Oh Thank Heaven.

July 11, 2005 5:04 AM

Brainfreeze! Since today is 7/11, 7-Eleven is celebrating with free Slurpees. (Naturally, in 7.11 ounce cups.) Since its introduction in 1965, over 6 billion Slurpees have been sold--one for every person on earth.
posted by sdrawkcab (58 comments total)

The news release doesn't explicitly mention the free Slurpee promotion. For full details, you'll have to go to a pop up flash site from the Slurpee.com site…which freezes Firefox…well, I daresay a brainfreeze.

Personally, I can’t wait until 7.11 billion Slurpees are sold…
posted by sdrawkcab at 5:06 AM on July 11, 2005

I'd like to point out, for people who live in 7-Eleven-deprived areas, that you can make a perfectly adequate slurpoid by pouring coke into an ice cream maker and letting it run until the consistency satisfies you.

For red flavor or blue flavor, mix sno-cone syrup with an appropriate amount of water and pre-chill. I haven't done it, but I imagine you could also use the sweet goo from freezy pops.
posted by ROU_Xenophobe at 5:19 AM on July 11, 2005

Our love is God. Let's go get a Slurpee.
posted by veedubya at 5:23 AM on July 11, 2005

ROU_Xenophobe - I suspect that people like me (in slurpee-deprived areas) don't know what a sno-cone is either, let alone where to find sno-cone syrup.
posted by edd at 5:33 AM on July 11, 2005

I'm with edd - if one has been sold for every person on earth, who had mine?
posted by altolinguistic at 5:49 AM on July 11, 2005

"for every person on earth."

We each were only supposed to get one?

"who had mine?"

Guess that was me. Sorry man.
posted by ZachsMind at 5:55 AM on July 11, 2005

Bah. Icee drinks are far superior.
posted by yhbc at 6:04 AM on July 11, 2005

Notice that the free Slurpees are 7.11 ounces. That's about a juice glass full. They offer the tiny ones for free so that you go into the store and realize how pointless the giveaway is, but since your desire has been piqued already you buy a Slurpee the size of your head for under two bucks anyway. It's some of the most calculated, callous marketing I've ever seen.

That said, I'll see you there. I'll be the guy holding a Slurpee the size of his head.
posted by Faint of Butt at 6:09 AM on July 11, 2005

We call them Slush Puppies (a rip on Hush Puppies???) and they're only sold at movie houses.
posted by PenDevil at 6:10 AM on July 11, 2005

A sno-cone (or snow cone) is shaved ice with flavored syrup poured onto it. In the Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave, you can get premade sno-cone syrup at Target, Wal-Mart, etc. I don't know where you people laboring under the tyrannical handbag of the queen would get it.

Tell me you at least have freezy pops, otter-pops, or similar.
posted by ROU_Xenophobe at 6:17 AM on July 11, 2005

Slush Puppies are a different product altogether, and are also vastly inferior to the original Icee Drink. Both S-P's and Slurpee Drinks are non-carbonated and have a consistency resembling little ice balls mixed with fruit juice; Icee drinks are carbonated and "whipped" to a much finer texture than either. As you can tell, I have some strong opinions on this subject.
posted by yhbc at 6:18 AM on July 11, 2005

I defer to your more superior frozen beverage knowledge...

*bows out*
posted by PenDevil at 6:20 AM on July 11, 2005

if one has been sold for every person on earth, who had mine?

I did. (homtown listed there is #1 -- where we would drink em even at 40 below)

Another national slurpee promotion. Oh well.

Thanks for the ice cream machine tip, ROU_Xenophobe.
posted by dreamsign at 6:25 AM on July 11, 2005

I'd be more impressed if they were giving away 71.1 ounce slurpees. The thimble sized 7.11 ouncers aren't enough to get a decent brain-freeze.
posted by dsquid at 6:43 AM on July 11, 2005

I remember spending a whole summer when I was a kid trying to collect all of the white plastic superhero slurpee cups from 7-11. Happy anniversary slurpee. That was a fun summer.
posted by gfrobe at 6:54 AM on July 11, 2005

Some tips for getting more free Slurpee for your buck:

1. Visit several 7-Elevens (last year I had four freebies).

2. Bring a diabetic friend (crystal lite Slurpees....suck).
posted by sdrawkcab at 7:03 AM on July 11, 2005

mmm, frozen sugar water. does it come with insulin?
posted by keswick at 7:03 AM on July 11, 2005

ROU_Xenophobe writes "A sno-cone (or snow cone) is shaved ice with flavored syrup poured onto it. In the Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave, you can get premade sno-cone syrup at Target, Wal-Mart, etc. I don't know where you people laboring under the tyrannical handbag of the queen would get it."

