McDonald's announces 3 new refreshers, 3 crafted sodas with cold foam
Refresher drinks -- fruity, colorful, ice-cold and sometimes caffeinated concoctions -- are a beverage menu item that has been steadily growing in popularity from Starbucks to Sonic, and now, McDonald's is set to debut its own take on the trendy drink.
Starting May 6, the Golden Arches will roll out a variety of fruit-flavored refreshers and crafted sodas nationwide as part of a "new era" of beverages.
"Our fans' love for McDonald's beverages runs deep... 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," the company said in a statement. "We're excited for fans across the country to taste what's next."
There are six new specialty drinks to choose from -- three new Refreshers with freeze-dried fruit and boba and three twists on traditional soft drinks enhanced by flavored syrup and cold foams:
- The Strawberry Watermelon Refresher is made with a lemonade base and combines strawberry and watermelon flavors, plus freeze-dried strawberries.
- The Mango Pineapple Refresher starts with the lemonade base and mixes tropical mango and pineapple flavors with strawberry popping boba.
- The Blackberry Passion Fruit Refresher is made with blackberry and passion fruit-flavored lemonade and freeze-dried dragon fruit adds a touch of sweetness with a pop of color.
- Sprite Berry Blast infuses McDonald's Sprite with blue raspberry syrup and gets topped with cold foam.
- The Orange Dream is a spin on Hi-C Orange Lavaburst that mixes vanilla flavor and gets finished with cold foam.
- Dirty Dr Pepper adds vanilla flavor to the classic soda and a rich finish with cold foam.
"Our fans have an obsession with beverages -- to them, drinks are more than just drinks," Alyssa Buetikofer, CMO of McDonald's USA, said in a statement. "We've taken the time to get this right, introducing new drinks that are hand-crafted with bold flavors and quality ingredients our fans can taste in every sip. Only McDonald’s can bring that kind of experience to life consistently across nearly 14,000 restaurants, every single day."
Sara Senatore, senior restaurant analyst at Bank of America, told ABC News previously that younger consumers "really are attracted to that combination of customization" that comes with refresher beverages, which she noted can include "lemonade ... carbonated water, and then some customizable level of caffeine."
The drinks are also "very photogenic" and social media friendly, which has helped them take off in taste tests and other viral videos online, Senatore said.
Since Starbucks first introduced its Refreshers in 2012 -- a fruity non-coffee iced beverage option that can be made with or without caffeine -- the category has grown into a $2 billion-a-year business for the coffee giant in the U.S.
Now, riffs on refreshers can be found everywhere from Sonic to Panera to Taco Bell and even Dunkin'.
Celebrity buzz has also helped fuel the trend, with Dunkin' enlisting Megan Thee Stallion in its marketing campaign for their version of the protein-infused refresher drinks.
As the industry attempts to appeal to cost-conscious customers, big chains have hopes that pouring their efforts into the growing beverage battle will help profits flow.
"Beverages have always been more profitable than food," Senatore said. "The market for refreshers and other types of drinks has just grown exponentially."
She noted that while "perhaps it didn't make sense for a traditional fast food restaurant like McDonald's to go into beverages as a category a couple of years ago," the demand is clearly there now.
Editor's note: This story was originally published April 22, 2026. It has since been updated to include newly released information on the new McDonald's Refreshers and sodas, as well as a statement from McDonald's USA CMO Alyssa Buetikofer.
