Sonic Is Bringing Back A Controversial Slushy Flavor

Sonic is known for a couple of things: being one of America's most popular carhops, those commercials with the two guys, and of course, endless options for drinks and slushes. Sonic's slushes are well-known for having many flavor options, from cherry limeade to slushies mixed with a healthy shot or two of Red Bull, complementing a thick, juicy cheeseburger and some salty fries. But not all flavors are well-received by everyone — in fact, some are downright controversial.

Take, for example, the "Pickle Juice Slush." According to BusinessWire, the Pickle Juice Slush is exactly what it sounds like: a neon-green frozen drink packed with pickle brine. The pickle-flavored drink will also be returning with the chain's Big Dill Cheeseburger — a cheeseburger loaded with pickle slices — and Pickle Fries, which are deep-fried pickle spears. The Pickle Juice Slush made its debut back in 2018 and is now making its grand return from August 8 to August 28, offering pickle fanatics a chance to both eat and drink those briny green cucumbers in some rather unique ways.

But is a slushy made from pickle juice really all that outrageous? Is it just a wacky novelty treat invented by Sonic to drum up sales, or is there actually something worth trying about this dill-based frozen treat?

While some may balk at the idea of trying a frozen drink made with pickle brine — or even tasting pickle brine at all — there are plenty of people who are more open to the idea. Sonic's press release on BusinessWire even calls the Pickle Juice Slush "one of the most frequently requested menu items by SONIC fans on social media."

Taste of Home's review of the slushy in 2018 was surprisingly positive, describing the slushy as being like a "pickle-flavored margarita." The slushy was very sweet but had afternotes of pickles, salt, and lime. The review called the drink "super-refreshing," but since the writer was a self-described pickle fanatic, this review might be best taken with a grain of salt.

Refinery29 claimed the slushy tasted more like lemonade than pickles, but did note that the slush had some familiar pickle tang as an aftertaste. Again, it doesn't seem that this pickle-flavored drink isn't so much straight pickle juice blended with ice, but rather a drink that tries to combine the sweetness of your average slush with the crisp tanginess of a pickle that doesn't give too much attention to one flavor.

Some, however, are still fiercely opposed to the idea of drinking pickles. One impassioned Twitter user even claimed that Sonic as a restaurant should be completely destroyed after they tasted the Pickle Juice Slush.