Slurpee vs. ICEE, it’s the age-old debate. Despite the well-documented history of the Slurpee, there are two types of people: Those who despise 7-Eleven, condemning it as an example of capitalism gone wrong, right up there with Walmart, and those who live by it, subsisting on microwave burritos and Big Gulps. The purists who love it insist that their beloved C-store absolutely must have come up with the drink all on its own. The ICEE is a cheap imposter, sold by random gas stations owned by people with names like Joe-Bob. Others are not so sure. Let’s settle the debate, once and for all. What’s the difference between the Slurpee and the ICEE?
At-A-Glance: Slurpee vs. ICEE vs. “The Others”
- Slurpee vs. ICEE: They are the exact same drink. 7-Eleven licenses the technology and syrup from The ICEE Company; the only difference is the name on the cup.
- The Carbonation Secret: Both are Frozen Carbonated Beverages (FCB). The CO2 bubbles are what create that light, fluffy texture and keep the drink from freezing into a solid block.
- What about “Slushies”? Unlike a Slurpee, a generic slushie (or Slush Puppie) is often uncarbonated, denser, and wetter. The term “Slushie” itself has a confusing legal and trademark history that explains why so many different drinks share the name.
The History of the Slurpee vs. ICEE
During the 1950s, a guy named Omar Knedlik, who owned a Dairy Queen in Coffeyville, Kansas, got fed up with how inefficient the ice cream cone was at producing a brain freeze and invented a machine to make a frozen drink called an ICEE. After that, you could produce ice cream headaches by the dozen, leading to all but universal brain damage in my generation.
Later on, 7-Eleven introduced the iconic Slurpee frozen drink, leading to a never-ending debate about the Slurpee vs. ICEE. Are they the same drink, and which one is better?
And, by the way, the brain freeze is harmless. At least I think so. The sugar, however, according to many, is addictive.
Slurpee And ICEE Spring From the Same Fount
If you grew up in a 7-Eleven land, you may never have had an ICEE. That’s okay, you know what I’m talking about. A 7-Eleven Slurpee is, beyond a doubt, the same thing. Slurpee is the more commonly known name because there are so many 7-Eleven locations.
In the 1960s, 7-Eleven licensed the drink from the ICEE company, but they had to sell it under a different name, so they called it a Slurpee, which was officially introduced in 1966. In other words, Omar Kneklik invented the Slurpee, too, just not the name itself.
The Slurpee name could only be used in U.S. 7-Eleven stores. This prevented direct competition between the ‘two’ drinks. It also created the myth that the Slurpee and ICEE are two different things, a debate I still have with people to this day. While the Slurpee is only sold in 7-Eleven, the ICEE can be sold by all sorts of different businesses, including gas stations and convenience stores.
The umbrella term for ICEEs, Slurpees, or any other similar drink is FCB. It was Omar who invented the FCB (Frozen Carbonated Beverage). This occured because of a happy accident. Omar accidentally froze his sodas to a slushy consistency. He was dismayed by this mishap, but his customers loved it! Thus, the idea for the frozen carbonated beverage was born. Our would-be inventor was no fool, though. He also came up with a great name, ICEE.
The “carbonated” part of the name is important. Yes, although you may not realize it all Slurpees are carbonated. The carbonation isn’t just for fizz; it’s actually essential to the Slurpee’s iconic fluffy texture. Without those tiny bubbles suspended in the ice, the drink would freeze into a solid block or a gritty, liquid mess. This is exactly why you don’t see ‘plain’ uncarbonated versions of these flavors, and it’s a huge part of the reason there is no such thing as a truly carbonated canned Coke.
🍦Regardless of which one you drink, there’s no denying that there is no better (or worse) way to get an “ice-cream headache” than drinking Slurpee or ICEE too fast! What really causes this cold-induced agony? Find out the science of the brain freeze.
Read More: The Science of the Brain Freeze
The Origin of the ICEE Name
It is claimed by some sources that the name ICEE came from a contest Knedlik ran to pick a name for the product. I would file that under the “conspiracy to claim that every company name came from a pick-a-name contest.” I failed to find any independent collaboration for this contest.
According to others, the name was coined by Knedlick’s friend and artist, Ruth Taylor, who came up with the name and the original logo artwork. According to Mental Floss, the Slurpee name was coined by Bob Stanford, a 7-Eleven ad agency director, who was describing the sound made by sipping the drink through a straw.
ICEE machines popped up in convenience stores and mini-marts during the 1960s and today the ICEE company is still going strong. You can still get the ICEE drink in plenty of places. We didn’t have 7-Elevens where I grew up, but we did have convenience stores and “mini-marts” where ICEEs were sold.
In those days, the person behind the counter had to dispense one for you. Only some of my readers will remember, but this used to be true at 7-Eleven. Yes, buying a Slurpee was like pumping gas in New Jersey.
The Totem Store
Incidentally, some old-timers I knew would call any convenience store a “totem store” or a “totsem” store. Totem Stores were what 7-Elevens were called before they were 7-Elevens.
It all started with the “South China Ice Company”, which sold ice to businesses, and then opened its doors to individual consumers before expanding to other “convenience items.”
The store put a Totem pole out front, and the Totem Shop was born. Why people from down my way would call convenience stores a totem store, I’m not sure, but it could just as well have been their remembrance of an obvious imitator, the “U-Totem” Store, which became a fairly large chain before being bought by the Circle K Corporation.
7-Eleven didn’t “invent” the Slurpee but they did usher in America’s love affair with ridiculously giant fountain sodas. Find out more.
🥤Maybe the Slurpee came first, but just as iconic is the 7-Eleven Big Gulp. Today, we accept bucket-sized soda fountain drinks as part of the background, but this was a highly unusual thing in 1976, when 7-Eleven ushered in America’s love affair with the giant-sized soda.
