Just The Specials : Sonic Drive-In’s Witch’s Brew Slush Float And Smasher Burger
by Anton Kromoff
Welcome to the table,
Just The Specials is a column where your old food-loving friend Anton goes out and about trying new, limited-edition, and seasonal offerings and letting you know what I think about them. As it is spooky season, I am tucking into Halloween-themed treats. Sonic Drive-In’s Witch’s Brew Slush Float’s bright green color and popping bubbles caught my attention.
Just look at this thing! It looks like some kind of horrific, eldritch slime-green concoction topped with thousands of unblinking spider eyes and a mound of cream that was whipped by the Devil himself. It’s also absolutely delightful from start to finish.
Now, mine did not look this picturesque. It was actually kind of brown and swampy in color, but I think that is because all the components sort of mixed together, but the flavor was spectacular and made up for any “not as advertised” appearances that were going on.
Sonic touts this as being “A Halloween inspired green apple slush loaded with caramel bubbles, topped with creamy soft serve, and more caramel bubbles. It’s like a caramel covered apple, but better! Available in a medium size only.”
The thing tastes like green apple mashed in with some caramel thanks to those little popping bubbles, and a basic vanilla-flavored soft serve that works really well with the other flavors involved. Alani Nu’s first version of their ‘Witches Brew’ Energy Drink had a similar flavor profile if you have had that. If not, this is a clean green apple taste, with little hits of caramel that come through only when you eat or drink the bubbles.
The bubbles hit the same way as the bubbles in a boba tea do, but the casing on them is somehow slightly thinner than what I am used to from boba, and it works in this presentation so remarkably well.
I grabbed one of the new Sonic Smasher Burgers, to go with my Witch’s Brew and it was a really nice lunchtime meal. Sonic says the burger has “two Angus beef, seasoned patties smashed and seared, crispy on the edges and juicy in the middle. It’s then layered with two slices of melty American cheese, a creamy, tangy Smasher sauce, crinkle-cut pickles, diced onions, and served on a pillowy soft potato bun.”
I got mine without onions and extra pickles and it was pretty freaking great. Burgers are, without question, one of my favorite foods. So much so there is a picture of me where my wife says I look the happiest of any picture, and it’s me eating a 20-patty* smash burger. So when I tell you I know smash burgers, I’m not just a casual fan. I tell you all of that to tell you that the Sonic Smasher is a really solid burger. That’s coming from a space that loves smash burgers and sets the bar pretty high.
Between the Witch’s Brew Frosty and this new Sonic Smash Burger, I have to say that Sonic this Halloween season is all treat, no trick.
Until next time, burger SMASH!
* The reason I was eating a 20-patty smash burger was because a restaurant was opening in the area we were living in. They invited me to come in as part of their opening ceremonies along with a handful of locals and eat giant burgers. It was really tasty, and such a fun experience. The picture is still my contact picture on my wife’s phone.
