{ "id": "epg3y4a04a", "slug": "milkshake", "title": "Milkshake", "updated": "2026-10-25", "topic_path": [ { "id": "culture", "label": "Arts and culture", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture" }, { "id": "culture.daily", "label": "Food, customs, and everyday culture", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.daily" }, { "id": "culture.daily.food", "label": "Food, cooking and hospitality", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.daily.food" }, { "id": "culture.daily.food.food.beverages", "label": "Beverages and drink culture", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.daily.food.food.beverages" }, { "id": "culture.daily.food.food.beverages.soft-drinks", "label": "Soft drinks and non-alcoholic beverages", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.daily.food.food.beverages.soft-drinks" }, { "id": "culture.daily.food.food.beverages.soft-drinks.milk.plant-drinks", "label": "Milk-based and plant/grain drinks", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.daily.food.food.beverages.soft-drinks.milk.plant-drinks" } ], "geo": [ { "id": "geo.us.t1800.culture.daily.food.food.beverages.soft-drinks", "label": "United States · 1800 to 1945: Soft drinks and non-alcoholic beverages", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t1800.culture.daily.food.food.beverages.soft-drinks", "path": [ { "id": "geo.us", "label": "United States", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us" }, { "id": "geo.us.t1800", "label": "United States · 1800 to 1945", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t1800" }, { "id": "geo.us.t1800.culture", "label": "Arts and culture", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t1800.culture" }, { "id": "geo.us.t1800.culture.daily", "label": "Food, customs, and everyday culture", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t1800.culture.daily" }, { "id": "geo.us.t1800.culture.daily.food", "label": "Food, cooking and hospitality", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t1800.culture.daily.food" }, { "id": "geo.us.t1800.culture.daily.food.food.beverages", "label": "Beverages and drink culture", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t1800.culture.daily.food.food.beverages" }, { "id": "geo.us.t1800.culture.daily.food.food.beverages.soft-drinks", "label": "Soft drinks and non-alcoholic beverages", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t1800.culture.daily.food.food.beverages.soft-drinks" } ] }, { "id": "geo.us.t1946.culture.daily.food.food.beverages.soft-drinks", "label": "United States · 1946 to 2000: Soft drinks and non-alcoholic beverages", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t1946.culture.daily.food.food.beverages.soft-drinks", "path": [ { "id": "geo.us", "label": "United States", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us" }, { "id": "geo.us.t1946", "label": "United States · 1946 to 2000", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t1946" }, { "id": "geo.us.t1946.culture", "label": "Arts and culture", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t1946.culture" }, { "id": "geo.us.t1946.culture.daily", "label": "Food, customs, and everyday culture", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t1946.culture.daily" }, { "id": "geo.us.t1946.culture.daily.food", "label": "Food, cooking and hospitality", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t1946.culture.daily.food" }, { "id": "geo.us.t1946.culture.daily.food.food.beverages", "label": "Beverages and drink culture", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t1946.culture.daily.food.food.beverages" }, { "id": "geo.us.t1946.culture.daily.food.food.beverages.soft-drinks", "label": "Soft drinks and non-alcoholic beverages", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t1946.culture.daily.food.food.beverages.soft-drinks" } ] } ], "excerpt": "Milkshake: a cold, frothy blended beverage of milk, flavoring, and usually ice cream, originating as an American soda fountain drink in the 1880s. Regional names include frappe, cabinet, frosted, and thick shake; the ice-cream version became standard after refrigeration.", "snippet": "Milkshake: a cold, frothy blended beverage of milk, flavoring, and usually ice cream, originating as an American soda fountain drink in the 1880s. Regional names include frappe, cabinet, frosted, and thick shake; the ice-cream version became standard after refrigeration.", "node": "culture.daily.food.food.beverages.soft-drinks.milk.plant-drinks", "markdown": "# Milkshake\n\nA milkshake is a cold, frothy beverage made by shaking or blending milk with flavoring and, in its modern form, usually ice cream[1](https://www.dictionary.com/browse/milkshake). It originated in the United States as a soda fountain drink in the 1880s or earlier, and its recipe, texture, and even its name vary across regions[2](https://app.ckbk.com/reference/swee13396c13s001e031/milkshakes). In most of the United States today it is a thick, sippable blend of milk and ice cream; in parts of New England the ice-cream version is called a frappe, and in [Rhode Island](https://www.edgepedia.org/rhode-island) a coffee-flavored one is a coffee cabinet[3](https://www.ap.org/news-highlights/spotlights/2025/milkshakes-malts-concretes-frappes-and-more-a-delicious-guide-to-frozen-drinks/) • [1](https://www.dictionary.com/browse/milkshake).