View source for Milkshake

{{short description|Cold dairy beverage}}
{{About|the beverage|the British preschool block on Channel 5|Milkshake!||Milkshake (disambiguation)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=October 2022}}
{{Infobox food
| name             = Milkshake
| image            = File:Strawberry milk shake (cropped).jpg
| caption          = A strawberry milkshake topped with a strawberry
| alternate_name   = Thick shake, frappe, cabinet
| country          = United States
| region           =
| creator          =
| course           =
| type             = Beverage
| served           =
| main_ingredient  = Milk, ice cream, and flavorings or sweeteners
| variations       =
| calories         =
| other            =
}}

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 milk]]s such as [[almond milk]], [[coconut milk]], or [[soy milk]]. Dry ingredients such as whole fruit, [[nut (fruit)|nuts]], [[seeds]], [[candy]], or [[cookies]] may be incorporated.

Milkshakes originated in the United States around the turn of the 20th century and gained widespread popularity after the introduction of [[Blender|electric blenders]] in the following decades. During this period, ice cream shops became popular social gathering spots for young people, and milkshakes came to symbolize the simplicity and innocence of youth culture.

==Preparation==
{{Unreferenced section|date=February 2025}}
Full-service restaurants, [[ice cream shop]]s, [[soda fountain]]s, and [[diner]]s 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'' ({{IPAc-en|f|r|æ|p}} {{respell|FRAP}}) is used;<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20010618021334/http://bartleby.com/61/66/M0296600.html milk shake]. The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language: Fourth Edition. 2000</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.yankeemagazine.com/article/new-england-101/milk-shakes-frappes-cabinets |title=The Difference between a Milkshake and a Frappe |first1=Aimee |last1=Seavey |website=Yankee Magazine |access-date=June 2, 2016 |archive-date=June 11, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160611180108/http://www.yankeemagazine.com/article/new-england-101/milk-shakes-frappes-cabinets |url-status=dead }}</ref> in Rhode Island specifically, they may be called ''cabinets'',<ref>{{cite web |last1=Luchtel |first1=Amanda |title=What Is a Milkshake? And How Is It Different from a Frappe or a Cabinet? {{!}} America's Test Kitchen |url=https://www.americastestkitchen.com/articles/7087-what-is-a-milkshake-and-how-is-it-different-from-a-frappe-or-a-cabinet |website=www.americastestkitchen.com |access-date=24 July 2025 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Cabinet|url=https://dare.wisc.edu/words/quarterly-updates/quarterly-update-12/cabinet/|access-date=February 7, 2021|website=Dictionary of American Regional English|language=en-US}}</ref> as in the "[[coffee cabinet]]". 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]].<ref>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).</ref>

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 (frozen dairy dessert)|Frosty]]"), [[Burger King]], [[Dairy Queen]], [[Del Taco]], [[McDonald's]], [[Shake Shack]], and [[Sonic Drive-In]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.thedailymeal.com/1388708/order-milkshake-at-mcdonalds/ |work=Daily Meal |date=September 9, 2023 |title=Why You're Technically Not Able To Order A Milkshake At McDonald's}}</ref>

==History==
[[File:Milkshakes at Mels Diner.jpg|thumb|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,<ref>{{cite web |title=A Complete History of Milkshakes |url=https://icebergdriveinn.com/blogs/news/a-complete-history-of-milkshakes |publisher=Iceberg Drive Inn |access-date=30 June 2024}}</ref> 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".<ref name="stuart">Flexner, Stuart Berg (1982) ''Listening to America'', Simon & Schuster: New York, p. 178, {{ISBN|0671248952}}</ref> However, by 1900, the term referred to "wholesome drinks made with chocolate, [[strawberry]], or [[vanilla]] [[syrup]]s". 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 shop]]s, which were the "typical [[soda fountain]] of the period".<ref name="stuart"/>

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.{{citation needed||date=October 2025}} [[Hamilton Beach Brands|Hamilton Beach]] introduced its Cyclone Drink Mixer in 1911, and it was widely used in soda fountains.<ref>Frederick J. Osius, "Agitator implement", [https://patents.google.com/patent/US1005653A/en U.S. Patent 1,005,653], filed September 20, 1910, issued October 10, 1911.</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.hamiltonbeachbrands.com/about-our-company/our-history/default.aspx|title=Hamilton Beach Brands Holding Company: Our History|publisher=hamiltonbeachbrands.com}}</ref><ref name="ox">Anne Cooper Funderburg, "Milkshake", in Darra Goldstein, ed., ''The Oxford Companion to Sugar and Sweets'', 2015, {{isbn|0199313628}}, ''s.v.''</ref>

