The Ultra-Thick Utah Milkshakes That You Need A Spoon To Eat
The whole point of a milkshake is that it's slurpable ice cream, but if you go to Utah, you may be surprised to find that their milkshakes are thicker than most. In fact, they're so dense that they're pretty difficult to suck down with a straw when you first order them. If you try to eat them right away, you're going to need a spoon, as these drinks basically look like ice cream in a cup. They also don't skimp on the servings, and most end up towering over the cup's rim.
So why are Utah shakes made differently than the rest of the country's? It has to do in part with the weather. The state routinely sees temperatures of 100 degrees Fahrenheit or higher in the summer — so if you order an already-thin milkshake, it will likely be warm and runny by the time you get home. As Utah resident Cheri Ause told The Salt Lake Tribune, "They are thick enough to eat with a spoon for the first little while, but become sippable..." So while you may start with a spoon, you can later switch to a straw, getting the best of both worlds.
How Utah milkshake joints make their drinks so thick
According to Iceberg Drive Inn, a Utah establishment that serves up these ultra-thick shakes and hosts a Shake of the Month Club, thinner milkshakes were the norm when the joint first opened in 1960. But when it started making thicker drinks for customers that requested them, word spread and the new creations stuck. While the Iceberg Drive Inn may be one of the state's most famous places to get these thick shakes, it's not the only one. You can find them at places throughout Utah, like Dairy Keen, Rodgers Dairy Freeze, and Arctic Circle, where flavors include Chips Ahoy, Caramel Cashew, and Butterfinger.
Making a single serving of a milkshake (like this old-fashioned vanilla one) typically involves blending up 2 cups of ice cream with half a cup of milk, or a similar ratio. While these Utah drinks have seemingly reinvented the wheel, the way they're thickened is fairly straightforward: They include less milk. Iceberg Drive Inn specifically uses a mixture of ice and milk instead of straight ice cream, which results in a smoother texture that is sturdy enough to hold its own over the top of the cup. You can try to replicate these desserts at home by adding just a splash of milk to your blender — or just head to the Beehive State to get the real thing.