<P> The company's products expanded to include malts and milkshakes in 1949, banana splits in 1951, Dilly Bars in 1955, Mr. Misty slush treats in 1961 (later renamed Misty Slush, then again to Arctic Rush; as of 2017, DQ again calls them Misty Slush, as seen on dairyqueen.com), Jets, Curly Tops, Freezes in 1964, and a range of hamburgers and other cooked foods under the Brazier banner in 1958 . In 1971, the Peanut Buster Parfait, consisting of peanuts, hot fudge, and vanilla soft serve, was introduced . In 1995, the Chicken Strip Basket was introduced, consisting of chicken strips, Texas toast (only in the US), fries, and cream gravy (gravy in Canada). Other items include sundaes and the blended coffee drink, the MooLatte . </P> <P> The majority of Dairy Queen locations serve Pepsi - Cola products, but unlike most other restaurants such contracts are not mandated onto the franchisee, and as a result, some locations serve Coca - Cola products instead . Wendy's (until 1998), Subway (until 2003), Arby's (until 2006), IHOP (until 2012), and Applebee's (until 2012) also allowed such leniency on beverage choice before signing exclusive soft drink deals with Coca - Cola and Pepsi - Cola, making Dairy Queen the last major restaurant chain without an exclusive soft drink contract . </P> <P> A popular Dairy Queen item is the Blizzard, which is soft - serve mechanically blended with mix - in ingredients such as sundae toppings and / or pieces of cookies, brownies, or candy . It has been a staple on the menu since its introduction in 1988, a year in which Dairy Queen sold more than 100 million Blizzards . Popular flavors include Oreo Cookies, mint Oreo, chocolate chip cookie dough, M&M's, Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, Heath Bar (Skor in Canada), and Butterfinger (Crispy Crunch in Canada). Seasonal flavors are also available such as October's pumpkin pie and June's cotton candy . It has been argued that Dairy Queen drew its inspiration from the concrete served by the St. Louis - based Ted Drewes . On July 26, 2010, Dairy Queen introduced a new "mini" size Blizzard, served in 6 oz . cups . During the 25th anniversary of the Blizzard, two special flavors were released: Strawberry Golden Oreo Blizzard and Buster Bar Blizzard . Salted Caramel Truffle was released in 2015 during the Blizzard's 27th anniversary and Dairy Queen's 75th anniversary, and is still on the menu today . </P> <P> Blizzards get their name from the fact that they are so cold that they can be held upside - down and nothing will come out . Employees will demonstrate this to customers . There is a company policy that one Blizzard per order is to be flipped upside - down by the employee . If they do not, then the customer may request a coupon for a free Blizzard to use on their next visit, though this is at the owner's discretion . </P>

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