Slashdot Mirror
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."
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.
Didn't it turn 40 like 3 months ago.. in July?
...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!
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. 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
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.
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
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."
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
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
http://www.welton.it/davidw/
"Perhaps you'd like to try an experimental flavour of my own concoction. A delicious chutney squishy...You can really tasted the chutney!"
--Apu
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:
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
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
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.
,so it's not exactly authoritative, but not as random as Uncle D, the real-estate agent, which conversation went something like this:
[*]Working as a neurosurgery nurse now
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.)