The Jaw-Dropping World Record An Arizona Ice Cream Shop Just Set

When it comes to ice cream, everyone has their favorites. And, while the most purchased flavors in the U.S. are vanilla and chocolate, many of us like to try something new and interesting every now and then. In fact, a study showed that one of the most popular flavors in America, – besides the standard offerings — was Moose Tracks which is a combination of vanilla, fudge swirl, and peanut butter cups. Flavor varieties can be mind boggling and go way beyond Baskin-Robbins famous 31. In fact, according to the Guinness Book of World Records, the record for most commercially available flavors is held by Canadian shop, La Casa Gelato which has 238 flavors for sale. 

The fun thing about most ice creams is that they can also be transformed into tasty milkshakes. With the term itself dating back to the 1880s — referring to an alcohol-infused milk drink — milkshakes didn't break into the mainstream as the thick ice-cream-laden treats we know today, until 1922. When a Walgreens employee in Chicago plopped up two scoops of ice cream into a malted milk drink, the fad quickly caught fire and the modern milkshake was born (via PlansSponsor). Fast-forward 100 years, to September 10th, 2022, when one store on the iconic Route 66 set the world record for the Largest Display of Milkshakes Varieties.

Route 66 is breaking some records

Delgadillo's Snow Cap Drive-In Arizona grabbed the title for Largest Display of Milkshake Varieties offering a whopping 266 flavors, according to Food & Wine. What was even more impressive was the fact that they produced them under the watchful eye of a chef in an astounding 1 hour and 15 minutes. Guinness World Records adjudicator, Mike Marcotte, also at the event to determine each shake was, "of milkshake consistency and that all the ingredients that were submitted to us at Guinness World Records were actually in the milkshake."  It took approximately 20 to 30 employees to complete the task. 

The ice cream shop, located on iconic Route 66 in Seligman, AZ, said in the lead up to the event, "we will serve up a record-breaking amount of milkshake flavors in celebration of the iconic route and businesses like ours that keep it fun" (via Instagram). Along with your standard flavors such as chocolate and strawberry, the drive-in had to get creative with their flavor combinations — many of which may be edible but might be hard to swallow. A post on the store's Facebook page says, "Next time you are in the store ask Mauricio how his Oreo-Salsa-Turkey-Root Beer milkshake was."

There are several more Guinness World Record events coming up along Route 66 in order to drum up support for a petition to officially designate it as a National Historic Trail. Events include "World's Largest Corndog" in New Mexico and "World's Most Dogs at a Drive-In" in Illinois.