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The Slurpee at 40

theodp writes "Oh Thank Heaven for 7-Eleven! Slate reports on the 40th birthday of the Slurpee, which has frozen an estimated 6 billion brains and arguably provided the inspiration for Starbucks' Frappuccino, Dunkin' Donuts' Coolatta and Kwik-E-Mart's Squishee. Wikipedia has more Slurpee facts and links."

39 of 176 comments (clear)

  1. Slurpees Rock! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Informative

    And here is a tip for the young ones - full 1/2 of the cup, go get a straw and tap the cup to let it settle - then keep filling her up...

    : )

    1. Re:Slurpees Rock! by Meagermanx · · Score: 2, Interesting

      Clever. But not as clever as THIS!!
      AAAHAHAHAHAA!!!

  2. Random Fact by iamdrscience · · Score: 4, Informative

    The official generic term for a Slurpee is "Frozen Carbonated Beverage" or FCB for short. This is the type of useless information you can pick up from working in a convenience store.

    Mind you, nobody actually calls them this, but it is used in the manuals for the machines and on the boxes of the syrup that come from Coke and Pepsi.

    1. Re:Random Fact by Waffle+Iron · · Score: 2, Funny
      FUB (Frozen Uncarbonated Beverage)

      The worst job I've had was Frozen Uncarbonated Beverage Analysis Researcher.

  3. Old news? by ThyPiGuy · · Score: 3, Informative

    Didn't it turn 40 like 3 months ago.. in July?

    1. Re:Old news? by ThyPiGuy · · Score: 4, Informative

      July 11th.. Evidence

  4. The Slurpee is Great But... by Quaoar · · Score: 3, Insightful

    ...does anyone notice that there are periods when there are nothing but disgusting slurpee flavors available? I've just found that many a time I've entered a 7-11 with a slurpee craving, I would find no flavors that I like...

    --
    I'll form my OWN solar system! With blackjack! And hookers!
    1. Re:The Slurpee is Great But... by sbaker · · Score: 2, Interesting

      > I preferred the Icee which was a Slurpee knock-off

      Icee is *not* a knockoff - it's the Slurpee that is the copy.

      According to Wikipedia, 7-11 bought the idea for the Slurpee *from* Icee in 1967.

      (Hmmm - that makes it only 38 years old...where did they get '40th birthday' from? Wiki says that the idea was invented in the 1950's - so it's not the anniversary of it's invention?).

      --
      www.sjbaker.org
    2. Re:The Slurpee is Great But... by lukewarmfusion · · Score: 2, Informative

      I used to buy Slurpees once a week or so. I once complained to the store manager that they rarely had Cherry - which is my favorite - but always seem to have Coke - usually my least favorite. He replied that they rotate flavors for a lot of reasons, but they always carry Coke because Coke is the most popular flavor and the one folks are most likely to pick if they find nothing else of interest.

  5. Um, Slush Puppy Anyone??? by WatcherXP · · Score: 4, Informative

    Gotta love corporate marketing. The Slush Puppy actually ushered in the era of the iced crystal drink on November 12 1972. I fully expect a "Slush Puppy at 43" slashdot article this fall.

    --
    09-f9-11-02-9* (G^GCA_++{>. RV>>>>+++ NO CARRIER
    1. Re:Um, Slush Puppy Anyone??? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Funny

      I fully expect an F in your next math test, if you think 2005-1972=43.

    2. Re:Um, Slush Puppy Anyone??? by Hal9000_sn3 · · Score: 2, Informative
      The Slush Puppy actually ushered in the era of the iced crystal drink on November 12 1972. I fully expect a "Slush Puppy at 43" slashdot article this fall.

      OK, but that will be jumping the gun by about ten years won't it?

    3. Re:Um, Slush Puppy Anyone??? by iamdrscience · · Score: 2, Informative

      Slush Puppy drinks aren't carbonated. The carbonation is key to the flavor. At the very least, if Slurpees weren't carbonated, Coke Slurpees wouldn't taste like Coke.

    4. Re:Um, Slush Puppy Anyone??? by Tablizer · · Score: 2, Funny

      I fully expect an F in your next math test, if you think 2005-1972=43.

      Maybe he's testing the new trig.

  6. The Slurpee's Secret to success by OSXpert · · Score: 4, Funny

    1. Make low cost bad tasting fruit drink 2. Freeze taste buds and brains so drink tastes good 3. ?!?!?!?! 4. Profit! Step 5, of course, is to whore for Karma

    1. Re:The Slurpee's Secret to success by Hal9000_sn3 · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Actually the bad tasting fruit drinks are made by someone else. Coca-cola, Minutemaid, Fanta, and others sell the syrup which is used. Same syrup as in a fountain soda pop dispenser.