\n\n| Key fact | Detail |\n|---|---|\n| Definition | A frothy drink made of cold milk, flavoring, and usually ice cream, shaken together or blended in a mixer[1](https://www.dictionary.com/browse/milkshake) |\n| Word origin | An Americanism dating to 1885–90, from milk plus shake[1](https://www.dictionary.com/browse/milkshake) |\n| Early meaning | The 1885 term described a \"sturdy, healthy egg nog type of drink\" made with whiskey; an 1890 dictionary defined it as sweetened flavored milk, carbonated water, and sometimes raw egg, shaken by machine[4](https://www.pa.gov/content/dam/copapwp-pagov/en/pmb/documents/milk-marketing-board-assets/siteassets/current-newsletters/milkshakes.pdf) • [2](https://app.ckbk.com/reference/swee13396c13s001e031/milkshakes) |\n| Ice cream adoption | Ice cream became a regular ingredient after freon-cooled refrigeration made it widely available; a 1937 Maryland newspaper advised adding \"a dash of your favorite ice cream\" for a frosted shake[4](https://www.pa.gov/content/dam/copapwp-pagov/en/pmb/documents/milk-marketing-board-assets/siteassets/current-newsletters/milkshakes.pdf) |\n| Regional names | Frappe, frosted, thick shake, cabinet, and velvet in different parts of the United States[2](https://app.ckbk.com/reference/swee13396c13s001e031/milkshakes) |\n| Global market | Packaged milkshakes were valued at USD 2,073.2 million in 2025 and projected to reach USD 4,231.1 million by 2036 at a 6.7% CAGR[5](https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/packaged-milkshake-market) |\n\n## Early history\n\nThe exact origins are unknown, but evidence indicates the milkshake began as a soda fountain drink in the 1880s or earlier, with ingredients and flavors resembling traditional treats such as English syllabubs and eggnogs[2](https://app.ckbk.com/reference/swee13396c13s001e031/milkshakes). Earlier milk drinks, served hot or cooked because of the lack of refrigeration, go back to the 16th century under names such as posset and syllabub[4](https://www.pa.gov/content/dam/copapwp-pagov/en/pmb/documents/milk-marketing-board-assets/siteassets/current-newsletters/milkshakes.pdf).\n\n**The earliest shakes were not desserts.** The term as first used in 1885 described a drink made with whiskey and served as a tonic as well as a casual beverage[4](https://www.pa.gov/content/dam/copapwp-pagov/en/pmb/documents/milk-marketing-board-assets/siteassets/current-newsletters/milkshakes.pdf). In the 1880s a \"milk shake\" could still mean a spirituous drink; by the turn of the century the term had settled on cold milk shaken with flavoring syrup[6](https://historicalfoodie.com/the-american-soda-book/orange-ice-cream-shake.html). The first written reference to what is recognized today as a milkshake came in the Atlanta Constitution on May 17, 1886, which called it an Atlanta beverage costing about five cents[4](https://www.pa.gov/content/dam/copapwp-pagov/en/pmb/documents/milk-marketing-board-assets/siteassets/current-newsletters/milkshakes.pdf). At one time the words had distinct meanings: a milkshake was milk, ice, and a flavoring, while a shake added other ingredients such as cream or eggs, as in the New York Egg Cream Shake, made with just milk and eggs[4](https://www.pa.gov/content/dam/copapwp-pagov/en/pmb/documents/milk-marketing-board-assets/siteassets/current-newsletters/milkshakes.pdf).\n\nTemperance-era culture shaped the drink's image. In the early 20th century, temperance-movement activists promoted going out for ice cream sundaes and milkshakes instead of drinking at saloons, helping foster the wholesome image the treat still carries[7](https://time.com/4723600/free-cone-day-history/).\n\n## Mechanization and the ice-cream era\n\n**Mixing equipment shaped the drink.