in 1897 by William Horlick. It was meant to be a healthy drink for children and sick people. But soon, everyone loved the taste! In 1922, a Walgreens employee named Ivar "Pop" Coulson added ice cream to a malted milk drink. This new drink, called a "malt," became super famous.

Milkshake making became even easier in the 1930s. New refrigerators helped make and serve ice cream automatically. In 1936, Earl Prince invented the Multimixer. This machine could make five milkshakes at once! It made serving shakes much faster. Around this time, people sometimes called milkshakes "frosted" drinks. This was especially true if they had ice cream in them.

The 1940s and 1950s

In the 1950s, milkshakes were everywhere. You could get them at Woolworth's lunch counters. They were also popular at diners and drugstore soda fountains. These places often had shiny chrome milkshake machines. These machines made shakes smooth and fluffy. They were served in tall, fancy glasses.

Soda fountain workers even had their own secret language. For example, "Shake One in the Hay" meant a strawberry shake. A "White Cow" was a vanilla milkshake. Milkshakes also became popular in other countries. In Australia, milk bars served them in metal cups. Spearmint and lime flavors were very popular there.

Milkshakes Today: 2000s to Present

This milkshake was made using liquid nitrogen. Vapor can still be seen forming at the top

In 2006, scientists in the U.S. created healthier milkshakes. These shakes had less sugar and fat. They also had extra fiber and nutrients. They were even good for some people who can't digest lactose. These healthier shakes were made for school lunch programs.

Milkshake sales grew a lot in 2006. Experts say milkshakes remind us of summer and fun times. They are also very profitable for restaurants. This is because shakes contain a lot of air! An executive from Sonic Drive-In said shakes are a top seller for them.

Today, chefs are still finding new ways to make milkshakes exciting. Coffee-flavored shakes are popular. They go well with both sweet and savory foods. Another trend is using different kinds of milk. You can find shakes made with almond milk, coconut milk, or soy milk.

Milkshake facts for kids

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