    2. Re:The Slurpee's Secret to success by zakezuke · · Score: 2, Informative

      1. Make low cost bad tasting fruit drink 2. Freeze taste buds and brains so drink tastes good 3. ?!?!?!?! 4. Profit! Step 5, of course, is to whore for Karma

      That's pretty much it. I have to admit I was never overly fond of the flavors offered. Your choice of Cola or fruit crap of the month, not a happy choice. If you were lucky you had more than two choices, or in the 80s when self serving machines became popular and you could mix your own crappy beverage, a mix of slurpee and your favorite carbonated drink, which to be honest was just as bad or worse.

      But I was very fond of the fact that on a hot summer day as a kid there was always a 7-eleven within bike distance that one could get a drink that was colder than the freezing point of water and cool off. That was pretty much the main reason I got slurpees.

      --
      There is no sanctuary. There is no sanctuary. SHUT UP! There is no shut up. There is no shut up.
  7. Yumm by bmantz65 · · Score: 3, Informative

    I could drink a slurpee or two every day. Currently, my local 7-11 has a killer lineup, IMO. They have their new Frawg flavor (green sour apple..its not bad, but I mixed it with Blue Rasberry) Dr. Pepper, Blue Rasberry, and Pepsi.

  8. Random Slurpee Facts by cente · · Score: 5, Informative

    Canadians purchase over 30 million Slurpees every year
    The average Slurpee drinker age is 29 years
    Manitoba is the "Slurpee Capital" of the world for the fifth year in a row (2003)! The 7-Eleven stores in Manitoba sell an average of 8,300 Slurpee drinks per store each month, compared to the national monthly rate of 5,900 and provincial rate of 7,200,which makes this Province the world leader in Slurpee sales.
    The top five Slurpee cities are:
                1. Winnipeg
                2. Calgary
                3. Regina
                4. Detroit
                5. Edmonton
    The frozen carbonated beverage was first invented in 1959 by a Kansas hamburger stand owner. Using an automobile air conditioner, he created a sophisticated piece of equipment that would freeze a carbonated soft drink and serve it in a sherbet-like form that could be sipped through a straw.
    To get that uniquely Slurpee consistency, each Slurpee machine has a compact refrigeration system that mixes syrup, carbon dioxide and water under pressure in a freezing chamber.
    Slurpees are served at -3C (or 28F)
    7-Eleven(r) began selling Slurpee, then called Icee, in its stores in the United States in 1965

    Credit to http://www.myslurpeecup.com/facts.html

    1. Re:Random Slurpee Facts by grub · · Score: 2, Funny


      I live in Winnipeg. We don't actually buy Slurpees, we buy Big Gulps. By the time we get home after walking through the snow we have a Slurpee. The 7-Eleven marketing people will have me killed for telling you this.

      --
      Trolling is a art,
    2. Re:Random Slurpee Facts by Curtman · · Score: 2, Informative

      "Manitoba is the "Slurpee Capital" of the world for the fifth year in a row (2003)!"

      Make that six. :)

  9. Icee's were better... by CptNerd · · Score: 2, Informative

    ...At least Icee's were available where I grew up. Plus at one time they had "Icee points" that you could save up and send off for "neat stuff." I neve rgot enough, though, but I sure did like the frozen Coke variety...

    http://www.icee.com/

    --
    By the taping of my glasses, something geeky this way passes
  10. As a former employee at local 7-11 store by layer3switch · · Score: 5, Funny

    I hate you, Slurpee. I hate you with all my blisters you gave me from mopping that tar of you, people spilled all over the floor.

    Although it was useful mouse/cockroach trap (a sweet death, oh what irony!), you surely leave a long trail of spills from one corner of the store to the door.

    Be the 40th birthday your last! I hate you, Slurpee!!!

    SLURPEEE!!!!

    ps: yes, i'm seeking professional help.

    --
    "Don't let fools fool you. They are the clever ones."
  11. Re:Nothing left to do now? by xbradlyx · · Score: 2, Informative
    Clear Cup
    Dome Lid
    Octagonal Dome Lid (Prevented pressure build up when filling)
    Slurpee Soda Mixer
    Slurpee Float
    Diet Slurpee

    Yes, my family does own multiple 7-Eleven stores.

    -bradly

  12. I'm Disappointed in Fellow Contributors by Apple+Acolyte · · Score: 5, Insightful

    By now I would have expected to see at least one thread on the unsanitary conditions Slurpees are likely in at time of purchase due to the general environment (7/11) and said store's average patrons. 7/11 is the only class of food establishment to have received a C health inspection rating (in So. Cal) without being shut down. And there's always something mildly disturbing to me about the fact that most of the "counter space" in 7/11 food aisles consist of the tops of waste receptacles. So am I truly more of a germaphobe than most?

    --
    Part of the hardcore faithful who believed in Apple long before it was cool again to do so
    1. Re:I'm Disappointed in Fellow Contributors by RexRhino · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Our germaphobia is making us weak. Healthy exposure to dirt, filth, and germs helps build a strong immune system. :)

      So long as rats aren't pooping plauge or hanta virus into the Slurpees, I think humanity will survive.

