I Tried 7-Eleven's Birthday Cake Slurpee, And It Is A Sweet Way To Celebrate 60 Years

On a hot summer day, there is nothing that hits the spot quite like a cool drink, and in this heat, the colder, the better. While out for a walk recently at a time of day when it ought to have been cooling off but the mercury was hanging steady at about 90 degrees Fahrenheit, I was feeling parched. Walking past a 7-Eleven, I remembered those refreshing cups of sweet frozen drink that I used to beg my parents for every summer as a kid. Heat and thirst may have been the primary draw, but a heavy hit of nostalgia pushed me over the edge and pulled me into the air-conditioned shop.

It had been decades since I'd last tasted a Slurpee, but stepping up to that machine, cup in hand, was like stepping back in time — save for one detail. Dead center was a whirring chamber of white slush of the most bizarre flavor I'd ever seen: Mountain Dew Confetti Chill, a birthday cake Slurpee. When I was a more regular Slurpee consumer, I was always partial to mixing cherry and coke, but I couldn't draw my eyes away from the hypnotic motion of the cake-flavored slush swirling inside the machine. Before I knew it, I was pulling the lever and watching the frozen drink rise to the top of the clear plastic lid.

Now, Mountain Dew has branched out tremendously in its flavors over the years. The classic Mountain Dew flavor of lemon and lime with a hint of orange juice has given way to everything from the familiar cherry-flavored Code Red to bottles with names that would fit just as well on a stick of deodorant, like Voltage and Livewire. Generally, though, all of its flavors stick to a fruit theme. Birthday cake is taking things to a whole new level.

To say that I was skeptical of this Slurpee would be an understatement. Much like many other voices across the internet, I was sure that it would be awful. "Birthday cake flavored stuff is already gross imo," writes one Instagram user, echoing my internal monologue, "this sounds like the worst of the worst." Walking up to the cash register, I was fairly certain that this nearly full cup would end up in a trash can less than a block from the store. One thing was clear, though. The comment stating that Mountain Dew "clearly has not learned that people are done buying overly sweet AI-slop-style drinks" was not accurate. For me, at least, the power of my morbid curiosity was too great.

Stepping back out into the heat, I took my first sip, bracing myself for the expected cloying onslaught. Then I took a second and a third. I was stunned. It really wasn't bad. The Slurpee machine offered no description of the flavor other than the name itself and the disclaimer that it contains "natural and artificial cake flavor." But that ominous description didn't align with my experience at all. It was sweet without being overly sweet, with a tangy, citrusy backbone and just a hint of vanilla. Much to my surprise — and chagrin — I actually liked it. Later, when I saw 7-Eleven's description of it as a drink that "blends bright citrus flavor with notes of sweet vanilla icing," it all made much more sense. This was, after all, still a flavor of Mountain Dew, so the citrus was there to keep the cake flavor in check.

In the moment, I didn't give much thought to the fact that 7-Eleven and Mountain Dew would team up for such an odd flavor collaboration. Once I got home and had a look at the internet, though, the partnership made a lot more sense. The cake flavor was not just meant to snare curious palates like mine but also to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Slurpee. And in order to celebrate the event properly, 7-Eleven will be giving out free small Slurpees on July 11, so you too can taste this unique offering — or whichever you prefer, if my surprisingly pleasant experience wasn't enough to sway you.

Slurpee Day is not unique to this year, occurring every July — on 7/11, get it? — but the convenience store chain is planning a few special twists for the frozen drink's 60th birthday. In addition to the unique Slurpee flavor, select 7-Eleven and Speedway stores will also offer a Slurpee Date experience. Couples, besties, or any other duo will have the chance to sit down on a special photo-op bench outside the store, pose for a photographer, and take home a keepsake to remember the day. These stores will also be giving out bedazzled Slurpee straws to customers to commemorate the drink's diamond anniversary, with JaNa Craig of "Love Island" helping the brand promote the event.

Six decades of Slurpees have led to upwards of 300 flavors, and Mountain Dew Confetti Chill may be the strangest of the lot — with the pumpkin spice Slurpee a close second. When the July sun is high and temperatures are soaring, though, few things hit the spot quite like an ice-cold Slurpee — even, apparently, when it tastes like birthday cake.