McDonald’s To Expand McCafé Lineup With Drinks From Failed CosMc’s Concept

CosMc’s, McDonald’s short-lived beverage-focused offshoot, might’ve failed to live up to expectations, but that doesn’t mean it was a total bust. As it turns out, McDonald’s learned a lot, particularly that there is a growing consumer interest in unique beverage offerings. 

In response to the trend, the company smartly decided to salvage some menu items from CosMc’s and rebrand them under its better-established McCafé label. It tested several flavors at 500 locations between Wisconsin and Colorado: the Redbull-infused Popping Tropic and Strawberry Watermelon Refreshers, the Creamy Vanilla Cold Brew and the Toasted Vanilla Frappé, and a craft soda called Sprite Berry Blast, among others.

During a recent earnings call, Jill McDonald, global chief restaurant experience officer at McDonald’s, told analysts, “So we obviously learned a lot through the CosMc’s test, and those learnings have been applied to how we’ve decided to set up this new beverage range. But we are going to be launching under the McCafé brand. And just to give you a little bit more color. The results did exceed expectations for the entirety of the program.”

McDonald’s is one of several fast food chains hopping on the growing beverage trend. Others include Dutch Bros’ line of Rebel Energy Drink flavors, Taco Bell’s Live Mas Café, Chick-fil-A’s Daybright cafe, and Five Guys’s new full bar flagship in Las Vegas. At Starbucks, for example, cold drinks accounted for 75% of sales during its fiscal 2024 third quarter, jumping from 37% in 2013, per CNBC. 

Following McDonald’s successful test run, new drink flavors will soon be popping up at locations nationwide and abroad.

“You can expect to see new offerings in the U.S. as well as select international markets in 2026. Designed to capture share of this large and fast-growing category, we’re exploring energy, indulgent iced coffees, fruity refreshers and crafted sodas. We’re thrilled to launch our new U.S. beverage lineup later this year under the McCafe brand,” Jill said.