Retro Milkshake Makers
The first milkshakes appeared in the late 1800s and were eggnog type drinks that did not include ice cream, but made up for the lack by adding whiskey. By the turn of the century, milkshakes had evolved towards what we know today and were mixed with chocolate, strawberry or vanilla syrup, sometimes with ice cream (but no whiskey). The next step towards today’s milkshakes occurred in 1911 when Louis Hamiltion and Chester Beach, the founders of Hamilton Beach, developed an electric drink mixer. A nearby business, the Horlick Malted Milk Company, had urged them to develop an appliance that made it easier to mix malted milkshakes.
Hamilton Beach’s drink mixer was introduced and became an instant hit, and with it malted milk shakes became a popular addition to soda fountains throughout the United States. The drink mixer was later refined into the blender, and milkshakes became the more modern frothy type (although the thicker milkshakes are considered preferable by many connoisseurs).
In the 1930s, automated “multimixer” milkshake mixers were introduced that could make multiple milkshakes at once. These were primarily used in soda fountains that produced multiple milkshakes at a time, although many smaller shops continued to use the single milkshake mixers. These mixers can still be found today at restaurants and cafes that serve quality milkshakes, although an equally good milkshake can be made with a blender, and this is also often used.
The basic design of the milkshake maker hasn’t changed much over the years, and many of the current appliances would fit right in with the 1950s soda fountain milkshake maker. This is great if you’re trying to put together a retro style kitchen (even if you’re not, you can’t go too far wrong making milkshakes!). You can even buy a retro style milkshake mixer from Hamilton Beach, the company that helped invent the modern milkshake!