Sonic Drive-In’s Chocolate Covered Jalapeño milkshake poses so many hazards to the unwary imbiber. Will you experience brain freeze, burning mouth or strained muscles from sucking up hot peppers through a straw?
This cold yet hot beverage is one of three flavors Sonic introduced for its “Summer of Shakes.” The other two are the tame-sounding Oreo Peanut Butter and Salted Caramel.
The Chocolate Covered Jalapeño milkshake is basically a rich chocolate shake blended with chopped up jalapeños. Sonic’s product shot depicts a glass filled with jalapeño chunks, but as sampled, the drink is served in a Styrofoam cup and topped with a cloud of whipped cream, so it’s hard to tell how much jalapeño you’re getting and how big the pieces are.
I can attest, however, that the pieces are big enough to clog a straw and that if you bite into them or let them rest on your tongue, you’ll feel the burn. The jalapeños complement the chocolate pretty well.
The shake costs $4.69.
Locations: Hemet, Rancho Cucamonga, Santa Ana, Anaheim, Costa Mesa, Cathedral City, among others..
Liquid nitrogen ice cream
In early June, á la minute – a liquid nitrogen ice cream shop from Redlands – opened a shop in Orange, which . makes small batches of ice cream while customers wait.
The mixing and freezing are done in white Kitchen Aid blenders, creating a visual show in a retro setting. The company says it uses 100 percent organic dairy products in its gourmet, edgy flavors such as goat cheese with beets, strawberry-balsamic, chocolate-lavender and espresso-chip ice creams.
Locations: 117 N. Glassell St., Orange.; 19 E Citrus Ave, Redlands
