Sonic's Hard Slush Brings Whimsy To Cocktail Hour
Most consumers know Sonic as being one of the pioneers of drive-thru fast-food restaurants. The original Sonic was first opened back in 1953, though it operated under a different name — Top Hat Drive-In, per the Oklahoma Historical Society. Today, the chain's silly-yet-memorable commercials of a fun food discussion inside of a car are hard to forget.
Though burgers and ice cream might have made Sonic famous, the establishment is known for more than just kid-friendly meals. Sonic's hard seltzer made its debut last year, after the chain partnered with an Oklahoma brewery to ahead of releasing their alcoholic seltzers. And since then, Sonic has expanded its hard seltzer line to be available in more than half of the country, as Vine Pair notes.
Now, Sonic is making another move in the adult-beverage industry. Rather than only offering hard seltzers, it's bringing a Hard Slush and a Hard Tea into the mix; here's everything we know about these new, adults-only beverages.
Sonic's Hard Slush and Tea will both be available this fall
If you love the texture of Sonic's slushes and don't mind a boozy drink every now and then, you'll be happy to know that the chain is expanding its hard beverage line to include the Sonic Hard Slush. According to Vine Pair, the slushes will debut with cherry limeade, blue raspberry, and watermelon flavors. The drinks will be 6% ABV and will be available fall 2022, though an exact date isn't known.
If you can't wait for the slush, there is even more exciting news: Sonic Hard Southern Sweet Tea is hitting the market as well, and it should be available later this summer in select areas. (Consumers can check Sonic's press release to view in which states each drink will be available; the drinks should be available in all states by March 2023.) The tea will be 5% ABV, neither the Sweet Tea nor the slush will be available for purchase at Sonic restaurant locations.
Sonic isn't the only popular food or drink chain to jump on the hard beverage bandwagon. Per CNBC, Coca Cola's Simply brand announced in January 2022 that it would be partnering with Molson Coors to create a spiked lemonade. Plus, PepsiCo just released a Hard Mountain Dew.