Beverage that was invented in a Dairy Queen - NYT Crossword Clue

Introduction

Today's clue, "Beverage that was invented in a Dairy Queen," is a fun piece of trivia that points to a very specific and well-known brand. It's a great example of how crossword constructors use historical facts about everyday products to create engaging clues. The answer is a four-letter brand name that will likely be familiar to most solvers, even if its origin story isn't.

Clue Analysis

The clue is a straightforward definition based on a historical fact. Let's break it down:

• "Beverage": This tells us we're looking for a type of drink.
• "that was invented in a Dairy Queen": This is the core of the clue. It's not just any beverage, but one with a specific, documented origin tied to the famous fast-food chain. This specificity rules out generic terms like "slushy" or "milkshake" and points directly to a proper noun.

The challenge here isn't wordplay, but rather your knowledge of food and beverage history.

Thinking Approaches

1. Trivia Recall: The most direct path is to know the fact. If you've ever read the history of this particular frozen drink, the answer might pop into your head immediately.

2. Brand Brainstorming: If the trivia doesn't ring a bell, start listing famous frozen beverage brands. Think about what you see at convenience stores, movie theaters, and fast-food restaurants. Brands like Slurpee, ICEE, Froster, and Slush Puppie might come to mind. From there, you can try to connect one of them to Dairy Queen.

3. Using Crossings: This is a short, four-letter answer. If you're stuck, getting even one or two crossing letters from other clues can be a game-changer. For example, if you have I _ _ E, the answer becomes much easier to guess. If you have _ C _ _, you might think of words related to cold, which is a strong nudge in the right direction.

Background Context

The story behind this beverage is quite interesting. In the late 1950s, a Kansas business owner named Omar Knedlik had a soda fountain that was constantly breaking down. As a workaround, he started putting bottles of soda in his freezer. Customers loved the resulting semi-frozen, slushy consistency.

Realizing he had a hit, Knedlik built a machine to create the slushy drink on demand. The first machine was sold to a Dairy Queen in Coffeyville, Kansas, officially marking the brand's invention. The name for this new treat was conceived by a friend and has become iconic.

Interestingly, the company later licensed its machine to 7-Eleven, which used it to create their own famous brand, the Slurpee. So, while they are distinct brands, they share the same technological origin. You can read more on the ICEE Company's Wikipedia page.

Conclusion

This clue was a delightful dive into the history of a beloved frozen treat. It serves as a reminder that answers can come from anywhere, including the origin stories of brands we see every day. While it relied on a specific piece of trivia, the answer is a common enough word that it could also be solved through logical deduction and help from crossing entries.

Hints

1. Hint 1: This is a popular brand of frozen carbonated beverage.
2. Hint 2: It's often sold at movie theaters and convenience stores.
3. Hint 3: The brand's mascot is a well-known polar bear.
4. Hint 4: Its name sounds like a two-syllable way of saying "chilly."