** James Tufts, a soda fountain manufacturer, patented the Lightning Shaker in 1884, a counter-mounted device holding one or two glass canisters that a crank blended[2](https://app.ckbk.com/reference/swee13396c13s001e031/milkshakes). The first patent for a blender-type mixer was granted in 1889 to F. H. Shepherd and J. W. Meyer, and Hamilton Beach introduced the Cyclone Mixer in 1910; the growth of soda fountains, hangouts for young people in city and town, created popular demand for the cool, creamy beverage[4](https://www.pa.gov/content/dam/copapwp-pagov/en/pmb/documents/milk-marketing-board-assets/siteassets/current-newsletters/milkshakes.pdf). Mechanical spindle mixers became common fountain equipment in the 1910s and 1920s, and the addition of a spoonful of ice cream in this period marks the transition toward the ice-cream-based shake[6](https://historicalfoodie.com/the-american-soda-book/orange-ice-cream-shake.html).\n\nThe modern ice-cream version arrived with refrigeration. Freon-cooled refrigeration made ice cream a new and available ingredient, and some advertisements referred to shakes containing ice cream as frosteds. A Denton, Maryland, newspaper wrote in 1937 that if you wanted a \"frosted shake, add a dash of your favorite ice cream,\" and it was not long before ice cream was a regular ingredient[4](https://www.pa.gov/content/dam/copapwp-pagov/en/pmb/documents/milk-marketing-board-assets/siteassets/current-newsletters/milkshakes.pdf). [Soda fountain](https://www.edgepedia.org/soda-fountain) culture of the 1950s produced coded names for combinations, such as the \"Burn One All the Way\" (chocolate malt with chocolate ice cream) and the \"Shake One in the Hay\" (a strawberry milkshake)[4](https://www.pa.gov/content/dam/copapwp-pagov/en/pmb/documents/milk-marketing-board-assets/siteassets/current-newsletters/milkshakes.pdf).\n\n## Regional names and the fast-food era\n\nRegional vocabulary reflects how differently the drink is made and understood. In New England, particularly Massachusetts, a frappe (locally \"frap,\" rhyming with \"nap\") is what most Americans call a milkshake, made with milk, ice cream, and usually other flavorings, though sometimes it is simply flavored cold milk with no ice cream[3](https://www.ap.org/news-highlights/spotlights/2025/milkshakes-malts-concretes-frappes-and-more-a-delicious-guide-to-frozen-drinks/). In the United Kingdom, an ice-cream-based milkshake may be called a thick shake, and in parts of New England and Canada the frappe name also appears[8](https://ycmou.ac.in/media/publication/ycmou_book/RVV_YB_085.pdf); British shakes are typically thinner than their American counterparts and are widely sold at ice cream shops and fast-food chains[9](https://dictclub.com/dictionary/milkshake).\n\n[Fast food](https://www.edgepedia.org/fast-food) industrialized the drink and standardized its name. In New York City and other regions a shake used to be known as a frosted; when [McDonald's](https://www.edgepedia.org/mcdonalds) and other fast-food chains began calling shakes simply \"shakes,\" the usage spread and \"frosted\" went out of fashion[3](https://www.ap.org/news-highlights/spotlights/2025/milkshakes-malts-concretes-frappes-and-more-a-delicious-guide-to-frozen-drinks/). [Ray Kroc](https://www.edgepedia.org/ray-kroc), a milkshake machine salesman who bought exclusive rights to a machine invented by Earl Prince, built the McDonald's fast-food chain around the business, and McDonald's helped cement the milkshake as a fast food essential nationwide by the 1950s[10](https://scienceinsights.org/why-are-milkshakes-called-milkshakes-the-origin/) • [4](https://www.pa.gov/content/dam/copapwp-pagov/en/pmb/documents/milk-marketing-board-assets/siteassets/current-newsletters/milkshakes.pdf). Kroc argued that McDonald's shakes, made from a mix rather than ice cream and milk, would \"wear better\" on customers, who would not feel bloated after drinking one[11](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1988-07-17-ca-9843-story.html). Some chains, such as Dairy Queen, still prepare milkshakes by blending soft-serve ice cream or ice milk with sweetened flavored syrups and milk[8](https://ycmou.ac.in/media/publication/ycmou_book/RVV_YB_085.pdf).\n\n## Variants and related drinks\n\nA malt, or malted, is a milkshake with a scoop of malted milk powder added. The powder combines malted barley, wheat flour, and evaporated milk, and gives the drink a toasted, nutty flavor; it was originally created as a nutrition booster, mostly for babies, before finding its place behind soda fountain counters[3](https://www.ap.org/news-highlights/spotlights/2025/milkshakes-malts-concretes-frappes-and-more-a-delicious-guide-to-frozen-drinks/). Blended frozen drinks made with frozen yogurt instead of ice cream are sometimes called fro-yo shakes[3](https://www.ap.org/news-highlights/spotlights/2025/milkshakes-malts-concretes-frappes-and-more-a-delicious-guide-to-frozen-drinks/).