In March, Sonic came as close as any fast food company has ever come to breaking the internet. The chain revealed that it would release a neon green, pickle juice slush, and people everywhere, understandably, had a lot of feelings. Despite the commotion it caused, news of the slush made two things clear to us: pickle had become the trendiest flavor of the moment, and we would not rest until we tried the unconventional new concoction. Over three months later, pickles remain at peak popularity, and we finally got to taste Sonic's take on the potent flavor.
Last week, at a Sonic location on Long Island, we took our very first sips of the divisive Pickle Juice Snow Cone Slush, and then, we just kept right on sipping. As die-hard pickle fans, we've been open-minded about the treat since it was first announced. However, it tasted completely different than what we imagined. It isn't like Sonic dumped dill pickle juice straight on top of a pile of shaved ice — although we might try that next time we finish a jar of pickles in one siting, as we are want to do. Sonic's bright green, pickle-y liquid is much sweeter. We thought it tasted a lot like lemonade, with some tartness and tang lingering at the end of each gulp.
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While trying the new drink, we talked to Scott Uehlein, the chain's vice president of product innovation and development, about how the Pickle Juice Snow Cone Slush came to be. "My team and I do deep dives into cities and categories," Uehlein told Refinery29. "We were in Austin, and one of the things that we did is we visited a lot of snow cone trucks. We saw a prevalence of certain flavors like Tiger's Blood, which is sort of that cherry, watermelon flavor. We saw Bahama Mama, which has kind of coconut-y notes, Blue Hawaiian, which has those tropical notes, and we saw Pickle Juice as a snow cone," Uehlein said. That encounter inspired the team to come up with their own take on the pickle juice snow cone by using Sonic's sweet slush base. The result was a drink that, "crosses the line between a sweet pickle and a dill pickle."
produced by Christina Dun; edited by Christina Dun.
At first, you might not think the eccentric slush is what you'd chose to order on a hot summer day, but just think about how refreshing it is to bite into a cool, crunchy pickle after a big meal. Now, imagine that same invigorating taste, but ice-cold and with a hint of sweetness. Sounds kinda good, right?
If you're still hesitant, maybe don't look into the cup before taking your first sip because the highlighter hue might put you off. If you're on board, however, may we be so bold as to suggest you try a sip of the Pickle Juice Snow Cone Slush with a bite of Sonic's new Crispy Tenders? That pairing recommendation comes straight from Uehlein and we can't explain it, but it's truly a revelation.