Five holiday drinks from McDonald's will go on sale on November 3, 2026, after they were unveiled on October 27, 2026.
The drinks will be limited edition and include two frosted cranberry drinks and three cookie butter coffees. The company will also offer its famous McRib sandwich in selected cities along with an $8 Quarter Pounder with Cheese Meal in November.
The seasonal beverages are divided into fruity refreshments and McCafé coffee beverages:
- Frosted Cranberry Splash: A beverage made out of Sprite, cranberry, and orange flavors, frosted with cold foam and cranberry sprinkle.
- Red Bull Frosted Cranberry Energizer: A beverage made from Red Bull mixed with cranberry and orange flavors, frosted with cold foam and cranberry sprinkle. Consumers can opt for either of the two versions, regular Red Bull or Red Bull Zero.
- Cookie Butter Frappé: A mixed beverage made out of espresso with cookie butter flavor, caramel cookie crumbs, and vanilla whipped topping.
- Cookie Butter Latte: Espresso with cookie butter flavor, caramel cookie crumbs, and vanilla whipped topping.
- Cookie Butter Iced Coffee: Iced coffee with cookie butter flavor, caramel cookie crumbs, and vanilla whip.
This holiday introduction comes after the recent decision by McDonald's to include Red Bull-based beverages in the chain's U.S. menu.
McDonald's has been gradually diversifying the beverages section to compete against other specialty beverage chains.
A few news websites sampled the beverages on the day of release. Allrecipes reviewed the Frosted Cranberry Splash beverage as sweet and tasting like a cranberry-spiced Sprite.
According to PEOPLE, the frosted cranberry beverages are refreshing since they have cold foam and provide a more luxurious experience.
Allrecipes reviewed the Red Bull version of the beverage as having the cranberry taste that reduced its sweetness.
In terms of the coffee beverages, PEOPLE described the Frappé as the most dessert-like of the five beverages.
Allrecipes reviewed the Frappé as tasting like a cookie butter coffee milkshake, while the latte and iced coffee had more coffee taste but also remained sweet. Allrecipes described the notes of warmth, spice, and caramel in the latte.
The most distinctive of all beverages on the menu is the Red Bull Frosted Cranberry Energizer since it is an energy drink with a customized seasonal form.
Since there is the presence of Red Bull in the beverages, it would be important to consider the amount of caffeine in the beverage according to one's size before ordering, and the Zero version does not have additional sugar.
McDonald's has revived its limited-time offering of the McRib in some cities, as reported by Her Campus.
The company didn't give any details about a nationwide rollout, so it's based on location. The McRib can be verified on the McDonald's app through your nearest outlet.
As part of the seasonal beverage promotions, McDonald's is introducing a special value meal offer. The offer will begin from November 2 and will be available for a limited time only.
The offer consists of a Quarter Pounder with Cheese meal for $8 that will include a Quarter Pounder with Cheese, medium fries, and a medium drink. It does not apply to the delivery orders.
The company hasn't stated any prices for the beverages across the country as they differ depending on each individual restaurant.
Moreover, there is no specified date for when the holiday menu will stop being available; the beverages will be sold as long as the supplies last.
You can find out how you can get them and what they cost either in the McDonald's app or in your nearby restaurant upon the launch date, November 3.
Being one of the largest chains, McDonald's becomes one of the first to announce its holiday menu in contrast to regular timing of revealing menus, which is usually mid-November.
The range of the mentioned flavors is similar to general trends of seasonal drinks, such as cold foam toppings and dessert coffees. For McDonald's, these drinks are yet another step in their attempt to lure people into their restaurants in holiday season.
Of course, it's up to you to decide. If fruity soda is what you enjoy drinking, then there's a great option for you to try, which is the Frosted Cranberry Splash. For those who like energy drinks, you could check out Red Bull.
If you are into dessert-flavored coffee, then it's a good idea for you to try the Frappé, but if not, there's always a latte or iced coffee for you to try. According to the early reviews, people liked cookie butter coffees the best.
