Why Dairy Queen Workers Flip Your Blizzard Upside Down

Why Dairy Queen Workers Flip Your Blizzard Upside Down

You've probably had a Blizzard before, unless you live in the only state that doesn't have a Dairy Queen. When you ask for a treat, the worker will almost always turn it over before giving it to you. A lot of customers might not know about this tradition, but it has a long history and a clear (pun intended) goal.

Since the Blizzard is a type of concrete, it is mixed like a milkshake but with custard instead of ice cream. There is less air in it than in a milkshake, so it's thicker, and you can add all sorts of things to it.

Ted Drewes, a custard stand from St. Louis, Missouri, was the first business to turn a concrete sign upside down, not Dairy Queen. Ted Drewes Jr. flipped a concrete upside down before serving it to 14-year-old Steve Gamber, who often came into the shop and always asked for a thicker malt than he got before. This happened at the stand in 1959. This is what Gamber told St. Louis Magazine in 2009: "To shut me up, Ted turned the malt over in front of me and asked, 'Is this thick enough for you?'" It's free if it falls out.'"

After 16 years, in 1985, the Blizzard made its debut. Sam Temperato, a franchise owner in Missouri, learned the same trick that Drewes did to show customers how thick the Blizzards were. The flip stuck, and many Dairy Queen locations still do it. Some even give free treats to customers whose Blizzards aren't flipped.

How come Dairy Queen Blizzards don't spill out of the cup?

When you turn a Dairy Queen Blizzard upside down, it stays inside the cup because of the way it's made. To legally be called "ice cream," the FDA says a treat must have at least 10% butterfat. A Blizzard only has 5% butterfat, so it's not really ice cream. The dessert stays light because it has less butterfat.

Since blizzards are soft-serve, air is added to make them creamier. It weighs less than regular ice cream because of this, so it's less likely to fall out when you turn it over. A Blizzard also has a high viscosity because the emulsifiers keep air inside it. This makes it less likely to drip. A Blizzard won't spill even if you turn the cup over. The shape of the cup even helps. If you fill the cup almost all the way to the top, the bottom is narrower than the top, which makes a slight vacuum seal.

Because of these things, you can still enjoy your treat after the worker turns it over, since there isn't much chance that it will spill if it was made right. Just don't eat the worst Blizzard flavour, and enjoy your frozen treat. You can even try to make your own Blizzard and flip it at home like a worker at Dairy Queen.