Flavor Is The Only Difference Between A Frappe And A Slushie
It's summertime, which means that we want all the delicious, blended drinks we can get. And, there are definitely plenty to choose from. We've all had a slushie before –– a classic icy drink that's full of nostalgia, and can cool us down on the hottest of days. Frappes share plenty of DNA with slushies, but it's easy to wonder what sets them apart from the classic icy drink that we all loved as kids. You may be surprised to discover that less actually sets them apart than you may think.
The traditional Greek frappe was invented purely by accident; a Nestlé employee used cold water in a shaker to prepare his coffee when he didn't have access to any hot water. Hence, the now-popular frappe was born, and it has joined the ranks of many favorite summertime drinks. Slushies are made by freezing a sugary beverage and mixing it up to make a slush consistency. Ultimately, the only difference between a frappe and a slushie is the flavor. So, if you loved slushies as a kid, like most of us, you can think of the frappe as the updated, grown-up version.
Do you want a frappe, a slushie, or something different entirely?
If your go-to summer drink in your youth was a Slurpee, then that means you were a 7-Eleven fan. While plenty of folks use the terms "slushie" and "Slurpee" interchangeably, the Slurpee is actually a brand name for 7-Eleven's own iconic slushie. The same goes for ICEEs, which are a brand name drink courtesy of the ICEE company, despite the fact that plenty of folks refer to all slushies as ICEES.
For the most part, frappe beverages (like the famous Starbucks Frappuccinos) have the basic DNA of a slushie, but have coffee, tea, nut, vanilla, or even chocolate flavoring. Because of the nature of the offered flavors, frappes usually contain milk, which isn't typical of drinks in the slushie family. The consistency of the frappe, the Slurpee, the ICEE, and the slushie all tend to be the same: that unique icy-cold, sometimes crunchy feel that's perfect for the warm weather. Which one you choose is all about which flavor you're in the mood for.