McDonald’s beverage menu is growing and will soon include new flavors, dirty sodas and, eventually, energy drinks.
Next month, the fast-food chain is introducing menu options like Red Bull Dragonberry Energizer, Dirty Dr Pepper, and Mango Pineapple Refresher, according to documents reviewed by The Wall Street Journal, which first reported the news. McDonald’s confirmed to Fast Company that “crafted sodas” and new “Refreshers” will be introduced nationwide beginning in May.
“Our fans’ love for McDonald’s beverages runs deep—from rallying for the return of Hi-C Orange Lavaburst to coining the iconic ‘Spicy Sprite,’” McDonald’s tells Fast Company. “Next month, we’re building on that passion with a new era of beverages, featuring a variety of Refreshers and crafted sodas rolling out nationwide. We’ll have more to share soon, and we’re excited for fans across the country to taste what’s next.”
Why drinks?
Chains have turned to the increasingly competitive beverage category to draw in customers and reach Gen Z as fast-food sales have slowed. The growth of specialty drinks has turned fast-food restaurants like Taco Bell (which iterates on its popular Mountain Dew Baja Blast and introduced its own Refrescas line of drinks last year) and Sonic (with its own robust, ready-to-order drink combinations) into direct competitors of Starbucks, Dutch Bros, and other coffee shops. McDonald’s reportedly plans to price its drinks below Starbucks offerings, undercutting the competition.
These new beverages are driving sales for chains that cultivate them. Beverages are a $100 billion business globally, and McDonald’s hasn’t taken its own beverage menu expansion lightly.
Its short-lived CosMc’s drive-through-only concept operated a handful of locations from 2023 to 2025 that sold just snacks and drinks. After it shuttered them, McDonald’s added a few of CosMc’s most popular beverages to its permanent menu at some locations. The Sprite Berry Blast is multicolored, and the Strawberry Watermelon Refresher has freeze-dried strawberries in it.
The new beverages coming later this year are part of a wider experiment by the company to develop a menu that stands out amid a sea of colorful, caffeinated, and fruity drinks consumers can already get elsewhere. McDonald’s global head of beverages, Charlie Newberger, told the Journal that the company has learned that customers weren’t looking for drinks like matcha or turmeric lattes, but beverages that were a “little treat.” Think of them as liquid snacks.
McDonald’s has previously said it plans to compete for a larger share of consumer beverage budgets in the U.S. and select markets globally with thirst-quenchers like energy drinks, “indulgent” iced coffees, and a new McCafé brand lineup, and that new beverages have driven a higher average spend per visit for customers. By adding even more flavors and options, the company hopes to increase that average spend even more.
