Let's Talk About How We Slurpee

Depending on where you are when you read this, it is July 11 somewhere in the world, and as such a certain convenience store chain sharing numeric similarities is giving away a free Slurpee, no strings attached. It is one of the last good things we have left in this smoldering hellscape, so thank you, 7-Eleven, for a small taste of salvation.

But did you know that a good thing could be an even better thing? Those Slurpee machines put the power in your very hands, no behind the counter or with a cashier. So seize the democratic power of frozen high-fructose corn syrup and make your Slurpee even more delicious with Takeout staff-approved methods.

I've expressed my love in this-here website before, but I will die on the hill of Coke Slurpee being one of the all-time great beverages (non-alcoholic division). Granted, much of it is nostalgia—we'd treat ourselves to team Coke Slurpees after baseball practice—but the sensation of frozen slushed Coca-Cola, to this day, brings much pleasure.

I do have a special technique when it comes to Slurpeeing. Several times in my youth I was scorned by Slurpees which, upon reaching the bottom, was a mound of flavorless ice. I never quite like scooping out said ice with the plastic spoon-straw, so I developed a habit of filling the Slurpee cup first with two inches of Coca-Cola Classic soda, then adding in the Coke Slurpee to the top. This ensures that when I reach the bottom, I'll have fizzy soda, not hard ice. [Kevin Pang]

I grew up 0.2 miles from a 7-Eleven (just Google Map'd it). Once my brother and I were old enough to navigate a parking lot, we were often given a dollar a piece and told to buzz off for Slurpees, giving my parents a 10-minute respite. Given such proximity, we became connoisseurs of the Slurpee machine, layering creations, lamenting the days when the Coke option was still in too-liquid form. My favorite ratio to this day is a 3:1 mixture of Coke and whatever berry option is on offer. Whether it's wild cherry or blue raspberry doesn't much matter because they both taste pretty much the same. Just don't mix Coke and pina colada, whatever you do. [Kate Bernot]

Wild Cherry, is for me, the only acceptable Slurpee flavor. I've always been a fan of cherry snow cones... well, let's be honest here, cherry snow cone syrup. It conjures up state fair memories, Freeze Pops, and it's close in proximity to Dairy Queen's cherry dip, an underrated dessert in my opinion.

I might be in the minority, but I don't get the love for Coke Slurpees. To me it takes the worst of Coke's flavor, which has a metallic-burn taste, and amplifies it. If you're going to go cold slushy beverage, you might as well go for sugary and uplifting. Coke flavor is so average! [A.E. Dwyer]