In the land of Baltimore, which may or may not be or be in the land of the free, sno-cones come with marshmallow whip on top. It's very strange. I've never seen it before, but that's how it is at the street stands here. Is there a special way of serving them where you live?
posted by OmieWise at 7:07 AM on July 11, 2005

gfrobe writes "I remember spending a whole summer when I was a kid trying to collect all of the white plastic superhero slurpee cups from 7-11. Happy anniversary slurpee. That was a fun summer."

I can't get the free one today because I swore to myself I would never drink another 7-11 drink that wasn't in an Orange County Chopper's cup. I may never drink another drink period that isn't in one of those cups.
posted by OmieWise at 7:08 AM on July 11, 2005

I like slush puppies better....
posted by mrs.pants at 7:27 AM on July 11, 2005

To set the record straight:

Icee is the original carbonated, slushy, semi-frozen sweet drink.

Slurpee came several years later, and is also carbonated and smooth-frozen.

Slush Puppy is a mixture of tiny ice chunks, cold water, and sugar syrup. It has a rough texture and is not carbonated.


yhbc, you're right, except for the part about Slurpee being non-carbonated.
posted by rxrfrx at 7:45 AM on July 11, 2005

They don't have 7-Elevens around here, though various places do sell various frozen sugar drinks. I'd rather have decent bourbon on the rocks anyway.
posted by davy at 7:57 AM on July 11, 2005

I like a free Slurpee easily as much as I like a paid for Icee or Slush Puppy.

Omiewise, you mean there wasn't quite enough sugar before so they had to put a dollop on top? Nice!
posted by fenriq at 8:01 AM on July 11, 2005

altolinguistic - if one has been sold for every person on earth, who had mine?

Some fat kid who has to watch their blood glucose now.
posted by PurplePorpoise at 8:27 AM on July 11, 2005

When's free bourbon-on-the-rocks day?
posted by Balisong at 8:29 AM on July 11, 2005

November already. This year's just flown past.
posted by PurpleJack at 8:49 AM on July 11, 2005

I could apparently sense the upcoming promotion. That's why I had my first Slurpee in years yesterday.
posted by redsparkler at 8:51 AM on July 11, 2005

Icees, Slurpees and Slush Puppies all have their own place.

Icees are much lighter and have more of a whipped consistancy. The flavor is mild (comparatively) and isn't as sweet as the other two. It's pretty hard to suck through a straw until it melts a bit.

Slurpees are sweet and are made by freezing the syrup slightly. There are a bunch of flavors, including flavors tied to movie releases (Shrek?). Slurpees are most likely to give you brain freeze, in fact they advertise it.

Slush Puppies could be described as a snowcone in a cup. At the liquor store that I used to get them in as a kid, you would squirt the syrup in the bottom of the cup, then pull a lever and the ice bits would pour on top, somehow magically mixing the two. I like the consistency of Slush Puppies the best, although it is possible to suck out all of the flavoring before you get all of the ice bits. Luckily, the left over ice pellets can be launched pretty far through your straw, so they don't go to waste.

If you do go for the free Slurpee today, I suggest the Coke and Cherry combo, half and half, filled to the top of the domed lid and eaten with your Spraw (spoon/straw).
posted by jonah at 8:55 AM on July 11, 2005

There is a slurpee for adults-- it is spelled Mar Gah Ri Ta!

(ex- slurpee/Icee/SnoCone addict)
posted by Secret Life of Gravy at 8:59 AM on July 11, 2005

And my friendly hometown is, per capita, the Slurpee champion 4 years in a row! Amazing, considering the fact that we have such cold winters and short summers.

Now, how to make a cherry slurpee at home:

Crush enough ice to make 2 1/2 cups in your blender. Remove the ice, but do not rinse the blender: it needs to be cold.

Add 1 cup of (very) cold club soda, 1/2 cup of white sugar, 1/2tsp of cherry Kool-Aid mix and about 1tsp of grenadine. Blend well.

Add the 2 1/2 cups of crushed ice and blend together until smooth.

Add 1 more cup of cold club soda, and blend just until incorporated. Pour! Makes 2 surprisingly good 10z Slurpees, but you must ensure that the club soda and grenadine are both very cold...