Slushie vs. ICEE vs. Slurpee: Understanding the Differences
Another wrench in Slurpes vs. ICEE debate is the term Slushee. The ICEE was a “slushy” drink. However, sometimes, you might come across a drink actually called a Slushee. To say that it is similar is a stretch. They are both frozen drinks.
The Slushee was not introduced until 1996. It is thinner than an ICEE or Slurpee. Some people insist on getting the ICEE mixed up with this Slushee, causing more confusion. No, they are NOT the same thing with a different name! Slurpee and ICEE are the same thing with a different name, but the Slushee is a different drink.
As well, there is the Slush Puppie which is also owned by the ICEE company, but sucks. You’ll find these in gas stations and lower-end places, and the machines do not work the same. They are the ones with the big, clear swirl canisters.
😨 The “Glycerol” Factor: The Uncarbonated Antifreeze
Remember how I said the carbonation in the Slurpee and ICEE is important? This is where the rubber meets the road. In the world of cheap second-teir Frozen Uncarbonated Beverages (FUB), like the ones you see in those clear, spinning “granita” machines, manufacturers often have a problem: without the suspended gas of carbonation to keep the ice crystals apart, the drink wants to freeze into a solid block.
- The Solution: Many non-carbonated slushy syrups (especially “sugar-free” ones) use glycerol as a thickening agent and a “food-grade antifreeze.”
- The Controversy: This potential health concern is on the radar of food agencies, especially in the UK and Ireland, food agencies. Those governments have recently issued warnings against giving glycerol-heavy slushies to children under 4, as it can cause “glycerol intoxication” (headaches and sickness) in small bodies.
- The Point Goes to Slurpees and ICEEs: They don’t need the additive because the carbonation does the mechanical work of keeping the texture fluffy.
Branded “Slushie” vs. Generic “slushie”
The Original Slushie Company actually makes both carbonated and uncarbonated versions. This is why people get confused:
- Carbonated Slushies: These are “Frozen Carbonated Beverages” (FCB). They use CO2 to expand the mix by 100%, creating that “light and fluffy” cloud texture you love. These may seem much like a Slurpee/ICEE causing more confusion over the difference!
- Uncarbonated Slushies: These are “Frozen Uncarbonated Beverages” (FUB). They are denser, wetter, and often rely on that glycerol or high sugar content to stay scoopable. These may feel heavy and wet compared to a Slurpee.
The Slush Puppie vs. ICEE “Suck the Flavor Out” Problem
Unlike an ICEE or Slurpee, which holds itself together well, the “Slush Puppie”, a different drink than the branded Slushie, is just crushed ice and syrup. You can suck the “flavor” right out of the ice as it settles to the bottom, leaving you with plain ice at the end.
- Slurpee/ICEE: The flavor is molecularly locked into the airy ice structure.
- Slush Puppie: It’s a slurry. The ice crystals are larger and separate from the syrup. This creates that classic disappointing childhood experience of drinking all the blue syrup in 30 seconds and being left with a cup of flavorless white ice.
The Circle K Froster
The Circle K corporation, which I mentioned above, owns the second-largest chain of convenience stores next to 7-Eleven. Their drink, to which their customers are just as dedicated, is the Froster.
The Froster looks to be another re-branded Icee, although I cannot confirm this suspicion, yet. In Canada, Mac’s Convenience Stores sell the Froster.
The Slurpee/Frozen Margarita Connection
I don’t know if you’ve heard, but you wouldn’t be able to enjoy your frozen margarita today without the Slurpee. That’s the story, anyway. It’s not exactly true. To be more correct, you would not be able to enjoy them in every Mexican restaurant with consistent quality without the Slurpee or, rather, the ICEE since it’s the ultimate origin of all of this.
You can make a frozen Margarita with a blender, you don’t need a Slurpee machine, and I KNOW you already know that! But imagine turning out scores of perfect frozen Margaritas to hundreds of customers a night in a packed Mexican eatery. You’d have a problem with consistency and quality. Not to mention the noise from blenders going all night. In fact, I’ve been to a popular, and very loud restaurant with that very problem, and it’s not pleasant.
Debates over food and beverage names are a dime a dozen. Now that I’ve settled the Slurpee vs. ICEE debate, you may want to learn about the true history of the egg cream. I’ve done a CulinaryLore style deep-dive and found out the truth, once and for all, behind the name of the New York Egg Cream.
Read More: Did the Egg Cream Ever Have Eggs?
Mariano Martinez, a Dallas Mexican restaurant owner, reportedly invented the frozen Margarita in 1971, or thereabouts. He used a blender. The drink was a big hit but he had trouble keeping up with demand and couldn’t always guarantee the perfect drink.
Then one day he saw a 7-Eleven Slurpee machine and bingo, he had his solution. With a used Slurpee machine, a chemist named John Hogan, and some tinkering, Mariano’s Hacienda was able to satisfy its customers’ demand for the frosty goodness that is the Frozen Margarita.
Later on, specific machines were invented just for Margaritas and today they are widespread in Mexican restaurants and even beyond. But Mariano’s original rigged Slurpee machine is in the Smithsonian. As it should be!
Now, I like frozen Margaritas as much as the next person. But if you’ve never had a Margarita and you want to know what a Margarita is like, then don’t order a frozen one. Order a regular one so that you can truly experience all the flavors.
Also, keep in mind that a frozen Margarita will probably never use top-shelf ingredients like premium Tequila, and they will use a commercial “sweet and sour mix” instead of Cointreau or a good triple sec together with fresh lime juice. I think it is worth it, for your first Margarita, to go for the top shelf so that you can experience what it is meant to be like. And, frankly, it’s easy. We make real margaritas in my house constantly.
