Orange Julius

Orange Julius is an American chain of fruit drink beverage stores. It has been in business since the late 1920s. The eponymous beverage is a mixture of ice, orange juice, sweetener, milk, powdered egg whites (for frothiness) and vanilla flavoring, similar to an orange Creamsicle.

The drink grew out of an orange juice stand opened in Los Angeles, California in 1926 by Julius Freed. Sales were initially modest, about $20 a day (equivalent to approximately $276 in 2017 dollars). In 1929, Bill Hamlin, Freed's real estate broker, developed a mixture that made the acidic orange juice less bothersome to his stomach. Freed's stand began serving the drink, which had a frothier, creamier texture. The sales at the stand increased substantially after the introduction of the new drink, going up to $100 a day. People began lining up at the store and shouting, "Give me an Orange, Julius!" Eventually, the new drink would simply be called "the Orange Julius".

During the 1950s and 1960s, Orange Julius was sold at a variety of outlets, including state and county fairs and freestanding Orange Julius stands.  The Orange Julius was named the official drink of the 1964 New York World's Fair. In 1987, the Orange Julius chain was bought by International Dairy Queen. IDQ, and by inclusion since 1999, Berkshire Hathaway, owns the rights to all Orange Julius stores, and has expanded the chain so its drinks are included in many of its Dairy Queen mall stores, called Treat Centers.

1 cup milk (whole, 2%, or skim)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 6-ounce can frozen orange juice concentrate
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups ice

In a heavy duty blender, add all ingredients except ice cubes. Blend for a few seconds until mixture is smooth. Add ice cubes and blend just until frothy (doesn't take long.) Serve immediately, with additional ice cubes if desired.

Serves 2