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MonOct 7

​National Frappe Day – October 7, 2024

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.

​National Frappe Day timeline

1957
Dimitris Vakondios invents the Greek frappe

Thessaloniki International Fair in Thessaloniki, Greece

​1957
First Starbucks coffee house opens

Pike’s Place in Seattle, Washington

​​1994
First Frappuccino is blended in Boston

Coffee Connection shop owner George Howell invents the Frappuccino in Boston, Massachusetts, and trademarks the name Frappuccino, a name play on beloved international coffee favorites – the Greek frappé and Italian cappuccino.

1994
Starbucks acquires the Coffee Connection Frappuccino recipe and name

Howard Schultz buys George Howell’s Coffee Connection stores, changes the Frappuccino recipe, and renames all the stores to Starbucks.

​National Frappe Day FAQs

Is there a difference between a frappé and a Frappuccino?

A Frappuccino is the Starbucks compromise between the original Greek coffee frappé and a milkshake, using a recipe they acquired 26 years ago. The only consistent commonalities between a frappé and a Frappuccino is that both are cold blended drinks with foam. A Greek frappé is always made of instant coffee, ice, and cold water, with sugar optional. The Frappuccino recipe may or may not contain coffee and is always sweet.

What is in a Starbucks Frappuccino?

Frappuccino is a trademarked brand beverage of the Starbucks Corporation for its blended iced coffee drinks. Frappuccino consists of coffee or other flavored creamy bases, blended with ice and a variety of flavorings, and usually topped with whipped cream, flavored syrups, and confections like chocolate chips.

Is Frappuccino bad for you?

The answer is subjective. If you are counting carbohydrates and sugars, you may say they are outrageously unhealthy. A 16-ounce size caramel Frappuccino made with 2% milk has 270 calories and 60 grams of carbohydrates, 59 of which are attributed to pure sugar.

How to Celebrate National Frappé Day

  1. Pay it forward

    Cover the cost of a frappé for the person in line behind you when you stop by your favorite coffee house today to celebrate National Frappe Day. Hopefully, they do the same for the person behind them. And yes, how cool would it be if you are the last person in that line of pay-it-forward frappé celebrants.

  2. Don’t worry, be frappé

    Instead of starting your day with the same old daily grind, why not seize the day early with a fabulously frothy morning frappé. Go ahead – shake it up early! Today is National Frappe Day, and It only comes around once a year.

  3. Blend up a batch of frappé at home

    Try your hand at blending the perfect frappe at home. Keep reading because we’re going to share the secret ingredient to keep your homemade frappes frothy and foamy.

5 Things Every Frappé Aficionado Should Know

  1. Frappé does not rhyme with the word “map”

    Frappé is a French word, pronounced “fra-ˈpā” and rhymes with the word “today,” as in “today is NationalFrappé Day.” Its contemporary culinary meaning translates to English as “iced.”

  2. Without coffee, it is just a milkshake

    Need we say more?

  3. Greek frappe is ordered by sweetness

    Authentic Greek frappé is a foam-covered iced coffee drink made with spray-dried (never freeze-dried) instant coffee, ice cubes, cold water, and maybe sugar. It is ordered by degree of sweetness: plain, medium, or sweet.

  4. The secret ingredient for homemade frothiness

    If you are a coffee snob who turns up your nose at instant coffee, you can make a homemade frappé with strongly brewed espresso coffee with foam that won’t separate. You just need to add the secret ingredient, an emulsifier called Xanthan Gum. Just add a big pinch before blending and your frappé froth will stay lofty.

  5. There’s science behind the frothy frappe

    We’re not rocket scientists or chemists, so we’ll get right to the bottom line without the equations and citations. Spray-dried instant coffee, which is not the same as freeze-dried instant coffee, has a lower oil content. Lower oil is the key to the long-lasting frothy bubbles in a frappe. We wonder if rocket scientists and chemists ever think about this when drinking a frappe.

Why We Love National Frappe Day

  1. Frappé makes us happy

    Have you ever seen anyone drinking a frappé look sad or unhappy? Frappé and happy rhyme. A coincidence? We think not

  2. Instant popularity

    Show up today with a tray full of frappés for the office staff, the guys and gals at the salon, or any gathering and watch your popularity quotient bump up a full 10 points.

  3. Makes us feel chic and very cosmopolitan

    Indulging in a cold and frothy frappé on National Frappe Day transports us to another time and place where we’re sitting with friends around an umbrellaed bistro table at a seaside Mediterranean café.

​National Frappe Day dates

YearDateDay
2024October 7Monday
2025October 7Tuesday
2026October 7Wednesday
2027October 7Thursday
2028October 7Saturday

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