Frijj Strawberry Cheesecake Milkshake (Morrisons) by @cinabar

The weather is heating up again and, whatever your views on sunshine, we definitely need to stay hydrated. For me, I much prefer the mid twenties to thirties before it starts becoming a bit uncomfortable, but I am enjoying discovering all the summer drinks.

Here we have Frijj Strawberry Cheesecake Milkshake, and everyone knows strawberry is the fruit of summer.

I poured the drink into my cup. It was the usual thickish liquid you expect from Frijj, with a pale light pink colour. I took a sip and at first thought it was very much a strawberry milkshake. There was a sweet, fruity strawberry taste, but as that melted away, the creamy flavour came through, with just a tiny touch of sourness giving it the cheesecake edge.

Mostly though, it is a subtle twist on a strawberry milkshake and a lovely fruity drink.

Galaxy Caramel Flavour Frappe (Ocado) By @Cinabar

The weather is warming up again, which means it won't be long before we're all moaning that it's too hot, as is the British way. I always enjoy looking out for the range of summer drinks though, especially iced coffees and milkshakes, so expect to see a few over the next week or so.

First up is Galaxy Caramel Flavour Frappe. This is essentially a milkshake mix rather than a coffee drink, as it contains no coffee and is designed to be mixed with milk. The tub suggests shaking it with milk or blending it with ice. I added four heaped teaspoons to a jug of milk and stirred it with a spoon, but it wasn't dissolving very well. Spectre rescued the situation by grabbing a fork from the drawer and giving it a proper mix, which worked much better, although it was a surprising amount of effort. To be fair, it does recommend using a blender, and I own a NutriBullet, so perhaps I should have used that with a couple of ice cubes. I'll give it a go next time.

We poured the finished drink into my new adorable teddy bear-shaped cup, which was purchased specifically for milkshake and iced coffee season, or summer as some people prefer to call it. It looked fantastic, although I suspect that's more down to the cup than the drink itself. I'm getting distracted.

The drink is genuinely tasty. It's sweet, creamy and packed with caramel flavour. I also loved the amount of chocolate coming through. It feels more like a chocolate milkshake with added caramel rather than the other way around, which suited me perfectly. Next time I'll definitely blend in some ice for the full frappé experience.

Banoffee Iced Capp (Tim Hortons) By @Cinabar

We were out at the shops on Saturday and decided to stop for a drink at Tim Hortons. It is a well known Canadian coffee chain, but still fairly new to my city. As I am not that familiar with the brand, I naturally scanned the menu for anything labelled ‘new’, while Spectre went straight for a black coffee. We definitely sit at opposite ends of the drinks menu.

I chose the Banoffee Iced Capp. I have to say, “Iced Capp” is a very cute name for their iced cappuccino, and this version comes with added banoffee flavour.

I ordered a small and it was still a generous size, topped with a mountain of cream. It looked fantastic and genuinely made me smile. From the first sip, I got a rush of sweet toffee followed by fruity banana, and that smile stayed put. The coffee flavour was slightly hidden beneath all the sweetness, but honestly, I did not care. It tasted like an indulgent banana milkshake with a toffee twist, and it was pure joy.

The little pearls on top were a lovely touch. They reminded me of tiny banana and toffee fudge pieces and added a bit of texture as well as extra sweetness.

For balance, Spectre thoroughly enjoyed his black coffee too, no milk and no sugar.

Milka Shake (Iceland) By @Cinabar

Today wasn’t the ideal weather for a milkshake. Summer has passed, and we’re now into heavy rain and thunderstorms. The temperature is muggy, but I still fancied trying this Milka Shake to cool off. When I got it home, I noticed the instructions on the lid were simple enough; shake, open, drink, but they also mentioned you could microwave it for one minute and have it as a hot chocolate. I really liked that idea. There should be more drinks you can just zap and enjoy hot; I’d be all for that.

 

I’d already decided to have it cold, so I gave it a gentle shake, opened it, and it looked quite nice with a layer of bubbles on top.

Before I get to the taste, I need to add my Milka disclaimer. I love Milka chocolate, it's my absolute favourite. While I enjoy most chocolate, Milka is always my first choice, so I know its taste inside out.