Theoretically, but currently untested, you can use coke instead of club soda, cut the sugar to about 1/3 cup and make a cherry coke variety.
posted by WinnipegDragon at 9:10 AM on July 11, 2005

Ah, my preferred drink used to be Slurpee mixed with grain alcohol. I, um, don't do that anymore.

BTW, the sugar-free Slurpees are much better this summer than they were last summer...they must have tweaked the formula. The mango flavor makes me very happy.
posted by JoanArkham at 9:15 AM on July 11, 2005

My high school had a Slush Puppy variant called Vita-Pup. Presumably they added a bunch of vitamin supplements to make it palatable to school purchasers.

They were awesome.
posted by o2b at 9:19 AM on July 11, 2005

7.11 ounces. Sounds perfect to me. I don't need 'supersize'.

I also miss 6oz bottles of Coke.

No slurpee here. Haven't noticed the Slush Puppies. Maybe when it gets hot, at Christmas.
posted by Goofyy at 9:21 AM on July 11, 2005

I have a serious jones for all things slurpee.
Coca-Cola as the base, cherry as a secondary flavor.

Now....(Putting on the grumpy old man voice)... back in my day?
You had to tell the guy behind the counter how you wanted it, and some of them wouldn't mix.
Bastards.
When the self serve machines came into play,
I was in nirvana.

As far as sno-cones go, I am really starting to dig the latin pushcart guys here in the NYC area....
They drizzle condensed milk over the final product.
Like adding caviar to a hot dog.
posted by exparrot at 9:29 AM on July 11, 2005

There is a slurpee for adults-- it is spelled Mar Gah Ri Ta!

Not. Actually, my latin father-in-law uses ice cubes and shakes them up in a mayonnaise jar. There is no slush involved. They are mui bueno.

And... DrinkBoy Says: "No, a properly made margarita never sees the inside of a blender."
posted by SteveInMaine at 9:35 AM on July 11, 2005

I remember my home town council almost voting to ban Slurpee's because theywere "unhygenic"--this was back in 1968 or so. Sigh...
posted by paddbear at 9:37 AM on July 11, 2005

WinnipegDragon, I assume that's 1/2 tsp of UNSWEETENED cherry Kool-Aid mix?
posted by emptybowl at 9:40 AM on July 11, 2005

I had a diet Coke Slurpee weekend before last. Turn a Slurpee into an adult beverage by slurping up the first inch or three and top off with spiced rum. Yummm!

The best margaritas I've ever had were on the rocks - no blender used. You couldn't taste the alcohol and they'd sneak up and knock your dick in the dirt. Er.. so to speak.
posted by deborah at 9:45 AM on July 11, 2005

But for the world titleholder, customers in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada consume more Slurpee beverages than anywhere else on Earth.

Some things just don't make sense. :)
posted by jikel_morten at 9:46 AM on July 11, 2005

If you do go for the free Slurpee today, I suggest the Coke and Cherry combo, half and half, filled to the top of the domed lid and eaten with your Spraw (spoon/straw).

Why my dear fellow, this is precisely what I do, which proves you are a discerning gourmet of the highest order.

There is a slurpee for adults-- it is spelled Mar Gah Ri Ta!

Blargh. I'd much prefer to lightly SP IQUE the above Be Veh Raj with a nice WOD KAH for a klassy summer kocktail.
posted by melissa may at 9:48 AM on July 11, 2005

Emptybowl:

Yes, 1/2tsp of the unsweetened variety in the little tiny packets. Basically, it's half a packet, so if you had a big enough blender (a 10 cupper would do it) you could double the whole recipe and add a whole packet. The Grenadine is also optional, but it adds a nice flavour. Use maraschino cherry juice if you can't get the Grenadine.

jikel_morten:

Tell me about it. You can walk into a sev in the middle of January and someone will still be buying a Slurpee. People just love them here for whatever reason. Having said that, it was 45 degrees Celsius here yesterday when factoring in humidity. Our summers are short but hot.
posted by WinnipegDragon at 9:54 AM on July 11, 2005

Thanx Heaven for 7-11 ...someone had to finally say it! ;)
posted by RonZ at 9:57 AM on July 11, 2005

If you do go for the free Slurpee today, I suggest the Coke and Cherry combo, half and half, filled to the top of the domed lid and eaten with your Spraw (spoon/straw).

