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National Coffee Milkshake Day

On a scorching summer day, a blend of your favorite brew and chilly creaminess collides, creating an icy pick-me-up that's pure bliss.

CoffeeFood & DrinkIce Cream62
Marketing angleinferred

Drive summer beverage sales and foot traffic by promoting indulgent coffee-ice cream blends as the ultimate heat-relief treat during peak July heat.

Relevance 62high intent
  • DIY coffee milkshake recipe challenge on TikTok/Instagram Reels
  • In-store limited-edition coffee milkshake promotions with chocolate drizzle upsells
  • Nostalgia angle: 'Retro malt shop vibes meet modern coffee culture'
  • User-generated content: customers sharing their custom coffee milkshake creations

History

The term “milkshake” was first used in 1885. At that time, milkshakes were very different from what you can currently get at Dairy Queen, as they were alcoholic drinks made with eggs and whiskey, much like today’s eggnog. Soon after, however, the word “milkshake” began to refer to ice cream-based drinks made with chocolate, strawberry, or vanilla syrups. By the 1930s, milkshakes were a popular drink at the kind of malt shops depicted in many of today’s movies, which were common student meeting places. In the 1940s and 1950s, sharing a milkshake became a gesture of intimacy between a couple who were dating.

Somewhere along the way, coffee was added to milkshakes to give them both a caffeine boost and the unique coffee flavor loved by millions worldwide, and then a day was created to celebrate the delicious combination of coffee and ice cream. There have been countless variations of this drink, one of which is Starbucks’ Frappuccino.


How to celebrate

Ingredients (serves 2):

2 cup cold-brewed coffee8 giant scoops vanilla ice cream2 tablespoons chocolate syrup, plus extra for drizzling5-6 ice cubeswhipped cream

Instructions:

Blend the coffee, vanilla ice cream, ice and 2 tablespoons of chocolate syrup together in a blender until smooth. If the mixture is too thick, you can add a couple splashes of milk to loosen it up, but in general you shouldn’t worry about it being too thick, as it will thin as it warms to room temperature anyway. If it is too thin, on the other hand, add a little more ice cream and pulse to smooth out. Pour the milkshake into one very large or glasses that you can coat with chocolate syrup if desired. Top with a very generous spoonful of whipped cream and drizzle with additional chocolate syrup. Serve immediately. If that doesn’t sound like the perfect summer drink, what does?