ST. LOUIS -- A great milkshake starts with great ingredients, says Mike Karandzieff, co-owner of Crown Candy Kitchen, which has been making ice cream and serving fountain treats since 1913 in St. Louis.

"You need great ice cream and the very best of other ingredients," Karandzieff says. "And you just can't whip it up. You have to know how to blend 'em just right."

Crown Candy uses professional equipment, but home cooks can make fine milkshakes with an ordinary blender. The trick, according to Adam Ried, author of the new book "Thoroughly Modern Milkshakes" (W.W. Norton & Co., $24.95), is to pulse together the ingredients a few times, then use a flexible spatula to mash the mixture onto the blender blades. Start pulsing again, stopping the blender to use the spatula as needed, until the milkshake is smooth and well-blended.

Joy Grdnic, who owns The Fountain in midtown St. Louis, pays attention to detail when whipping up old-fashioned milkshakes and malts. "A big thing is the quality of the ice cream, but little things are also important, like having fresh whipped cream. We also avoid high-fructose corn syrup in our ingredients."

Her restaurant has built a name for itself in part through its ice cream martinis. "In other words, adult milkshakes," Grdnic says.

Ried traces the origin of the milkshake to 1885. Those early treats had something in common with Grdnic's ice cream martinis. "Considered both a restorative tonic and a treat, at that point milkshakes usually contained milk, ice, sugar, and, by all indications, an egg and a shot of whiskey, and they were all shaken by hand."

In 1922, Ivar "Pop" Coulson invented the ice-cream-based milkshake at a Walgreens in Chicago, Ried writes. A nationwide craze ensued.

Grdnic shared recipes for alcoholic and nonalcoholic milkshakes. We've also included recipes from Ried's book for a basic, ultra-rich milkshake and a Colombian cholado, a nontraditional milkshake loaded with fruit.

SPICED BANANA THICK SHAKE

Yield: 2 servings

2 small bananas, peeled

1½ cups ice cubes

3 scoops vanilla frozen yogurt or low-fat vanilla ice cream, softened

½ cup pineapple juice or apple juice

1 tablespoon honey

¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg

½ teaspoon vanilla

1. Combine all ingredients in a blender.

2. Blend until mixture is smooth, about 30 seconds. If necessary, pulse a few times until the mixture blends easily.

Per serving: 370 calories; 7g fat (17 percent calories from fat); 4.5g saturated fat; 23mg cholesterol; 6g protein; 71g carbohydrate; 51g sugar; 3g fiber; 75mg sodium; 163mg calcium; 450mg potassium.

Adapted from "The Ultimate Ice Cream Book," by Bruce Weinstein (William Morrow and Co., 1999).

STRAWBERRY SHAKE

(From The Fountain)

Yield: 1 large serving

3 scoops strawberry ice cream

¾ cup 2 percent milk

1 tablespoon strawberry syrup

Whipped cream, for optional garnish

Candied orange rind, for optional garnish

1. In a regular or milkshake blender, combine ice cream and milk; blend until just smooth.

2. Pour the strawberry syrup into the bottom of a milkshake glass. Slowly pour the shake into the glass (several ounces will be left over; use that to top off the original glass after some has been consumed). Garnish with whipped cream and orange rind, if desired.

Per serving: 537 calories; 24.5g fat (41 percent calories from fat); 14.5g saturated fat; 75mg cholesterol; 12g protein; 67g carbohydrate; 67g sugar; no fiber; 155mg sodium; 394mg calcium; 275mg potassium.

LOVE POTION No. 10

Yield: 1 serving

1 scoop coconut ice cream (see note)

1 ounce (2 tablespoons) rum

½ ounce banana liqueur

Round slice of banana, for garnish

1. Blend ice cream, rum and banana liqueur until just smooth.

2. Pour into a martini glass; garnish with banana slice.

Note: If you can't find coconut ice cream, use vanilla ice cream plus 1 tablespoon coconut milk.

Per serving: 277 calories; 10g fat (32 percent calories from fat); 7g saturated fat; 29mg cholesterol; 2.5g protein; 21.5g carbohydrate; 19.5g sugar; 0.5g fiber; 55mg sodium; 87mg calcium; 163mg potassium; 13g alcohol.

CHOCOLATE-COVERED CHERRY MARTINI

Yield: 1 serving

1 scoop vanilla ice cream

1 tablespoon cherry syrup

1 ounce (2 tablespoons) cherry or regular vodka

½ ounce creme de cacao

Chocolate syrup, for garnish

2 cherries, for garnish

1. Blend the ice cream, cherry syrup, vodka and creme de cacao until just smooth.

2. Using a squeeze bottle, garnish the sides of a martini glass with several lines of chocolate syrup. Pour the martini into the glass, garnish with cherries and serve.

Per serving: 385 calories; 7.5g fat (18 percent calories from fat); 4.5g saturated fat; 29mg cholesterol; 7.5g protein; 40.5g carbohydrate; 35.5g sugar; 0.5g fiber; 57mg sodium; 84mg calcium; 132mg potassium; 18g alcohol.

CHOLADO

Yield: 2 servings

3 cups shaved or crushed ice

6 tablespoons frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed partially, divided

½ cup regular or low-fat sweetened condensed milk, divided

2 cups mixed, sliced fresh fruit (bananas, strawberries, grapes, mango, melon, etc.), divided

3 tablespoons sweetened shredded coconut, divided

2 maraschino cherries, for optional garnish

2 wafer-sandwich cookies, for optional garnish

1. Divide the ice between two glasses. In each glass, top the ice with 3 tablespoons orange juice concentrate, 3 tablespoons sweetened condensed milk and 1 cup fruit.

2. Top the fruit in each glass with 1 tablespoon sweetened condensed milk and 1½ tablespoons coconut. If desired, garnish with a cherry and cookie. Serve at once with a spoon, a straw and lots of napkins.

Per serving: 481 calories; 9g fat (17 percent calories from fat); 6g saturated fat; 26mg cholesterol; 8g protein; 92g carbohydrate; 83g sugar; 4g fiber; 140mg sodium; 458mg calcium; 898mg potassium.

Adapted from "Thoroughly Modern Milkshakes," by Adam Ried (W.W. Norton & Co., 2009).

Modifications

Mind the milkfat: Tone down calories and fat by using skim or 2 percent milk or low-fat yogurt and low-fat ice cream or frozen yogurt. On the other hand, if indulgence is your goal, splurge with half-and-half or whole cream.

Substitute sorbet: Instead of ice cream and flavored syrup, use sorbet for a more intense flavor.

Experiment with herbs and spices: Spiced Banana Shake is made with cinnamon and nutmeg. Experiment with other combinations, such as strawberry and basil.

Add your favorite nut butter: Peanut butter, almond spread or even chocolate-hazelnut Nutella can add depth of flavor.

SOURCES: "Thoroughly Modern Milkshake"; Post-Dispatch