This Ohio County Has Its Own ‘Secret Shake Society’
Ohio might not be nationally known as one of America’s great food states — and I say that with all due apologies to Cincinnati chili. But that hasn’t kept local tourist boards from enticing foodies by working with what they do have. For instance, back in 2015, Butler County launched an Ohio Donut Trail. Not to be outdone, last year, nearby Miami County created an Ohio Buckeye Candy Trail. Now, for 2019, the hard-working Butler County Visitors Bureau is back again with an intriguing new promotion perfect for the summer: the Secret Shake Society.
Billed as “a first in the Midwest” — so apparently other secret shake societies exist that are so secret I don’t even know about them — the Secret Shake Society is more “tantalizing” than actually “secretive.” To join, all you have to do is head over to the Butler County website and give them your email address. After that, you’ll receive news of these “biweekly, limited-time” milkshakes as soon as they are announced. Each shake promises to feature “unique flavors and inventive culinary creations” sold somewhere within the county — which is in southern Ohio, just north of Cincinnati along the Indiana border.
Setting the tone, two shakes have been released since the program was launched on June 20. Things kicked off with a Key Lime Pie Milkshake from the burger joint FlipSide’s Liberty location. The shake was billed as vanilla bean ice cream “expertly blended with key lime ice cream, and then generously topped with homemade whipped cream, lemon zest, graham cracker crumbles, and a slice of key lime pie.”
That was followed by The Sweet and Sassy Unicorn Milkshake from Grandpa Joe’s Candy Shop. “Lavender in color, the Sweet & Sassy Unicorn is created with Magical Unicorn ice cream with a bit of a Cookies ‘N Cream flavoring, and a tart, lemony taste comes through with the blue swirl of the unicorn elixir,” the description states. “Topped with whipped cream, sprinkles, candy, and a rainbow Air Head.”
“We’re proud to celebrate Butler County’s incredible culinary scene,” Mark Hecquet, president and CEO of the Butler County Visitors Bureau, stated. “The Secret Shake Society brings even more attention to local flavors and tasty creations. I can’t wait to taste each and every secret shake for myself.”
The next announcement is scheduled to arrive on July 19, just in time for National Ice Cream Day on July 21. As for the Society as a whole, the Butler County Visitors Bureau says it will run “indefinitely.”