I took a sip, and it was pleasant, nicely chocolatey, but very sweet. I could also pick up on the distinctive flavour you get with ultra heat-treated milk. What was missing for me was that familiar, slightly nutty Milka taste. The extra sweetness meant it didn’t quite hit the mark as a Milka drink. It’s a perfectly nice sweet chocolate milkshake, just not quite what I was hoping for.

Shaken Udder Scoff-The-Lot Milkshake (Tesco) by @Cinabar

I found a new milkshake flavour, and even though the weather has dropped a few degrees, it’s still the right season for a treat. The milkshake is called Scoff-The-Lot, though the flavour isn’t immediately obvious from the name. The label mentions it contains real cinnamon, which always makes me wonder about products that use the fake stuff. It also gave me a clue that this must be a Biscoff-style flavour, those caramelised cinnamon biscuits I adore. We always have some at home; they’re far more than just the freebie biscuit you get with a tea or coffee.

I gave the bottle a gentle shake and took a sip. The milkshake is creamy and a little thicker than regular milk, maybe similar to gold top, if that’s still around. The flavour was lovely, sweet, spiced, and packed with biscuit notes. There was a delicious hit of cinnamon and a rich baked taste. It was an absolute delight. As a cinnamon fan, this was right up my street: sweet, spicy, and just perfect. The warm spice also worked well with the cooler weather. I’ll definitely be stocking up on these!

Milkshake With Oreo Toppings (Iceland) By @Cinabar

My latest grocery order was from Iceland, and of course I had to search for new milkshake flavours. Most summers I discover plenty of new varieties in the shops, but this year I’ve really struggled. I’ve been keeping a proper eye out and trying different supermarkets, so I was pleased when I spotted this Milkshake With Oreo Toppings.

 

It comes as an all-in-one cup with a drink and a section of toppings. I took off the lid on the toppings side and found the instructions underneath: open the milk section, open the toppings, then shake them together. I had visions of this getting messy after removing the foil seal, but I decided to give it a go.

The toppings looked like crushed Oreo biscuit pieces, without the filling. The milk section had a slightly grey colour which wasn’t very appealing, and it was also quite thin in texture.

I poured the toppings into the milk, put the lid back on, and gave it a gentle shake. Visually it seemed fine, with cookie pieces floating on top.

Taste-wise, it was a bit of a let-down. The biscuit bits made the drink lumpy, but not in a good way, it felt more like accidentally swallowing chunks rather than enhancing the drink. The milk was watery, and the biscuit flavour didn’t taste quite right. Overall, it was sweet and vaguely biscuity, but with an odd aftertaste that didn’t work for me. By the time I got to the bottom, the Oreo bits had turned into a soggy sludge, which didn’t help matters. Sadly, this isn’t the exciting new milkshake flavour of the summer for me, but I’ll keep searching!

Yazoo Birthday Cake Flavour Milkshake (Tesco) By @Cinabar

I’ve noticed this summer seems a bit thin on the ground for new milkshake flavours compared to last year. I always keep an eye out for fresh, fun varieties, but pickings feel slim. Still, I did spot this Yazoo Birthday Cake Flavour Milkshake, so decided to give it a try.

Last year’s lineup was much more playful, ranging from caramel latte to Flumps marshmallow. This “Birthday Cake” offering had potential, though. On opening the bottle, the aroma was pleasantly sweet,  the sort of comforting vanilla scent that makes you think of a dessert table.

Pouring it out, the texture was reasonably thick without being cloying. When I took a sip, the first flavour to hit me was vanilla, and a lot of it. I enjoy a vanilla milkshake, so that suited me fine, but honestly it reminded me more of custard than birthday cake. There was a definite sweetness, but I couldn’t pick up anything “baked” about it, no hint of sponge, frosting, or sprinkles, which is what I’d expect from a proper birthday cake flavour.

Overall, it tasted like a perfectly nice vanilla milkshake, but not one that’s going to turn heads or bring any wow factor. If Yazoo had labelled it “vanilla custard”, I’d have called that fair.

So it seems the hunt for genuinely new milkshake flavours goes on. Have you come across any exciting, unusual milkshakes this year? Let me know in the comments, I’m always up for trying something a bit different.

M&Ms Brownie Milkshake (Corner Shop) By @Cinabar

When I picked up this milkshake in a local corner shop, all I could think was that it was a very specific flavour choice. This is not just a brownie milkshake, it is an M&Ms Brownie Milkshake. For me, if I were to buy an M&Ms brownie, the key thing about the M&Ms in a cake would be the texture from the shell and the dots of colour throughout. As neither of those things translate into a milkshake, I have to admit I was a bit curious about what I had purchased. All the same, it was a warm day and I fancied a cool chocolate milkshake.

