A milkshake is a sweet, cold beverage that is usually made from milk, ice cream, or iced milk, and flavorings or sweeteners such as butterscotch, caramel sauce, chocolate syrup, or fruit syrup. Outside of the United States, milkshakes using ice cream or iced milk are sometimes called a thick milkshake or thick shake; in New England, the term frappe may be used to differentiate it from thinner forms of flavored milk.
Full-service restaurants, soda fountains, and diners usually prepare and mix the shake "by hand " from scoops of ice cream and milk in a blender or drink mixer using a stainless steel cup. Many fast food outlets do not make shakes by hand with ice cream ; instead, they make shakes in automatic milkshake machines which freeze and serve a pre-made milkshake mixture consisting of milk, a sweetened flavoring agent, and a thickening agent. However, some fast food outlets still follow the traditional method, and some serve milkshakes which are prepared by blending soft-serve ice cream (or ice milk ) with flavoring or syrups. Milkshakes can also be made at home with a blender or automatic drink mixer.
A milkshake can also be made by adding powder into fresh milk and stirring the powder into the milk. Milkshakes made in this way can come in a variety of flavors, including chocolate, caramel, strawberry, and banana.
