I is for ICEE

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Next in the 90s Nibbles series, I is for ICEE. ICEEs are classic. I was more of a Slush Puppy kid because that was the slushie that was sold at the Uni-Mart down the street from my house. My fiance was also a Slush Puppy kid, but she got hers in school where they called it Vita-Pup. Why? Not because it had vitamins in it, that’s for sure! ⠀
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I went down a rabbit hole, researching the differences between the ICEE, Slurpee, and Slush Puppy. I came to find they’re all quite similar. In fact, ICEEs are just Slurpees sold anywhere other than 7-Eleven. The flavor lab for these lives in Plano, TX where Dr. Pepper and Snapple are also made. And Slush Puppies stand apart because they are not carbonated, but ICEE owns the company. So there is a monopoly on slushies and we let that happen. ⠀
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ICEEs were discovered by accident, like most great inventions. In 1958, Dairy Queen owner Omar Knedlik stashed some sodas in the freezer to cool them off during a hot spell. The sugar prevented the sodas from turning into ice cubes, and customers loved the slush. Before long Knedlik had rigged a machine that turned soda into a carbonated frozen beverage that hasn’t changed much. He wanted to call the concoction “Scoldasice” but smarter marketing pros intervened thank goodness. Soon “ICEE” machines were out on the market.⠀