Served upside down or the next one’s free. That’s the motto of the DQ Blizzard.
The idea came from a rival custard stand called “Ted Drewes.” The story comes from St. Louis where a 14 year old kid kept coming back to this custard stand and asking for a thicker and thicker shake. One day, Ted Drewes Jr. Reached his breaking point and turned the shake upside down. The goal of this was to show that the shake was so thick that it wouldn’t fall out of the cup.
Fast forward to the 70s, when St. Louis businessman Sam Temperato saw the idea of Ted Drewes. Using his creativity, Temperato proposed an idea in 1983. His idea: a frozen treat blended with fruits and bits of candy. In 1985, DQ put Temperato’s idea into menus, and sold more than 100 million units.
The first Blizzard was the Oreo Blizzard (technically). When Dairy Queen pitched this idea to Oreo, they claimed the idea was outlandish. With this rejection, Hydrox, a company like Oreo, offered to let DQ use their cookies. With Hydrox, Oreo sold more than 100 million units in the first year. After seeing the sales of the first year, Oreo partnered with DQ to form the original Oreo Blizzard. Mm mm mmmmmm.
The Oreo Blizzard is my personal favorite. If a customer tells me to recommend them a Blizzard, I always tell them they can never go wrong with the Oreo. It is the most popular blizzard, too! The beauty of the Oreo Blizzard is that it’s so simple. There are two ingredients: ice cream and Oreos.
Ingredients of the Small Oreo Blizzard:
Vanilla Ice Cream: The base of every Blizzard is Dairy Queen’s famous soft-serve vanilla ice cream. It’s creamy, smooth, and has the perfect curl on top.
Oreo Cookies: The star of the show. Oreos are crushed and mixed into the ice cream. These classic chocolate wafer cookies with a sweet cream filling add a delightful crunch and chocolatey goodness to the Blizzard. 
The best thing about Blizzards is that they are customizable. You can add any topping, whatever floats your boat! If you want M&Ms in your Blizzard, go ahead and ask for some M&Ms! If you want some chocolate syrup, go ahead and add it! The possibilities are endless, after all it is your Blizzard. What makes the Oreo so magical is the contrast between soft and crunchy. The ice cream serves as the perfect creaminess, and the Oreos give you a satisfying crunch. The sweetness of soft serve complements the crunch, making you crave more.
The best part of getting a small Oreo Blizzard is that it’s the perfect size. If you want more, you can always order another Blizzard; if you want a perfect size, you should order a small. It is a convenient size for kids and adults! There’s no shame in ordering a medium or large; I just prefer the small because it satisfies my cravings. The Blizzard is the perfect treat on the road, or if you want to sit down. It’s perfect for a night with friends and family, or just a night out alone. Next time you drive by a DQ, make sure to stop and order a small Oreo Blizzard. Served upside down or the next one’s free!
Hi, Om! This blog post certainly taught me a lot about Dairy Queen—and Oreo—history! Who would’ve guessed that a 14-year-old boy and his annoying persistence would have led to the creation of such a popular product? I’ve never had a blizzard, but I can certainly understand the novelty of having your shake flipped upside down. I also wasn’t aware of the history between Hydrox and Oreo; Oreo certainly isn’t calling the blizzard “crazy” now, and it’s interesting how they almost missed out on being a part of one of the most popular DQ items. I’m sensing a pattern after reading through these histories—we owe our thanks to smaller entities (ex: the 14-year-old boy and Hydrox) for some of the most popular products today.
Somebody needs to get you a job doing advertisements for DQ, because you’ve successfully persuaded me to go and buy an Oreo Blizzard. As criminal as it sounds to you, I have never had a Blizzard, but I absolutely love the story behind its motto. You obviously enjoy the Blizzard–specifically the Oreo one–but are there any other milkshakes or similar treats that you like more or are comparable?