\n\nDistinguishing neighbors matters when ordering. A milkshake contains ice cream, while a milk smoothie does not[12](https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/agricultural-and-biological-sciences/milkshakes); smoothies are traditionally made with fruit, yogurt, juice, and sometimes ice, and can carry as much sugar and richness as a shake depending on the ingredients[3](https://www.ap.org/news-highlights/spotlights/2025/milkshakes-malts-concretes-frappes-and-more-a-delicious-guide-to-frozen-drinks/). The concrete, invented at Ted Drewes in St. Louis, is a frozen-custard dessert so dense a spoon stands upright in it, blended with mix-ins but no milk, making it scoopable rather than sippable[3](https://www.ap.org/news-highlights/spotlights/2025/milkshakes-malts-concretes-frappes-and-more-a-delicious-guide-to-frozen-drinks/).\n\nFlavor preferences show a consistent pattern. At the Lexington Candy Shop, a century-old Manhattan luncheonette opened in 1925, vanilla accounts for about 60% of all shakes ordered, followed by chocolate, coffee, and strawberry[3](https://www.ap.org/news-highlights/spotlights/2025/milkshakes-malts-concretes-frappes-and-more-a-delicious-guide-to-frozen-drinks/).\n\n## Preparation and texture\n\nThe basic home recipe uses as little as two ingredients, milk and ice cream, blended together. Whole milk yields the thickest, most consistent texture, and plant-based milks such as soy, almond, coconut, or rice milk provide lactose-free alternatives[13](https://www.kitchenaid.com/countertop-appliances/pinch-of-help/how-to-make-milkshake-in-blender) • [14](https://www.foodnetwork.com/how-to/packages/food-network-essentials/how-to-make-a-milkshake). Without a blender, an immersion blender, a spoon or whisk, or a mason jar shaken vigorously with softened ice cream will do[14](https://www.foodnetwork.com/how-to/packages/food-network-essentials/how-to-make-a-milkshake).\n\nTexture is unstable by nature. A milkshake starts losing its texture within minutes of being made, as melting releases water that dilutes the thick liquid phase and drops the viscosity; no amount of careful storage prevents some loss of texture[15](https://scienceinsights.org/how-to-preserve-a-milkshake-for-hours-or-days/). Commercially, thick shakes are prepared with specialized commercial milkshake machines with settings for blending speed to adjust consistency[16](https://www.imarcgroup.com/indian-milkshake-market).\n\n## Commercial market\n\nMilkshakes have moved well beyond the soda fountain into packaged, ready-to-drink products sold in bottles, pouches, and cartons[16](https://www.imarcgroup.com/indian-milkshake-market). Future Market Insights values the global packaged milkshake market at USD 2,073.2 million in 2025, reaching USD 2,212.1 million by 2026-end and USD 4,231.1 million by 2036, a compound annual growth rate of 6.7%[5](https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/packaged-milkshake-market). Growth drivers include health-conscious consumers, premiumization, and demand for convenient ready-to-drink beverages[17](https://www.accessnewswire.com/newsroom/en/business-and-professional-services/packaged-milkshake-market-to-reach-usd-4-231.1-million-by-2036-a-1170518), with manufacturers developing protein-fortified, plant-based, and lower-sugar formulations[18](https://www.mordorintelligence.com/industry-reports/packaged-milkshakes-market). A separate estimate by Market Glass puts the global packaged milkshake market lower, at US$1.7 billion in 2025 rising to US$2.5 billion by 2032 at a 5.2% CAGR, so the market's size depends on the research house and methodology[19](https://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/5140183/packaged-milkshakes-global-strategic-business).\n\nIndia is a standout regional market. IMARC Group values the India milkshake market at INR 8.93 billion in 2025, projected to reach INR 35.57 billion by 2034 at a 16.10% CAGR, driven by urban youth consumption, quick-commerce delivery, and premium brand expansion; chocolate leads flavors at 32.6% of the 2025 market, online stores are the largest distribution channel at 28.4%, and [Maharashtra](https://www.edgepedia.org/maharashtra) accounts for 16.8% of national revenue[16](https://www.imarcgroup.com/indian-milkshake-market). Market Research Outlook offers a different sizing, projecting growth from USD 845 million in 2025 to USD 1,490 million by 2032 at an 8.4% CAGR[20](https://marketresearchoutlook.com/press-release/india-milkshake-market-to-surpass-usd-1490-million-by-2032/).