      I would be much more worried about the sugar causing tooth decay, or diabetes, or obecity, than I would be worried about germs from the thing.

  13. Granita! by DavidNWelton · · Score: 3, Interesting

    No no no... the original and still the best is the "granita":

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Italian_ice

    which comes from Sicily. They are made with real fruit, and are absolutely delicious. I made a point of having at least one a day during a recent vacation in Sicily.

    http://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Granita

  14. Disgusting slurpee flavors by commodoresloat · · Score: 5, Funny

    "Perhaps you'd like to try an experimental flavour of my own concoction. A delicious chutney squishy...You can really tasted the chutney!"
    --Apu

  15. Easy, fella... by commodoresloat · · Score: 2, Funny

    An all-syrup Super Squishy? Oh, s-s-such a thing has never been done.

  16. ICEEs are older, better, and help you get girls by AngryNick · · Score: 5, Interesting
    Where I grew up, they were called ICEEs (say Ice-E) even at the 7-11. Anyone who called it a Slurpee was a pansy.

    The ICEE has been around more than 45 years and the first ICEE machine was sold in 1960. The Kansas City Starhas a good history on the Frizz/ICEE/Slurpee and its inventor, Omar Knedlik:

    ..."A pre-mix of most any flavor is placed inside the machine. There it is put under pressure. Any liquid increases in density when pressurized. Release of the pressure causes it to freeze. So when the liquid pours from the machine it freezes as it hits the cup."

    I suspect someone at 7-11 HQ has been screwing around with the settings, because a Slurpee is more liquidy than a ICEE. This appears to allow for faster consumption, which results in more brain freezing, which provides for a less enjoyable experience.

    As far as helping you hookup, the official ICEE cup is predominately blue and red. Time and again science has proven that women are attracted to blue and men are attracted to pink and red. Combine the higher brain freeze rate of the Slurpee and there's no lovin' tonight for Johnny.

    So there. Now stop calling it Slurpee! It's ICEE! It's pissing me off.

    --
    Today's anger level: Yellow - Irritated for no reason

  17. Er, "said store's average patrons"? by Jonathan · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Are you claiming that individual persons or ethnic groups that go to 7-11 tend to be dirtier than average?

  18. Re:Mac's Milk - Bloody Zit Froster by wing03 · · Score: 4, Informative

    Not the pimple popping into a cup, but equally as gross, here's a link for a tv commercial that likely aired on after school and Saturday morning cartoon time....

    Zit Licking

  19. Re:Doh! by geminidomino · · Score: 4, Funny

    I remember my mom[*] telling me once that it had something to do with overstimulation of the nerves in the roof of the mouth, or something.

    [*]Working as a neurosurgery nurse now ,so it's not exactly authoritative, but not as random as Uncle D, the real-estate agent, which conversation went something like this:

    GD: Why do slurpies give you a headache?
    D: Because you're drinking it too fast, asshole.
    GD: No, but what CAUSES the headache?
    D: Shut the fuck up and just drink it. Jesus.

    (Several F-bombs removed from D's speech.)

  20. Regular or spicy? by Deadstick · · Score: 2, Interesting

    A coworker of mine claims he once held the Southern California record for Slurpee sales back when he was a 7-11 manager. His store was close to a business park and he kept a bottle of Wild Turkey under the counter...

    rj

  21. ICEE was the first, half a decade before Slurpee by Nick+Driver · · Score: 2

    The ICEE debuted in 1961 5 years before the Slurpee. ICEE is the original, and the best.

  22. lowish in calories by Hohlraum · · Score: 2, Interesting

    you know that slurpees cuz they are frozen carbinated are pretty large for the amount of calories that they contain. if you contact the company they will send you pdfs containing nutritional information on them. I think they reason they don't just publish them is because the machines that create the slurpee vary in the thickness (the amount of base product) they dispence. so its possible to have two slurpees in the same size glass that are actually different in calories.

  23. Slurpee - The Original 40 Year Old Virgin by Esion+Modnar · · Score: 2, Funny

    How appropriate for /.

    --

    They say the first thing to go is your penis. Well, it's either that or your brain. I forget which...
  24. Learn something new... by writermike · · Score: 2, Funny

    Heh.

    I grew up in New Orleans where ICEE was king. They were in each and every Time Saver (local convenience chain)and were heavily advertised outside of Time Saver ads. I always thought they were a New Orleans' product. So, when Slurpee started to show up in New Orleans in the early 1980s, I figured THEY were the usurper. How dare they come in and try to kill ICEE.

    I really regret my boycotts and protests now, not to mention the dead cats outside of the stores. Sigh.

    --
    If Nalgene water bottles are outlawed, only outlaws will have Nalgene water bottles.
  25. My personal favorite: by Deacon_Yermouf · · Score: 2

    Coke slurpee + rum Extreeeeeme alcoholism!