The Hamilton Beach design, with the motor on top, remains the most common kind of milkshake machine.{{Citation needed|reason=Your explanation here|date=July 2022}} In 1922, Steven Poplawski invented the bottom-motor [[blender]], which is sometimes used for making milkshakes.<ref>Poplawski, Stephen J. [https://patents.google.com/patent/US1480914 US Patent US1480914 – Beverage mixer], Issued February 18, 1922</ref> 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&nbsp;– a mixture of [[evaporated milk]], malted [[barley]], and [[wheat flour]]&nbsp;– 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.<ref>{{cite web |title=The History of Malted Milk Powder |url=http://www.kitchenlore.com/2011/07/history-of-malted-milk-powder.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111011192130/http://www.kitchenlore.com/2011/07/history-of-malted-milk-powder.html |url-status=usurped |archive-date=October 11, 2011 |work=Kitchen Lore |date=July 22, 2011 |access-date=October 10, 2013}}</ref><ref name="Wisconsin Historical">{{cite web|url=http://www.wisconsinhistory.org/museum/exhibits/horlicks|title=Wisconsin's Malted Milk Story – Online Exhibits – Wisconsin Historical Society|publisher=wisconsinhistory.org|access-date=June 1, 2017}}</ref> However, healthy people soon began drinking beverages made with malted milk simply for the taste,<ref name="Wisconsin Historical"/> and malted milk beverages containing milk, chocolate syrup, and malt powder became a standard offering at [[soda fountain]]s. 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.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.walgreens.com/about/history/hist4.jsp |title=Walgreen's history |publisher=Walgreens.com |access-date=October 1, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080501155205/http://www.walgreens.com/about/history/hist4.jsp |archive-date=May 1, 2008 }}</ref> 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.<ref>[http://www.foodtimeline.org/foodicecream.html The Encyclopedia of American Food and Drink], John F. Mariani [Lebhar-Friedman:New York] 1999 (p. 196–197)</ref>

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".<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Demirdjian|first=Z.S.|date=March 10, 2006|title=Inexpensive Research in Marketing: Empowering the Technologically Challenged Entrepreneurs|url=https://www.businessperspectives.org/images/pdf/applications/publishing/templates/article/assets/1684/im_en_2006_01_Demirdjian.pdf|journal=Innovative Marketing|volume=2}}</ref>

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&nbsp;–that hot, tasty beverage made chilly with ice and frosty with ice cream."<ref>American Dialect Society CABINET, CONCRETE, FROSTED, VELVET</ref>

===1940s–1950s===
By the 1950s, popular places to drink milkshakes were [[F. W. Woolworth Company|Woolworth's]] "5 & 10" [[lunch counter]]s, diners, burger joints, and [[pharmacy|drugstore]] [[soda fountain]]s. These establishments often prominently displayed a shining chrome or stainless steel milkshake mixing machine.<ref>[http://www.artsparx.com/dinerstyle.asp Diner Style] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130622134708/http://www.artsparx.com/dinerstyle.asp |date=June 22, 2013 }}. Artsparx.com. Retrieved on October 10, 2013.</ref>

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 {{convert|12+1/2|USoz|ml|adj=on}} 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).<ref>[http://www.newyorkfirst.com/gifts/1038.html Shake One in the Hay.] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100316131554/http://www.newyorkfirst.com/gifts/1038.html |date=March 16, 2010 }} New York First</ref>

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===
[[File:Strawberry-Mint Liquid Nitrogen Shake at HBurger in Denver.jpg|thumb|upright|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|lactose intolerance]].<ref>Konstance, Richard P. (May 2000) [https://web.archive.org/web/20040209111534/http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/AR/archive/may00/shake0500.htm "Shaking Up the Future"] ''Agricultural Research'' magazine.</ref>

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&nbsp;– and indulgence", and "they're evocative of a time gone by".<ref name="usa">[https://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/food/2007-04-24-milkshakes-usat_N.htm Fancier ways to get brain freeze.] By Bruce Horovitz, ''USA TODAY''</ref> 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 percent 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".<ref name="usa"/>

A 2016 article stated that chefs are trying out innovative ideas with milkshakes to keep customers interested in the drinks.<ref name="nrn.com">{{cite web|url=http://beta.nrn.com/beverage-trends/sweetening-bottom-line-milkshakes|title=Sweetening the bottom line with milkshakes|date=July 18, 2016|access-date=June 1, 2017}}</ref> 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]].<ref name="nrn.com"/>

==Use in protests==
{{Main|Milkshaking}}
In May 2019, during the build-up to the [[2019 European Parliament election in the United Kingdom|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.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/av/uk-48156965/tommy-robinson-milkshake-thrown-over-mr-robinson|title=Milkshake thrown over Tommy Robinson|date=May 3, 2019|work=BBC News}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/milkshake-throwing-nigel-farage-tommy-robinson-carl-benjamin-sargon-a8922111.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220514/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/milkshake-throwing-nigel-farage-tommy-robinson-carl-benjamin-sargon-a8922111.html |archive-date=May 14, 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|title=All the people who have been milkshaked so far this year|date=May 20, 2019|website=The Independent}}</ref>

