Released 2021 Oct 12 (build 45.13.15)
Special release
Aside from the usual fixes and improvements, most of the features included in this release will be used to lay the groundwork for future advancements. As such, there are no customer-facing features to highlight for Milkshake.
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TOTAL: 32 bug fixes and/or performance enhancements.
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Release cycle theme: Sweet treats
Did you know that milkshakes were originally an alcoholic beverage? In 1885, a milkshake was a whiskey-based, eggnog-type drink served in bars. But by 1900, the whiskey had been swapped out for the more wholesome (and more popular) flavorings of chocolate, strawberry, and vanilla syrups. These new milkshake beverages would be hand-shaken mixtures of milk, crushed ice, sugar, and flavorings.
The later addition of ice cream and then malted milk powder to the mix brought about the modern milkshake and thicker frosted malt, and their popularity spurred the boom of "malt shoppes" throughout the 40s and 50s.
These days, milkshakes and malts have retained their popularity as fast food menu staples, most notably at McDonald's and Wendy's: Despite only being available for one month a year, McDonald's has dispensed over 60 million servings of their seasonal hit, the Shamrock Shake—while Wendy's signature Frosty has been served over 300 million times worldwide!
I'd also like to call out a notable individual achievement in milkshaking. For singer Kelis, whose rendition of "Milkshake" brought everyone to her yard for a little taste. Now, obviously this wasn't a traditional milkshake (or even about a traditional milkshake), but with certified sales of over 1.35 million units, her single not only shot to #3 on the Billboard charts in 2003—but most likely to #3 on the "milkshake" sales chart for that year as well...right behind McDonald's and Wendy's. 😉