Why Do Dairy Queen Employees Flip The Blizzards?

Unless you live in the only state without a Dairy Queen location, you've probably ordered a Blizzard before. When you do, an employee will almost always flip the treat upside down before handing it to you. While this tradition might fly under the radar for many customers, it has a long history as well as a concrete (pun intended) purpose.

The Blizzard is a type of concrete, meaning it is blended like a milkshake but uses custard instead of ice cream. It's thicker than a milkshake thanks to a lower concentration of air and can include all kinds of mix-ins.

Dairy Queen was not the first company to flip a concrete upside down; that honor goes to Ted Drewes, a custard stand from St. Louis, Missouri. While working at the stand in 1959, Ted Drewes Jr. flipped a concrete upside down before serving it to 14-year-old Steve Gamber, who frequented the shop and constantly asked for a thicker malt than he'd received prior. In a 2009 interview with St. Louis Magazine, Gamber said, "Just to shut me up, Ted turned the malt upside down right in front of me and said, 'Is this thick enough for you? If it falls out, it's free.'"

The Blizzard debuted 16 years later in 1985. Missouri-based franchise owner Sam Temperato picked up the same trick as his competitor Drewes to prove how thick the Blizzards were to customers. The practice stuck, and many Dairy Queen locations still perform the flip, with some giving guests whose Blizzards are not flipped a free treat.

Why don't Dairy Queen Blizzards fall out of the cup?

Dairy Queen Blizzards have a unique composition that helps them stay inside the cup when flipped upside down. A Blizzard is not technically ice cream, as it only has 5% butterfat — to legally be considered "ice cream," the FDA requires that a treat have at least 10% butterfat. The reduced butterfat content keeps the dessert light.

Blizzards are soft-serve, meaning air is added to make it creamier. This makes it weigh less than traditional ice cream, and therefore less likely to fall out when flipped upside down. In addition, a Blizzard has a high viscosity thanks to the emulsifiers keeping air inside it, so it's less likely to drip. Even the shape of the cup helps ensure a Blizzard doesn't spill when flipped upside down. The cup is narrower at the bottom than the top and creates a slight vacuum seal when packed full of soft serve and toppings.

All of these factors combined means you can enjoy your treat after the employee flips it upside down, as there is very little chance of spillage if it was prepared correctly. Just be sure to avoid the worst Blizzard flavor and dig into your frozen treat. You can even try to make your own Blizzard and flip it at home, just like a Dairy Queen employee would.

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