No, whiskey was not one of the original ingredients used to make milkshakes. Milkshakes were first created in the late 19th century, and the earliest recipes called for ingredients like milk, ice cream, flavored syrups, and sometimes eggs. Whiskey or other liquors were not commonly added to milkshakes until much later.
The first milkshakes were an evolution of eggnog and late 19th century “health” drinks made from milk and eggs. These drinks were seen as nutritious tonics, and soda fountains began selling them to customers. Adding ice cream to the milk-and-egg mixtures created a frothy, thick beverage that became known as a “milkshake.”
By the early 1900s, milkshakes were popular treats at soda fountains across America. The early milkshake recipes varied, but were made from simple ingredients like milk, ice cream, chocolate syrup, malt powder, or fruit syrups. Liquor was not an original ingredient in these milkshake recipes.
The Origins of the Milkshake
The exact origins of the milkshake are obscure, but food historians point to the late 19th century as the time when early milkshake-like drinks were created. In the 1880s and 1890s, health tonics and drinks made from milk became popular items at soda fountains. These tonics were seen as fortifying, nourishing drinks.
One of the earliest predecessors to the milkshake was something called a “frappe.” Not to be confused with the modern blended coffee drink, these frappes were made by whisking or beating eggs into soda water or milk. The frothy, foamy texture resulted in the name “frappe.”
Another early milkshake relative was called a “cabinet shake” or “cabinet cream.” These consisted of milk, eggs, and flavorings like chocolate or strawberry syrup. They were made by shaking or mixing the ingredients in a rectangular cabinet-like shaker. The Shanghai newspaper The North-China Herald mentioned cabinet shakes being served in 1892.
Soon, soda fountains started putting ice cream into the cabinet shakes, milk drinks, and frappes. The combination of milk, ice cream, and flavorings resulted in a thick, frothy beverage that resembled eggnog. This was the beginnings of the modern milkshake.
The earliest known printed use of the word “milkshake” was in 1885 in a British newspaper called the Daily Mail. But milkshakes really took off in popularity in the early 1900s at American soda fountains. The addition of ice cream turned them into refreshing treats that cooled people off in the era before air conditioning. Their thickness led some to dub them “velvets.”
In 1922, an employee of a Walgreen’s pharmacy in Chicago named Ivar “Pop” Coulson made a milkshake by adding two scoops of vanilla ice cream to the typical malted milk recipe. This started the trend of thick, ice cream filled milkshakes at soda fountains across the country.
So while milkshakes went through some evolutions in ingredients and methods in the late 1800s, the core components were milk, eggs, ice cream, flavored syrups, and powders like malt. Original milkshake recipes did not contain whiskey or other liquors. Those came later.
Early Milkshake Ingredients and Recipes
Here are some examples of early milkshake recipes and ingredients from the late 1800s and early 1900s:
Illinois State Register Milkshake (1893)
Ingredients:
– 1 quart milk
– 1 pint cream
– 1/4 pint syrup
– 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
– pinch of soda
Instructions: Shake well and strain if lumps appear.
Strawberry Milk Shake (1916)
Ingredients:
– 1 teaspoon strawberry syrup
– 1 cup milk
– 1 egg
– 1 scoop vanilla ice cream
Instructions: Mix syrup with milk. Add slightly beaten egg. Pour into glass and stir in ice cream.
Malted Milk (1922)
Ingredients:
– 1 pint milk
– 2 ounces Horlick’s malted milk powder
– 1 scoop vanilla ice cream
Instructions: Put malted milk powder into glass. Add milk and stir until dissolved. Add ice cream and stir gently.
Chocolate Milkshake (1937)
Ingredients:
– 1 cup milk
– 2 tablespoons chocolate syrup
– 2 scoops chocolate ice cream
– Whipped cream for topping
Instructions: Combine milk and chocolate syrup. Mix well. Pour into blender with ice cream and blend thoroughly. Top with whipped cream.
As you can see from these early milkshake recipes, the ingredients were simple and consisted of milk, cream, eggs, ice cream, flavored syrups, malted milk powder, and sometimes thickeners like gelatin. Whiskey and other liquors were not original milkshake ingredients. They were added later as milkshakes became popular cocktails.