\n\n## References\n\n1. [Milkshake Definition & Meaning, Dictionary.com](https://www.dictionary.com/browse/milkshake)\n2. [Milkshakes, Darra Goldstein, Oxford Companion to Sugar and Sweets (2015), ckbk](https://app.ckbk.com/reference/swee13396c13s001e031/milkshakes)\n3. [Milkshakes, malts, concretes, frappes and more: A (delicious) guide to frozen drinks, The Associated Press](https://www.ap.org/news-highlights/spotlights/2025/milkshakes-malts-concretes-frappes-and-more-a-delicious-guide-to-frozen-drinks/)\n4. [Oh, Happy Day, When Milkshakes Were Invented!, Pennsylvania Milk Marketing Board](https://www.pa.gov/content/dam/copapwp-pagov/en/pmb/documents/milk-marketing-board-assets/siteassets/current-newsletters/milkshakes.pdf)\n5. [Packaged Milkshake Market, Future Market Insights](https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/packaged-milkshake-market)\n6. [Orange Ice Cream Shake, The American Soda Book, The Historical Foodie](https://historicalfoodie.com/the-american-soda-book/orange-ice-cream-shake.html)\n7. [Free Cone Day and History's Weirdest Ice Cream Flavors, Time](https://time.com/4723600/free-cone-day-history/)\n8. [Food Hygiene and Toxicology textbook chapter on frozen dairy drinks, Yashwantrao Chavan Maharashtra Open University](https://ycmou.ac.in/media/publication/ycmou_book/RVV_YB_085.pdf)\n9. [Milkshake Meaning, Usage & Cultural Context, DictClub](https://dictclub.com/dictionary/milkshake)\n10. [Why Are Milkshakes Called Milkshakes: The Origin, ScienceInsights](https://scienceinsights.org/why-are-milkshakes-called-milkshakes-the-origin/)\n11. [Mac's Attack on the Milkshake Biz, Los Angeles Times (1988)](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1988-07-17-ca-9843-story.html)\n12. [Milkshakes, an overview, ScienceDirect Topics](https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/agricultural-and-biological-sciences/milkshakes)\n13. [How to make milkshake in a blender, KitchenAid US](https://www.kitchenaid.com/countertop-appliances/pinch-of-help/how-to-make-milkshake-in-blender)\n14. [How to Make a Milkshake, Food Network](https://www.foodnetwork.com/how-to/packages/food-network-essentials/how-to-make-a-milkshake)\n15. [How to Preserve a Milkshake for Hours or Days, ScienceInsights](https://scienceinsights.org/how-to-preserve-a-milkshake-for-hours-or-days/)\n16. [India Milkshake Market Size, Share, Trends & Forecast, IMARC Group](https://www.imarcgroup.com/indian-milkshake-market)\n17. [Packaged Milkshake Market to Reach USD 4,231.1 Million by 2036, ACCESS Newswire](https://www.accessnewswire.com/newsroom/en/business-and-professional-services/packaged-milkshake-market-to-reach-usd-4-231.1-million-by-2036-a-1170518)\n18. [Packaged Milkshakes Market, Mordor Intelligence](https://www.mordorintelligence.com/industry-reports/packaged-milkshakes-market)\n19. [Packaged Milkshakes - Global Strategic Business Report, Market Glass via Research and Markets](https://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/5140183/packaged-milkshakes-global-strategic-business)\n20. [India Milkshake Market to Surpass USD 1,490 Million by 2032, Market Research Outlook](https://marketresearchoutlook.com/press-release/india-milkshake-market-to-surpass-usd-1490-million-by-2032/)\n\n---\n*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Food, customs, and everyday culture › Food, cooking and hospitality › Beverages and drink culture › Soft drinks and non-alcoholic beverages › Milk-based and plant/grain drinks*\n\n*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 30, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Sep 30, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*\n\n*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*\n\nLicense: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license\n", "same_as": [], "url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/milkshake", "markdown_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/milkshake.md", "license": { "name": "Edgepedia Community License 1.0", "url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license", "summary": "Free with credit, commercial use included. AI training is open to everyone. For other uses, organizations over USD 100M in revenue or 100M monthly users license separately.", "spdx": "LicenseRef-Edgepedia-Community-1.0" }, "credit": "\"Milkshake\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), https://www.edgepedia.org/milkshake. Edgepedia Community License 1.0.", "credit_md": "\"[Milkshake](https://www.edgepedia.org/milkshake)\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), [https://www.edgepedia.org/milkshake](https://www.edgepedia.org/milkshake). [Edgepedia Community License 1.0](https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license).", "credit_html": "\"Milkshake\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), https://www.edgepedia.org/milkshake. Edgepedia Community License 1.0.", "speakable": "Milkshake: a cold, frothy blended beverage of milk, flavoring, and usually ice cream, originating as an American soda fountain drink in the 1880s." }