The First Milkshake Was Blended At A Walgreens Pharmacy - Tasting Table

"A version of milkshakes has existed since at least 1855 when the term was first recorded, describing an eggnog-style alcoholic drink laden with whiskey. That's a far cry from the now-popular, thick, family-friendly sweet treat, which was in fact blended at a Chicago Walgreens soda-fountain in 1922. That was the year a Walgreens soda-jerk named Ivar "Pop" Coulson famously dropped two scoops of the store's house‑made vanilla ice cream into a glass of milk."

"He then added chocolate syrup and the ingredient that forever changed the dairy dessert world: malted-milk powder. It's notable that Pop didn't invent malted-milk powder, instead using the existing Horlick's brand used for plain malted-milk drinks. However, he's the one who blended it all into ice-cream nirvana. Malt powder is still what defines an authentic, traditional milkshake, infusing the mixture with creamy, toasty, sweetness, full-bodied texture, and a huge heap of nostalgia."

Milkshake precursor dates to 1855 as an eggnog-style alcoholic drink. The now-familiar, thick milkshake was blended at a Chicago Walgreens soda-fountain in 1922 when Ivar "Pop" Coulson dropped two scoops of house-made vanilla ice cream into milk. Coulson added chocolate syrup and malted-milk powder, using the Horlick's brand rather than inventing the malt itself. Malt powder remains the defining ingredient of traditional milkshakes, contributing creamy, toasty sweetness and full-bodied texture that evokes nostalgia. Drugstore soda-fountain culture that served malted shakes with stools and music has largely faded.

Read at Tasting Table