Summer is almost here and for a native New Yorker like me, it also means that “nutcracker nemos” are back. For those of you who never been to New York, you’re probably asking yourself what in the hell in a nutcracker aka “nemos”. Well it’s a staple of many neighborhoods in New York.
The Nutcracker is the combination of fruit juice, Kool-Aid or candy mixed with any type of hard liquor. The combination is sometimes is frozen to make it into a slushy type of drink. It is sold either in a plastic foam cup or in a plastic container. It is sold in many New York neighborhoods from Queens all the way to uptown Manhattan. The underground drink has been has been around since the 90’s but its popularity rose in the early 2000’s. It is the perfect summer drink for those hot and humid New York summer days.
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While you may ask yourself, oh where is this sold? Or it seems too good to be true? Well the answer to your questions are that “nemos” are sold on the street, your local bodega and now in more modern times you can order online, and yes, while it does seem too good to be true, that is because it is.
Selling nemos is illegal, especially since a lot of the buyers are young adults, too young to legally drink alcohol. This is why the drink is so popular, because it provides minors with easy access to alcohol. The danger of buying a nemo is also very risky. Though most nemos are made the same, there is still a risk. Nemo’s come already premade, so while you may have drank it a million times before there is always a possibility of something harmful other than alcohol being in it.
Most of the nemos sold come from your local bodega. The drinks are made and sold at the store. However on any summer day, you’re bound to see at least three or four people, who will pass by your block uttering the words, nemos, I got nemos for sale. The growth of social media has also sparked a growth in how nemos are sold. You can scroll through your Instagram feed and you shouldn’t be surprised if one of your followers is selling it themselves.
The use of social media to sell “Nemo’s,” just means that “Nemo’s” are here to stay. The sort of modern like “Al Capone” type of business, while illegal and dangerous, just ensures that there is still a market for it and that market will continue to flourish.