I followed the instructions on the pack and gave it a good shake before opening it. I took a sip and have to admit there was more to the flavour than just chocolate. It did have a cake-like taste. I do not think I would have guessed M&Ms specifically, but the flavour was nice. The thickness of the shake is about right, not too runny but easy enough to drink through the lid. I liked the drink; it was a nice cool chocolate treat. I think the specific flavour notes were hard to pin down, but I still enjoyed it.

In other news, the shake also had 10 grams of protein, which is good for anyone building muscle.

The Shamrock Shake (McDonald's) By @Cinabar

Monday is St Patrick’s Day, a time to celebrate Ireland’s patron saint. McDonald's contribution is the new Shamrock Shake, a milkshake inspired by the lucky Irish shamrock. It is green in colour, but thankfully not shamrock flavoured. That would probably just taste leafy. This new drink is peppermint, and I couldn’t resist picking one up as a Friday treat.

When the milkshake arrived, I could see that it was green, but only mildly so. A brighter shade might have put me off. I gave it a taste and found it sweet and very minty. I had expected something similar to mint choc chip ice cream, but without the chocolate, all that remained was intense sweetness and mint. I really liked it and found it refreshing, but I do love mint. I also have a sweet tooth, so this worked well for me, though I can imagine it being a bit much for some.

As much as I enjoyed the Shamrock Shake, it doesn’t beat the limited-edition blueberry Grimace Shake. Still, it is worth trying, and don’t forget to raise a glass (or a cardboard cup) to St Patrick.

Mars Milkshake (Iceland) by @Cinabar

The flavour of the nougat in a UK Mars bar is hard to describe. It’s distinctive, I know it well and can almost taste it just by thinking about it. Yet, it’s difficult to categorise precisely; I would say, however, that it’s definitely not malt.

This new drink, a Mars Milkshake in a can, comes sweetened with artificial sweeteners, which I know might deter some people. Personally, I don’t mind sweeteners, as they help keep the calories down, though I realise some would rather have real sugar. The can suggests giving it a gentle shake, so I did just that before taking my first sip.

The flavour is pleasant, with chocolate and caramel notes that aren’t too sweet, and a hint of malt. Chocolate and malt complement each other nicely, so the overall taste was enjoyable. However, I didn’t feel it truly captured the iconic Mars bar flavour. It was close and certainly tasty, but for me, it wasn’t quite a perfect match. Still, it makes for a nice, lower-calorie treat.

Grimace Shake (McDonalds) By @Cinabar

You have one week to catch this in Britain. The Grimace Shake has been all over Tik Tok in the states; it has a cult following, and for one week it is visiting our shores. Grimace is the purple monster mascot, and the rumours are that he’ll do anything to get his shakes back, so if you do order one, keep an eye open. 

We decided to have a McDonald's takeaway and give the drink a try. The colour is gorgeous; it is a lovely, bright, fun purple colour. I gave the thick shake a sip and couldn’t help but smile. The drink has a sweet blueberry taste; it is fruity, fun, and creamy too. This is an absolute delight to drink. I loved every sip, and I am not ashamed to say I slurped my way to the end. I love that there is something fruity on the menu for milkshakes that isn’t just strawberry, and this Grimace Shake needs a permanent place on the menu. I also managed to finish the drink without Grimace turning up and wanting it back, so that was a win too. 

Barratt Flumps Marshmallow Milkshake (Home Bargains) By @Cinabar

I have been saying for a while that the choice of milkshake mixes currently available is a little bit disappointing here in the UK. I couldn’t even find a simple vanilla in the supermarkets. Rest assured, my cupboard already contains chocolate, strawberry and banana and I was just after something a bit different. At the weekend, we had a look around Home Bargains, and it did not disappoint. I found this Barratt Flumps Marshmallow Milkshake. It may not be vanilla, but I’m hoping it will hit the spot.

I added four teaspoons to my glass. The mixture is a powder, but it dissolves easily in the milk with a little stir. The milk felt a little thicker, and the colour was a shade creamier, but it didn’t look much different from milk.