The Rise of Milkshakes as Cocktails
It wasn’t until the mid-20th century that alcoholic milkshakes, made with spirits like whiskey, rum, vodka or brandy, started appearing.
After Prohibition ended in 1933, Americans began drinking heavily at soda fountains. Milkshakes were a natural vessel for spiking. The thick texture of a milkshake could disguise the taste of liquors like rum or whiskey.
In the 1940s, alcoholic milkshakes became more widespread. Retro diners and drugstore soda fountains started serving grown-up “Frappe Shakes” and “Velvet Hammers” made with whiskey, brandy, or rum alongside traditional milkshakes.
Recipes for boozy shakes appeared in newspapers too. Here are some examples of alcoholic milkshake recipes from the 1930s and 40s:
Brandy Milkshake (1934)
Ingredients:
– 2 scoops vanilla ice cream
– 1 ounce brandy
– 1/2 cup milk
– Nutmeg
Instructions: Combine in blender and sprinkle nutmeg on top.
Rum Frappe (1945)
Ingredients:
– 1 1/2 ounces dark rum
– 1 ounce chocolate syrup
– 1 cup milk
– 2 scoops chocolate ice cream
Instructions: Blend rum, chocolate syrup and milk. Pour into glass and add ice cream.
Whiskey Frappe (1946)
Ingredients:
– 1 1⁄2 ounces blended whiskey
– 3⁄4 cup milk
– 1 tablespoon chocolate syrup
– 2 scoops vanilla ice cream
Instructions: Combine whiskey, milk and syrup in blender. Add ice cream and blend until smooth.
In the 1950s, soda jerks began serving upside-down milkshakes made with a shot of liquor poured into the bottom of the glass or mixer. As the milkshake melted, the booze flavor gradually became stronger. This style was the opposite of the original milkshakes made only with ice cream and flavored syrups.
While the boozy milkshake trend died down by the late 1900s, the practice of adding liquors like whiskey, rum, and Irish creme is still sometimes seen today in restaurants or bars wanting to give a twist to the classic shake. But it’s important to note that whiskey was not an original milkshake ingredient when the drink first emerged in the late 1800s. That came decades later.
The Whiskey Shake
Adding whiskey specifically to milkshakes became popular during the mid 20th century fad for boozy shakes. Whiskey has a bold, distinctive flavor that complemented the sweet ice cream in a shake.
Here is a modern recipe for a Whiskey Shake:
Whiskey Shake
Ingredients:
– 1 1/2 oz blended whiskey
– 1 cup vanilla ice cream
– 1/4 cup whole milk
– Whipped cream for garnish
Instructions: Combine whiskey, ice cream and milk in a blender. Blend until smooth and frothy. Pour into a tall glass and top with whipped cream.
This type of shaken alcoholic milkshake recipe represents a modern evolution from the original drinks made in the late 1800s. The simple ingredients of early milkshakes have been enriched with spirits and new mixology techniques.
While the Whiskey Shake offers a bolder, more indulgent take on the classic treat, it’s still important to recognize that liquor was not an original component of milkshakes. That trend emerged decades after their creation.
Conclusion
Milkshakes first emerged in the late 19th century as frothy, nutritious drinks made from simple ingredients like milk, ice cream, eggs, and flavored syrups or powders. The earliest milkshake recipes did not contain any liquor.
It wasn’t until the 1930s, after the end of Prohibition, that milkshakes started being used as “cocktails,” blended with spirits like rum, brandy, vodka, and whiskey. This trend peaked in the 1940s with soda fountains serving grown-up boozy shakes.
While alcohol certainly added a fun twist to milkshakes, it’s clear based on the original recipes that whiskey was not one of the ingredients first used to make these iconic drinks. Milkshakes earned popularity for their refreshing, creamy simplicity before mixologists later thought to add liquor to the blend.
So while whiskey and other spirits can complement and enhance a milkshake today, the original milkshake stood on its own without the need for booze. It was first and foremost a nourishing, indulgent ice cream treat that you could enjoy any time of day.