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."<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/food/shortcuts/2019/may/20/milkshakes-a-delicious-drink-or-the-new-symbol-of-the-resistance|title=Milkshakes: a delicious drink, or the new symbol of the resistance?|date=May 20, 2019|work=The Guardian}}</ref> Burger King's tweet was later banned by the UK's [[Advertising Standards Authority (United Kingdom)|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.<ref>{{cite news |title=Burger King milkshake tweet 'encouraged' anti-social conduct |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-49895800 |work=BBC News |access-date=October 16, 2019 |date=October 2, 2019}}</ref> At a separate visit in Newcastle on May 20, Farage had a [[Five Guys]] milkshake thrown at him.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2019/may/21/man-charged-assault-nigel-farage-milkshake-incident|title=Man charged with assault over Nigel Farage milkshake incident|date=May 21, 2019|work=The Guardian}}</ref> [[Carl Benjamin]] had a total of four milkshakes thrown at him that week.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/carl-benjamin-milkshake-salisbury-ukip-a8920846.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220514/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/carl-benjamin-milkshake-salisbury-ukip-a8920846.html |archive-date=May 14, 2022 |url-access=limited |url-status=live|title=Ukip's Carl Benjamin hit by milkshake in Salisbury in fourth attack this week|date=May 19, 2019|website=The Independent|first1=Jane|last1=Dalton}}</ref> The act of milkshaking is similar to that of [[egging]] as a form of protest against political figures.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.newstatesman.com/politics/uk/2019/05/lactose-against-intolerance-how-milkshake-became-tool-protest|title="Lactose Against Intolerance!" How milkshake became a tool of protest|first1=Anoosh|last1=Chakelian|website=The New Statesman|date=May 16, 2019}}</ref>

==In popular culture==
{{in popular culture|section|date=April 2022}} 
Filmmakers sometimes utilize milkshakes as a visual shorthand for themes of purity, innocence, and uncorrupted youth, representing them as embodiments of 'sweetness and goodness.<ref name="denofgeek.com">{{cite web|url=https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/milkshake/22257/celebrating-milkshake-in-the-movies|title=Celebrating milkshake in the movies|date=August 21, 2012|access-date=June 1, 2017}}</ref> 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 (cocktail)|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".<ref name="denofgeek.com"/> Similarly, the socially awkward character [[Steve Buscemi]] plays in ''[[Ghost World (film)|Ghost World]]'' is made fun of by a teenage girl because he orders a "virginal vanilla milkshake"; in ''[[Manhattan (1979 film)|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 (1997 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.<ref name="denofgeek.com"/> 

The characters from [[Archie Comics]] are often depicted drinking milkshakes. The TV series ''[[Riverdale (American 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]]''.<ref name="swartz1">{{cite web |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2018/04/fast-food-nostalgia/558686/ |title=American Nostalgia on a Bun|last=Swartz |first=Suzie |date=April 24, 2018|website=www.theatlantic.com |publisher=The Atlantic |access-date=May 10, 2018 }}</ref>

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

In [[Kelis]]' 2003 hit single "[[Milkshake (song)|Milkshake]]" the name of beverage is repeated throughout the song.<ref>{{Cite web |last=The Observer |date=2004-12-11 |title=From glam to grime, the year in music |url=http://www.theguardian.com/music/2004/dec/12/popandrock2 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140917102112/http://www.theguardian.com/music/2004/dec/12/popandrock2 |archive-date=2014-09-17 |access-date=2025-02-08 |website=The Guardian}}</ref> Milkshakes are prominently featured in the song's video clip, which features characters consuming them in a [[diner]].<ref>{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6AwXKJoKJz4&ab_channel=KelisVEVO |title=Kelis - Milkshake (Official Music Video) |date=2009-02-26 |last=KelisVEVO |access-date=2025-02-08 |via=YouTube}}</ref>

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.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2017/dec/18/what-is-a-milkshake-duck-and-why-isnt-it-the-word-of-the-year |title=What is a milkshake duck? And why isn't it the word of the year? |last= Hunt |first=Elle |date=December 18, 2017 |work=The Guardian |location=London |access-date=May 9, 2018 }}</ref>

==See also==
{{portal|Drink}}
* [[Health shake]]
* [[Keventers Milkshake]] – an Indian milkshake brand
* [[Shake Shack]] – an American fast food restaurant chain emphasizing shakes
* [[Smoothie]]
* [[Frosty (frozen dairy dessert)]]
* [[McDonald's ice cream machine]] – the machine used to make ice cream and shakes at McDonald's
* [[Faloodeh]] –  a liquid dessert or ice cream.

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{Cookbook}}
*{{Commonscatinline|Milkshakes}}

{{Ice cream}}
{{Milk navbox}}

[[Category:American drinks]]
[[Category:Cold drinks]]
[[Category:Milkshakes| ]]
[[Category:Ice cream drinks]]
[[Category:Non-alcoholic drinks]]
[[Category:Milk-based drinks]]