I gave the drink a sip, and it tasted rather lovely. It was sweet, just like marshmallows. It wasn’t quite vanilla, but that was there too, and it was a little creamy. I rather loved this Barratt Flumps Marshmallow Milkshake. It was fun and different, and it was just what I was after.

Quick Milk Magic Sipper Strawberry (Asda) By @Cinabar

Why aren’t there more exciting milkshake flavours out there? I’m really struggling to find new varieties. It is hot, and it is milkshake season. Could someone please tell me where I can even find a vanilla syrup? In my search, though, I found these Quick Milk Magic Sipper Straws in Strawberry. I mean, I know these are meant for children, and I know I’m a grown adult, but I don’t care; I’m loving milkshakes at the moment, and this was something new for me to try.

I opened up the packet and found five plastic straws; these ones are not recyclable in my area, which was a bit disappointing. They are filled with pink milkshake graduals, each semi-sealed at the end. So that the graduals don’t fall out but the milk can run through.

My glass isn’t that big. For example, a can of drink holds more liquid than my glass; if I pour myself one, I have to finish part of the drink from the can itself as it doesn’t fit. What I’m saying is that my glass is not that big. I filled it with milk and popped a straw in. I gave it a try, and the first sip was a magically sweet strawberry flavour; it was lush. I have a sweet tooth, and this was working for me. A few more sips, and the drink went rather milky. I took the straw out, and before I had reached half way on the milk, the straw was running on empty. It was nearly so good, but this Quick Milk Magic Sipper Strawberry just didn’t work for the whole glass. Oh well, I guess I am still searching for the perfect milkshake mix.

The Real Milkshakes Co. Salted Caramel (Morrisons) By @Cinabar

Why are there more varieties of flavoured coffee than there are new milkshakes in the middle of summer? Has our tendency to have just two days of sunshine each summer meant that no company is willing to risk cold drinks for the season? You know, I couldn’t even find a vanilla milkshake in the shops, which is crazy. I did find this, though, which I suppose is the new vanilla. Here we have The Real Milkshakes Co. Salted Caramel.

The drink is a fresh drink and is pre-made rather than being a syrup. I poured it into a glass and was impressed by how thick the shake was. It looked yummy. I gave it a try, and the flavour did not disappoint either; it was sweet and creamy, with just a touch of saltiness to make the flavour pop. It was a delight, and so moreish. I just kept sipping. It reminded me of a superb custard, and it is one I’ll buy again. I might not be able to find a decent vanilla, but this The Real Milkshakes Co Salted Caramel will do just fine for now. 

Crusha Milkshake Mix Caramel Latte (Morrisons) By @Cinabar

I don’t buy a lot of milkshake mixes, even though I do really enjoy them. It might be the weather; they are a summer drink, and so far we are lacking sunshine this year. They are something I have at an American-style diner, but not something I tend to have at home. Having said this, the bottle of Crusha Milkshake Mix Caramel Latte caught my eye, and I decided to give it a try. Crusha is a brand that has been going since the 1950s, so they know their stuff when it comes to milkshake mixes. 

 

This bottle is a cordial and actually makes 16 drinks from concentrate. You add 2 to 3 tablespoons of syrup to a glass, mix it with milk, and if you are feeling indulgent, you can add ice cream too. I went for the simpler option of just milk so I could do a proper flavour test. I love the idea of this flavour, and although I always love a chocolate milkshake, a grown-up coffee variety sounds perfect for me. 

I gave the drink a try, and I liked it. It was more like a milkshake than an instant iced coffee, but this is because it is sweet and then coffee-flavoured, which I really liked. There is plenty of caramel, and then the coffee comes through too, making a really nice, sweet milkshake. I've finished my glass far too easily and rediscovered a love of milkshakes I’d sort of forgotten about. I can’t wait to work through the rest of the bottle of Crusha Caramel Latte  Milkshake Mix.

Bubbleology - Milk Tea Mixology Kit - Taro Flavour [@NLi10]

 I got this bubble tea kit for Christmas, but had been saving it til the weather was a bit warmer as it's nicer as a cold drink (the bubbles in warm drinks are a little too unnerving). 

It has everything you need - except the milk, and ice - in the box and is enough to make 4 decently sized drinks.

The instructions tell you how to mix all the bits together, but the QR code also links you to a video that says slightly different things.

It says you can use plant based things too so I used almond milk

It does worry me that they keep saying that it's science

Impressive little kit!

