Who doesn’t love to dip into a delicious shake when you’re dealing with 90+ degree weather outside?? Sometimes we’re desperate and we’ll take anything cold and sweet, but really, not all shakes are created equal! I think it’s funny that everyone seems to have a favorite place to grab a shake, but often, the opinions vary as much as flavors of shakes do! I decided to ask several people what, in their opinion, makes a great shake, and here’s what I found ;).

Thickness seemed to be the most important factor, and yet there was a huge discrepancy! Many people said that if you could drink the shake through the straw that it was too thin, while others said that if you had to use a spoon then it was too thick. It also seems that everyone has a different definition of what a shake actually is. When a shake is so thick that you can turn the cup upside down and nothing comes out, it’s called a blizzard (like Dairy Queen’s)- which some consider a “shake”, while others don’t! I’d love to hear your thoughts on what constitutes a shake ;).

Another factor I found interesting- the grainy texture of a shake. Smooth or grainy seemed to be another defining factor that totally depended on the individual! One person in particular couldn't stand any graininess in their shakes (they want the creaminess!), while others crave that crystally- grainy texture in their milkshake. Another person said it totally depended on the flavor of the shake!

Another important factor that everyone seems to agree on- flavors :). Sometimes, you can sacrifice the other components of a shake if the flavor is right! Especially when it comes to fruit; flavored syrups vs. real, fresh fruit can create totally different flavors. And sometimes, you’re just craving some good ol’ fashioned cookie dough in your shake, so you’ll go wherever you need to find it! (Especially if you’re craving something unique like pumpkin pie cheesecake flavored!)

Now, you may know what you like in a shake, but how do you know where to go to find the perfect one? The best way I think is through experience and through asking the locals ;). My family recently took a trip to Bear Lake, and one of the locals told us that they very best place to get the famous raspberry shakes was a little Chevron gas station in Garden City. This surprised us, considering how many places were labeled as being the home of the best shake, and we would have driven past this gas station without a thought of ice cream. But I have to say- the shakes were AMAZING and made fresh right in front of you! Lesson learned- when in doubt, ask the locals ;).

Here in Utah, I came across a couple news articles that listed the very best places to get shakes, and here is the combined list:

Sammy’s

Iceberg

JCW’s

Purple Turtle

LaBeau’s (in Garden City- I’ll have to compare these shakes with the Chevron ones!).

Granny’s

Nielsen’s Frozen Custard

I’ve only been to half of these places- I’m thinking I need to take a roadtrip to try the others!

And at the end of the day, for many people I talked to- sometimes it’s hard to beat a homemade milkshake, made to your own individual taste! Really, it’s hard to go wrong with ice cream and shakes, so you’ll probably enjoy whatever you end up with- whether it be homemade, from a chain restaurant, or from some hole in the wall place in your local neighborhood! Just be sure to bring someone to enjoy it with, because that’s really what makes shakes so great, right? ;)

So let’s hear it- what defines a great shake to you? And what is your favorite flavors or places to grab one? I’d love to hear all about it :).