Winnipeg, Manitoba: The Slurpee Capital of the World

Since the Slurpee debuted in 1967, over 7 billion have been sold worldwide — one for every person on the planet. Ranging in price from $1.15 to $3, the beverage is cheap, bountiful, and widely consumed in more than a dozen countries, led by Canada.

Despite being one of the coldest cities in the Northern Hemisphere, Winnipeg, Manitoba (Canada) has been crowned “Slurpee Capital of the World” fourteen years running. During an average month in the city, 188,833 Slurpees are sold (compared to 179,700 per month elsewhere in Canada). Last year, the city narrowly edged out Calgary and Detroit, and was bestowed the first-ever “Slurpee Capital Trophy Cup” for its effort.

Here’s a delightful post from Priceonomics on the invention of the Slurpee. Who would have thought that Canadians were such huge consumers of flavored icy drinks? Canadian readers, is this true?

Photo: Beau Giles

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