Orange Julius
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Orange Julius is a fruit smoothie, created by blending frozen orange juice, crushed ice, and a mixture of powdered sugar and dairy creamer. It has been a popular fruit drink for nearly eighty years.
It is as well as the signature product and namesake of a food service franchise, frequently located in public places such as shopping malls, airports, and amusement parks, primarily in the United States and Canada.
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[edit] History
The drink grew out of an orange juice stand opened in Los Angeles in 1926 by Julius Freed. Sales were initially modest, about $20 a day (in adjusted value, for 2006, that's the equivalent of $211). In 1929, Bill Hamlin, Freed's real estate broker, developed a mixture that made the acidic orange juice less bothersome to his stomach. Freed's stand began serving the drink, which had a frothier, creamier texture. The sales at the stand increased substantially after the introduction of the new drink, going up to 100 dollars a day. People began lining up at the store and shouting, "Give me an Orange, Julius!" Eventually, the new drink would simply be called "the Orange Julius".[[1]]
Originally, a raw egg blended into the drink was offered as an option for the drink. This was seen as a good source of protein for body builders. However, that option was later dropped due to food safety reasons and now bananas are offered as a subsitute.
In the 1970s and early 1980s, Orange Julius beverage stands used the image of a devil with a pitch fork (similar to that of the Arizona State University mascot, Sparky) around an orange, as well as the slogan, "A Devilishly Good Drink". The company later dropped the logo and slogan after threats of a lawsuit from the A.S.U. alumni association.
In 1987, the Orange Julius chain was bought by International Dairy Queen. IDQ, and by inclusion since 1999, Berkshire Hathaway, owns the rights to all Orange Julius stores, and have expanded the chain so its drinks are included in many of their Dairy Queen mall stores, called Treat Centers.
In 2004, Orange Julius launched a line of Premium Fruit Smoothies to compete with smoothie competitors such as Jamba Juice and Smoothie King.
[edit] Cultural References
- In The Simpsons episode Burns' Heir, Lionel Hutz was going to sell his Orange Julius to Principal Skinner, who was looking for the Orange Julius stand in the mall where Hutz's office is located. It is also referenced in the beginning of Co-Dependent's Day.
- In the Drawn Together episode "Terms of Endearment", Captain Hero convinces his housemates to help him save Foxxy by saying "There's an Orange Julius on the way," to which Toot replies, "Well they really are a delicious treat."
- In the Modest Mouse song "Teeth Like God's Shoeshine", Isaac Brock sings "Let's all have another Orange Julius / thick syrup standing in lines". The precise meaning of the reference is unclear, although it most likely has something to do with being deeply despondent.
- In the webcomic Least I Could Do, the main character Rayne's favorite drink is Orange Julius
- In the Family Guy episode Stewie Loves Lois, Chris mentions that there is an Orange Julius at the mall just to keep the conversation moving.
- In the Freezepop song entitled "Chess King", Sean T. Drinkwater sings, "That's when I saw you, with an Orange Julius in your left hand/ I walked right up to you and told you I was in a synthpop band."
- In an episode of Saturday Night Live, guest Sylvester Stallone portrayed a computer store assistant who was a former Orange Julius employee. Stallone remarks "I tried to open my own Orange Julius, but everyone got sick, really sick, and some died and everything." Near the end of the skit Stallone's character is offered work at an Orange Julius stand in Germany. The final shot shows Stallone's character working in Germany proclaiming, "It's a dream come true!" as he proudly lifts an Orange Julius in the air.[2]
- In his special Jim Gaffigan: Beyond the Pale, Jim Gaffigan while talking about the stereotypical escalators to Heaven and Hell, commenting that "Is Heaven in a Mall?" mentions that maybe he could go over to Orange Julius before he gets all the way to Heaven.
- On Roseanne, Jackie helps Roseanne look for high-paying jobs via the obituaries, to which Roseanne feels she is underqualified, and quips, "Didn't anyone get their head stuck in an Orange Julius machine?"
- In the "Slap Bet" episode of TV sitcom How I Met Your Mother, Robin admits to her life as Canadian Teen Pop Star Robin Sparkles, mentioning that as a result of her mall tour, she lived off of Orange Juliuses.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
Mariani, John F. (1999) The Encyclopedia of American Food and Drink. New York: Lebhar-Friedman. ISBN 0-86730-784-6
[edit] External link
- Orangejulius.com - Company website
