Malt Shop

As I walked into the malt shop, the 1959 instrumental song “Sleepwalk” by Santo and Johnny was playing and all the stainless steel sparkled as the red vinyl stools called out to me.  I ordered a chocolate malt and took in all the nostalgic sights as I waited for my delicious concoction. Round Coke signs, little table-side juke boxes……

I wish I could tell you that this was a real, preserved, original malt shop, but of course it was the commercial reproduction known as “Johnny Rockets” in the Coconut Point mall in Estero. I was there to begin my research on the possibility of the true existence of real malts. Not to be confused with shakes, malts must contain malt powder and have that distinctive taste that gave rise to the places that baby boomers came of age as they ate, danced, listened to rock ‘n roll and flirted, largely away from adult scrutiny.

I’ve been thinking about malts ever since Walgreen’s began running that commercial claiming that they invented the malted milkshake in 1922. I consider myself a connoisseur, as I have sought them out wherever I have traveled in my baby boomer life. I even once found an original preserved soda fountain still operating in Hot Springs, Arkansas when I was a tour guide.

Last week I set out to find out how many ice cream places nearby still served this delectable concoction, and I must say I enjoyed the research to the last noisy sip. Shakes have no place here – nor does anything that isn’t mixed on an authentic stainless steel mixer.

I know I probably missed places that I hope you will tell me about, but here is what I found:

•Johnny Rockets makes a great malt using real Carnation malt powder, and the music is wonderful of course.

•The Ice Cream Club with 2 locations in Cape Coral turns out an excellent malt using TR Toppers malt powder.

•Ice Sssscreamin on Cape Coral Parkway makes a killer malt with the same powder as above.

•Steak ‘N Shake makes a beautiful malt, but it really doesn’t taste malty enough for me. They use a malt syrup that is made with molasses.

Wondering if I was all alone in this peculiar affection, I asked some of my boomer consultants to tell me their stories.

From Joann C. : In the late 1950's and 1960's, I remember a place called "Hermie Hoffmans".  It was a soda shop around the corner from my house in Newburgh, N.Y.  You could get real malt shakes made with hard ice cream.   Hermie Hoffman and his wife owned and ran the soda shop.   It had a long counter with red bar stools and soda fountains so you could sit and watch them make whatever you wanted.  In the back room was a pool table. It was a safe haven for us teenagers and we could hang out in the back pool room, in the soda shop or outside.  

From Gary H:  I grew up in a very small town (pop. 2400) in southern Illinois (Hartford) which had a true malt shop on the corner of the main drag. They served real, hard ice cream with malt powder served at soda shop style tables and you could ask for fresh strawberries in the summer... the best strawberry malts ever! It was a hang out for the local high school and junior high kids, who all knew each other, each others’ families & each others secrets.

From Dave K: It just so happens, when I was a junior in high school (1965) I worked weekends at the local dairy store. It was called Guernsey Dairy. I believe it's still there in Northville, MI. On Saturdays we made ice cream and on Sundays I worked behind the counter dipping cones, making sundaes, shakes and malts. I remember they had a specific recipe for each item on the menu. The owner was very fussy about this and every once in a while he would come to the counter and ask me to make something, then he would watch and coach me to make it just so.....then he would eat it himself.

From Wayne K: Every summer of my young life was spent in the town of Williams Bay, WI.  In the center of this tiny town was the Malt Shop (wish I could remember what it was called.) I think it was also a drugstore.  They made the very best chocolate malts which consisted of 3 scoops of ice cream, some milk and a big scoop of real, powdered malt.  They would put the big aluminum cup onto the light green appliance that whirled that ice cream to the consistency of what I considered heaven. Not only did you get a big glass full but they gave you the aluminum cup to refill your glass with.  I think we paid about 50 cents for this delight back in 1954 and more often than not couldn't finish it all.  My brothers, cousins and I saved every penny, nickel and dime we could get our hands on and headed out on the 5-6 block walk at least once a week.  The shop is long gone now, but the wonderful memories remain just the same.

You see, a whole culture surrounded the malt. Please join me in keeping that fabulous concoction alive. Most menus list shakes, but not malts even though they have the makings. Ask, ask, ask. They can make a comeback, I know it as well as I know what’s coming up tonight on Turner Classic Movies.

By the way:

•My small town of Mt. Morris, MI had 3 pharmacies, all of which had soda fountains as the centerpiece.

•I am the proud owner of an authentic pale green Hamilton Beach maltmaker which still works like a charm.

• Malted milk is a powdered gruel made from a mixture of malted barley, wheat flour, and whole milk, which is evaporated until it forms a powder. It was originally called diastatic.

A soda jerk throws a scoop of ice cream into the mixing cup for a malted milkshake, on the counter behind him a pot of "Borden's Malted Milk" is visible

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