​National Frappe Day

Frappes are a favorite for all ages and all ranges of taste. From Cupcake Creme to Peanut Butter Cup and everything in between, frappes are undoubtedly an American staple in the coffee consuming world. Thus, it only seems fair to dedicate an entire day to this epic drink. October 7 is National Frappe Day, and you better bet there will be millions of people celebrating with you.

HISTORY OF ​NATIONAL FRAPPE DAY
Necessity is said to be the mother of invention. The need for a caffeine fix was the impetus behind Dimitris Vakondios shaking up the first frappé at the 1957 Thessaloniki International Fair in Thessalonika, Greece. Vakondios was representing the Swiss-owned Nestlé food company at the annual international exhibition, where Nestle was introducing a new instant chocolate beverage made with milk and shaken in a shaker. Vakondios could not find hot water to make his usual Nescafe instant coffee during his break, so he improvised by mixing his Nescafe with cold water and ice in one of the exhibit shakers. Voila! The result was a satisfying and refreshing foamy cold coffee beverage that became the first Greek café frappé. Not only is Greek frappé still the most popular coffee beverage in Greece and Cyprus, but it is also the official national coffee drink of Greece.

Today’s popular American versions of the Greek frappé contains milk, cream, or even ice cream, blended with instant coffee, while the authentic Greek frappé contains no milk products. Greeks are quick to boast that the most important thing to know about a Greek frappé is that it does not contain ice cream, only crushed ice cubes and that it is shaken until it foams.