Oh look, a piece of new information that will actually totally definitely affect my life in a positive way! Eater directs us to this post from Don’t Waste Your Money, which centers on the tantalizing, magnificent fact that Sonic sells bags of its cult-favorite ice—known outside the world of the drive-in as nugget or pebble ice—for around $2. And it’s not just some teeny-tiny bag. These suckers are 10 lbs.
That’s around what you’d pay for a bag of ice of that size (or smaller) at a 7-11 or gas station, but instead of getting regular, mostly-frozen-together cubed ice, you get Sonic’s crunchy little nuggets, and you can pick up a cherry limeade at the same time, just because. On summer holidays, all the convenience stores near me inevitably run out of ice. You know what won’t run out of ice? Sonic.
Then, once you’ve got that ice home, you can use it to make cocktails. Crushed ice is a blessing for mules, juleps, smashes, Caipirinhas, punches, and almost anything fruity. It’s also great as a base for blended drinks. I, personally, like it with margaritas. GQ ran a feature on the appeal on Sonic Ice (apparently Matthew McConaughey is a fan), for which they spoke with a bartender; he said that part of the reason nugget ice is such a fave with bartenders and people who like fancy cocktails is that it’s “porous and chewable, and every little pebble can carry some of the beverage with it.”
You can also just chew on it sans booze, which people do.
One final note: Apparently not all Sonic locations do this, so make sure to call ahead before you swing by and pick up a bag.