For the Taro version you pop the powder & milk in the blender and give it a zap, and then microwave the little tadpoles

Unfortunately I put it on for a few seconds too long and it popped.  Three seconds less and I'd have likely been fine.

I managed to get them all into the pepsi glass

I then added the blended milk mix (with a little blended ice too) and gave it a swirl.

And it worked surprisingly well!  The smells were those of the bubble tea shop, and the taro tasted pretty authentic too.  Using the non-dairy milk seemed to have not changed a thing and worked really well too.

My complaint with these has always been that it's more of a posh milkshake than a novelty tea - but behold - they say you can add 1/4 of pre-made tea to the mix for a more tea based drink - so for the next set I'll do that and see if it makes a difference.

I'll probably add another review for the tiger stripes one.

Cafetto Late Cappuccino - cold coffee for a hot day @NLi10

 At work in the hospital we have loads of coffee shops, all with huge queues.  When I picked up my sandwich I often have to wait behind extravagant coffee orders, and yet - they also sell a pre-made chilled coffee drink! So - I chose one and skipped the hot drinks queue - how bad can it be?!

It’s in a plastic cup, but a thin one so they can put the eco thing on, and it does mean you can recycle it.

It’s not iced though - it’s just cold.

Yup - it’s a coffee flavoured milkshake - we had those in the 80s. They didn’t tend to put much actual coffee in then, but these days caffeine and sugar are big business (and you can’t have them in a cola).

Putting it into a glass felt more civilised, and if I was at home I could have added ice.

Decent enough flavours, but it did lack a certain something. I think I’ll stick to the wonderful coconut milk lates in future, but for a little lunchtime kick without the extra 5 mins in the queue then it was perfect.

Be great for picnics, and also for just popping in the office fridge for emergencies.

Aero melts Neapolitan & Milky Bar Raspberry icecream - choc buttons [@NLi10]

 We went on holiday to Swansea for the night - and at the services on the way saw these chocs at £3.80 each! It was 2 for £5 so we figured that picking up the milky bar ones as extras would be justified.

We cracked open the Aro ones there and then as they are clearly the grown up choice and has all the flavours

They really didn’t seem that different though

Decent portion - although the price still hurts.

Tiny bubbles unlike the full size bars - and you don’t really get the melt effect as they are a bit fondanty for the other colours. Disappointing - I’d rather have had a regular Aero.

On the beach later that day I cracked open the Milky Bar ones that I had custody of.

These are one variety in the pack with two colours, but the same flavour throughout.

And it’s gorgeous. Basically raspberry milkshake flavour! Maybe they do bars of this already and I’ve just never spotted them, but this is sweet and creamy and fruity and perfect for a summer day.

They did melt a bit though, but super happy with these - especially after the Aero versions.

Cadbury Creamy Chocolate Milkshake (Morrison’s) By @SpectreUK

It's no secret that Cadbury Dairy Milk Chocolate is by and far my favourite chocolate. I don't mind Nestle chocolate bars, and Mars, though other chocolates pale into comparison to Cadbury in my mind. So, when Cinabar bought me this Cadbury Creamy Chocolate Milkshake, I seemed to be the natural completely unbiased blogger to write about it.

Made with real Cadbury Milk Chocolate this Cadbury Creamy Chocolate Milkshake sounds like a real treat. I decided to have some Cadbury Dairy Milk Chocolate to wash down with it. On opening the bottle there was a scrumptious smell of Cadbury Milk Chocolate from the chocolate coloured liquid inside. Oh my, was I looking forward to this, in a totally unbiased blogger type way, of course.

On taste this Cadbury Creamy Chocolate Milkshake was creamy to the extreme. It was easily by and far the best chocolate milkshake I've ever tasted. I mean, was there any doubt? There was luscious Cadbury Milk Chocolate mixed with whole milk and semi skimmed milk, amongst other things. At one point I found myself rather disturbingly French-kissing the bottle trying to get the last drops out. I'm glad no one was around at the time. This is how chocolate milkshake is supposed to taste. Thank you, Cadbury.

Information on the bottle; The 250ml bottle contained 111 calories per 100ml, with 4.5g of fat, 10.3g of sugar and 0.18g of salt. There was also a decent amount of protein in this drink at 4.2g per 100ml. Please see photograph for the ingredients.