The term "milkshake" first appeared in print in 1885 and at that point it referred to an adult drink containing eggs and whiskey. But by the early 1900s, a milkshake had come to mean a drink made with ice cream and chocolate, strawberry, or vanilla syrup.
Before the widespread availability of electric blenders, milkshakes were hand-shaken mixture of crushed ice and milk, sugar, and flavorings. In 1911, Hamilton Beach invented the drink mixer, and it quickly became a staple at soda fountains.
With the invention of the electric blender in 1922, milkshakes became even more popular and it wasn’t long before every restaurant was adding a shake to the menu. Dairy Queen led the way in the fast food category, introducing milkshakes to their menu in 1949.
On a related and vitally important note, the straw was invented and patented in 1937 by Joseph Friedman after he recognized the difficulty of drinking a milkshake straight from the glass. Soon the slurp became the milkshake’s trademark finale.
More recently, these favorites have come full circle as boozy milkshakes have become an emerging trend.
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