You pop into Dunkin’ for an iced coffee. One key decision is how big you want to go. There’s the small, at 16 ounces, and the medium, at 24. And when you’re really thirsty, a large is available, at 32 ounces.
But what if it’s one of those days where a quarter-gallon of java simply isn’t enough? Well, now Dunkin’ (formerly Dunkin’ Donuts) has a new, 48-ounce bucket for you. Yes, a bucket of iced coffee.
Having trouble getting a sense of scale? You can fit roughly 25 Munchkins in there.
These mammoth containers for cold beverages are being tested at a handful of Massachusetts and New Hampshire Dunkin’ locations, according to MassLive and social media users who have tried them. Dunkin’ has not yet promoted the buckets online or on social media, leading to a bit of an online scavenger hunt for thirsty customers trying to locate the limited stores selling them.
And based on social media, anyway, at least some people have trudged through the massive banks of newly fallen snow in New England to get their hands on the gigantic bucket.
(And yes it’s a bucket, not a cup. With a handle, lid and straw so you can slurp every single ounce, even on the go. Depending on which type of drink you fill it with, the price is between $8 and $12, according to posts on social media.)
Drinking iced coffee out of buckets is not a new phenomenon, as independent shops have led the trend: The New York Times last year reported that “cafes are leaning into the absurdity by serving iced coffees and lattes in 34-ounce buckets.”
Dunkin’ sneers at your “absurd” 34 ounces, and ups it by 14.
One could share the drink, of course — although, with the single straw, that requires two or more people without a hygiene phobia who take their iced coffee the same way. Another option is simply drinking the whole thing oneself.
Extremely large drinks were in part popularized by 7-Eleven stores and their Big Gulps, long considered the ne plus ultra of jumbo beverages. Launched in the 1970s, those sodas were initially available in 32-ounce sizes, but various “Super” and “Xtreme” sizes increased that to as large as 64 ounces (the Double Gulp).
Mayor Michael Bloomberg of New York tried to ban sales of sugary drinks larger than 16 ounces in 2012, on health grounds. (The ban would have applied to restaurants, movie theaters, and sports stadiums, but not to grocery and convenience stores like 7-Eleven.)
But a court said he and his administration had exceeded their authority, and it blocked the ban.
So there you have it. Desperately want some iced coffee? Willing to be wide awake for the rest of the day and most of the night and equally willing never to stray more than 50 feet from a bathroom? You’ve got a plan.
Victor Mather, who has been a reporter and editor at The Times for 25 years, covers sports and breaking news.
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