Except you use a Stroon, not some johnny-come-lately portmanteau Spraw.
posted by joaquim at 10:05 AM on July 11, 2005

If you do go for the free Slurpee today, I suggest the Coke and Cherry combo, half and half, filled to the top of the domed lid and eaten with your Spraw (spoon/straw).

Don't forget to tap the filled cup down on the counter to remove some of the excess air in the cup. It may not add up to much more Slurpee, but every little bit does add up.
posted by Restlessavenger at 10:31 AM on July 11, 2005

The thimble sized 7.11 ouncers aren't enough to get a decent brain-freeze.

I must disagree, I gave myself just a bit of a headache sucking down my thimbleful at lunch.

I'm just pissed that I didn't notice that they had a second Slurpee machine featuring Banana before I had already poured my Coke.
posted by Gimpson at 10:57 AM on July 11, 2005

According to dreamsign's link, I live in one of the top five Slurpee-consuming cities. And I worked at a convience store that sold Slurpees - well, it wasn't a Sev (as we call 'em around here), so we couldn't call it the tradmark Slurpee brand. But it's the same thing. The syrup comes from the same supplier, the machines are made by the same people, etc. No matter the weather, no matter the time of day, we were always selling the frozen drinks. Even in a -40 snowstorm, people would battle through the blizzard to get their fix.

Those drinks are very high-margin items for corner stores. The total cost of water and syrup and CO2 that's used in making the drinks is less than the cost of the cup you put the drink in (and the cups normally cost less than a quarter).
posted by raedyn at 12:22 PM on July 11, 2005

I think they should just give out free funky 45s with each one.
posted by rachelpapers at 2:25 PM on July 11, 2005

Don't forget to tap the filled cup down on the counter to remove some of the excess air in the cup. It may not add up to much more Slurpee, but every little bit does add up. - Restlessavenger

ps - this is the single most annoying habit of Slurpee drinkers. Particularly because people doing this spill huge amounts of their drink everywhere several times per day, and want to refill their cup for free. And spilled Slurpee is like glue and very difficult to mop up.

/still remembers the crappy parts of the gas station - convenience store.
posted by raedyn at 2:42 PM on July 11, 2005

This is a website about brainfreeze. I made a movie at a seven eleven where I asked some people to get brainfreeze. They did, and it wasm awesome!!

Except you use a Stroon

Stroon -- what a silly, made up word.
posted by jonah at 3:25 PM on July 11, 2005

I just remembered that "Slurpee" was a funny word to me and my friends. Because it had the word "pee" in it.
posted by Mayor Curley at 4:00 PM on July 11, 2005

Stroon or Spraw? One of the most vital questions of our time.
Why did I choose this comment to get back in the habit of using SpellCheck?

Without the Slurpee, we all never would have become accustomed to unnaturally-colored foodstuffs. (And as Mayor C. reminds me, some of the more interesting flavors were the same shade as the product's second syllable)

Of course, "brain freeze" could be at least a partial explanation for the way U.S.ian society has been going for the last 40 years.
posted by wendell at 4:09 PM on July 11, 2005

I want to go down to my local 7-11 and get one, but there's this dude down there, hanging out by the phones, who yells "AVARICE!" at me if I don't give him a dollar. It's very off-putting.
posted by Kloryne at 5:51 PM on July 11, 2005

Kloryne - .but there's this dude down there

An employee or some bum? If it was a bum, wonder what his take today was...
posted by PurplePorpoise at 6:09 PM on July 11, 2005

Just yell back 'THOU SHALT NOT COVET!" If that doesn't work, get him a free Slurpee*

* Even if they are carbonated. I'm so embarrassed, but thank you for the correction, rxrfrx.
posted by yhbc at 6:15 PM on July 11, 2005

No free Slurpee for me. A couple years ago, all the 7-11s around here changed to Kum & Go. Yes. Really. That's what it's called. The nicknames are even worse. To get a real Slurpee I'd have to cross the border and get one in the Slurpee Capital, Winnipeg.

I'm surprised no one's mentioned the Squishy (or Squishee).
posted by afiler at 6:47 PM on July 11, 2005

No, the guy's homeless, I think. His choice of words leaves me speechless. So hard-core. "Thou shalt not covet" is a great idea, I've been trying to think of a snappy comeback for months.
posted by Kloryne at 6:52 PM on July 11, 2005

dammit I missed out! But cheers to deborah for bringing the phrase 'knock your dick in the dirt' back into my life. Heh.
posted by Space Kitty at 2:00 PM on July 12, 2005

*bows*
posted by deborah at 2:53 PM on July 12, 2005