The milkshake might seem like an all-American treat, but it wasn't available to all when it was invented in the late 1800s. In fact, unless you were old enough to drink, you couldn't get one. That's because the first milkshakes were made of cream, eggs, and whiskey.
But like many early products, "milkshake" wasn't a proprietary name, so in short order, Americans were also enjoying a very different type of milkshake that consisted of vanilla, chocolate, or strawberry-flavored syrup and malted milk.
According to the Dairy Alliance, milkshakes took off in popularity in 1922, when Ivar “Pop” Coulson, a Walgreens employee, got the idea to add ice cream to the mixture. The sweet combination was a huge hit, and by the early 1930s, milkshake machines were becoming ubiquitous. As every American knows, they can now be found in pretty much every fast-food outlet, as well as other restaurants, cafes, and ice cream parlors.
More on milkshakes:
- Guinness World Records says the largest milkshake ever crafted had a volume of 6,000 gallons (22,712 liters).
- In 1963, the CIA supposedly (and unsuccessfully) attempted to add poison to a milkshake meant for Cuban leader Fidel Castro.
- Unusual milkshake flavors around the world include pizza, sweet potato, buffalo chicken, and maple bacon.
