Somebody at McDonald’s has been busy with the soda fountain.
Photos that began circulating recently from the chain’s Worldwide Convention in Las Vegas (held in June), posted by the food account Snackwire, show a range of beverage concepts presented to franchisees and staff. These remain ideas rather than menu items, as McDonald’s has not announced any of them. Not yet, at least.
Dr Pepper Horchata leads the list. The classic Mexican drink featuring rice, cinnamon, and vanilla, served cold, has never shared a cup with Dr Pepper. Diet Coke McDonaldland Cookie is the other oddity and is a nod to those old character-shaped cookies, though what that tastes like in a diet soda is anyone’s guess.
Sprite Zero Sugar seems to be where much of the experimentation is happening, with Swicy Peach, Peach Boost Energizer, and Strawberry Lychee Refresher all in the mix. Four more concepts round out the leaked photos, which include the Paradise Refresher, Spiced Brown Sugar Shaken Espresso, Iced Berry Vanilla Matcha, and the OG Coke Zero.
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Leaked McDonald’s drink concepts shown at the company’s Worldwide Convention in Las Vegas in June, as posted by Snackwire on Instagram.
Then there’s the whole Red Bull situation, which is more extensive still, with six drinks built around the energy brand being shown, including Popping Citrus Energizer, Strawberry Shortcake Energizer, Triple Berry Energizer, Blue Ocean Energizer, Peach Boost Energizer, and Dragonberry Energizer. While one energy drink may well be considered a test, six points more to a dedicated section of the menu.
Beverages, after all, are good business. They cost less to make than a burger and require little kitchen labor. Within the broader context of tens of thousands of restaurants, those small per-item margins add up fast.
McDonald’s has run this play before. Its short-lived spin-off, CosMc’s, leaned heavily on slushes, refreshers, and flavored coffees, and some of the concepts that showed up in Las Vegas look a lot like what was already being poured there.
None of this is on a menu board yet, but horchata Dr Pepper just might be able to get people into the drive-thru for something other than fries.
Sources: McDonald’s (CosMc’s Release), Seeking Alpha, Snackwire, Sporked, McDonald’s (Beverage Collab)