We used to think of milkshakes as a summertime treat, until we moved to Phoenix. Now they're as essential to us year-round as sunscreen, flip-flops, and car window shades. Whenever we're in the mood to cool down with a creamy, dreamy chocolate malted, or a picture-perfect strawberry shake with whipped cream and a cherry on top, we head to MacAlpine's Soda Fountain, where hand-scooped Thrifty ice cream, mixed to a froth with an old-fashioned milkshake blender, is one of the house specialties. Other sweet, slurpable options include phosphates in a variety of fruit flavors, egg creams, ice cream sodas, and floats. (We think sundaes might count, too, if you let them melt a little.) Part of the fun of going to MacAlpine's is sitting at the counter for an authentic soda fountain experience, or shimmying into a big wooden booth with a good view of all the vintage Pepsi and Coca-Cola signs on the walls. It makes us think about what the Valley might've been like back in the good ol' days, before it was a sweltering metropolis — and that alone makes us feel just a little bit cooler.