These Are The 5 Best New Fast Food Drinks Of 2026, So Far

Gone are the days when the only fast food drink options were classic fountain sodas like Coke, Sprite, and Dr Pepper. Nowadays, fast food joints cater to more adventurous palates. This year, customers saw a range of trends — from dirty sodas at numerous establishments to colorful refreshers — resulting in crisp, fresh beverages that taste as good as they look. 2026 was a banner year for new fast food items, and drinks weren't an afterthought.

For this roundup, there were plenty of options to choose from, but only a few seemed to receive a unanimous consensus among customers. Tasting Table chose drinks that feature outside-the-box concepts and flavors and received overwhelmingly positive reviews, excluding items that had mixed reviews despite having their share of die-hard fans. This list also focused primarily on brand-new items — although there is one returning favorite that we made an exception for.

If you're looking for something new to wash down your burger, fries, or chicken sandwich, these delectable drinks are sure to keep you coming back for more. Most of these have even made it onto permanent menus, with just one available for a limited time as a seasonal drink. Here are the five best new fast food drinks of 2026 so far — although there will likely be a few more worth adding to the list before the year is over.

2026 started off with a bang with the permanent addition of Frosted Sodas (and Floats) to the nationwide menu on January 5. Celebrating the chain's 80th anniversary, Chick-fil-A took the hint from customers who had already been ordering this off-menu item with their favorite fountain drinks and the chain's Icedream dessert. Now, customers don't have to hope their store makes this secret menu beverage since it's officially on the menu. The drinks are hand-spun using a milkshake mixer, giving you the light and airy texture of a milkshake with the refreshing carbonation of soda. Similarly, the Floats include the Icedream dessert, except it's layered on top instead of blended in, keeping more of that classic soda fizz.

Fans were more than delighted with the new permanent addition, with one flavor standing out amongst the lineup. "Love the frosted Dr Pepper and now I never want it to go away," says one fan on Reddit. Another fan on Facebook joked that it's "probably a good thing we don't have a Chick-fil-A in town because I'd have to stop myself from getting [a Frosted Dr Pepper] every day." One store leader confirmed the drink's popularity on Reddit, sharing that Dr. Pepper was the most popular option at their store. "I made like 9 in a row the 20 minutes before I went on break," they added.  Other Frosted Soda flavor options include Barq's Root Beer, Hi-C Fruit Punch, Powerade Mountain Berry Blast, Fanta, and more (though flavor availability may vary by location). 

If you're a fan of energy drinks, you were probably stoked when McDonald's released the Red Bull Dragonberry Energizer on August 17, 2026 — its first nationwide entry into the energy drink market. There were hints of this coming after a test at the CosMc's beverage concept store proved these specialty sips were a fan favorite. Customers can enjoy the sweet, tangy, and fruity flavor of classic Red Bull combined with blue raspberry syrup and freeze-dried dragon fruit. You can even ask for a sugar-free version made with Red Bull Zer.o. This colorful drink is only available in a medium size since each one is made with a full can of Red Bull, giving it about 80 milligrams of caffeine, roughly the same amount as a typical cup of coffee.

Not only are the blue and purple layers eye-catching, but the crunchy dragon fruit bits on top and fruity flavor are also winning many people over. "I got it and it was gas," raved one Reddit user. "I enjoyed mine and I don't even drink red bull," shared another Redditor. A few reviewers even thought it would make a solid base for cocktails with its tart and fruity notes. Whether you're drinking it straight up or adding a shot or two of your favorite liquor, this bold drink is a fun change of pace from your usual McDonald's order. Just make sure to mix it up before taking a sip to ensure the blue raspberry and dragonfruit flavors are evenly blended.

Like McDonald's, Taco Bell's limited test run of its new beverage was a massive hit. On March 19, 2026, the taco chain added the Mountain Dew Baja Blast Dirty Soda Freeze to the nationwide menu. It was originally a test item released in January 2025, when Taco Bell debuted a new lineup of Baja Blasts with a creamy twist, including the Baja Dream Freeze. It features the much-beloved Mountain Dew Baja Blast as a frozen base, giving it an icy tropical lime flavor. It gets the "dirty" treatment with sweet vanilla cream mixed into the frozen slush, creating a striking turquoise marbled appearance. Baja Blast itself dates back to 2004, when Mountain Dew created the tropical lime flavor specifically for Taco Bell.

Fans were sold on this drink with the first sip and felt like it was better than the non-frozen version. "This is a life-changing experience," raved one user on TikTok. "I already tried the drink version of this, and this is way better! The vanilla and Baja Blast worked better in frozen form for me," one Redditor said. The sharp and tangy soda flavor blends perfectly with the creamy and rich sweet cream for a refreshing tropical twist. And if you're on a budget, you can visit Taco Bell during their Happier Hour from 2:00 pm to 5:00 pm and get the drink for about $1.49 (though prices vary by location). At that price, it's an easy excuse to see what all the hype is about.

On April 7, 2026, Starbucks went all in on mango with the permanent nationwide release of the Mango Strawberry Refresher. It's essentially the coffee chain's Strawberry Açaí Refresher hand-shaken with a new mango-flavored syrup, freeze-dried strawberry pieces, and ice. Starbucks also added a couple of variations, including the Mango Strawberry Lemonade Refresher, made with a bright, citrusy lemonade base, and the Mango Dream, with a creamy coconut milk base. The standard versions contain caffeine, but each can also be ordered caffeine-free or as an Energy Refresher with 100 to 175 milligrams of caffeine, depending on the size, along with B vitamins.

The new mango flavor has been getting plenty of love from customers. One fan on Reddit shared that they don't normally order Refreshers, but took a chance when they received a free promotional offer and were "pleasantly surprised," adding that it was "super tasty." An assistant store manager on the same thread said that "the mango syrup is the best flavor they've launched since brown sugar." Others were just as enthusiastic. "No because tell me why I finished that in under 10 minutes? Faster than any drink I've ever had," one TikTok commenter said. Some customers have even customized the Refresher by adding the brand-new mango cold foam on top.

Dunkin' brought back a range of fall flavors this year, including the classic Pumpkin Spice Signature Latte, but one new item stole the show. Dunkin's Pumpkin Cloud Dunkalatte is new to the fall seasonal menu, putting a new spin on the chain's specialty Dunkalatte drinks, which are made with espresso and an ultra-creamy coffee milk. If you're unfamiliar, coffee milk is made with coffee syrup-infused whole milk for an extra velvety mouthfeel. It also comes with a generous pump of the pumpkin swirl syrup and a thick layer of Sweet Cold Foam dusted with cinnamon sugar. 

Fans were more than impressed with this new drink. One fan on Reddit called it "literally the best coffee" they've ever had, adding that they've "been drinking coffee almost every day for the past 8 years. 10/10 pumpkin cinnamon bliss." One TikTok creator compared the taste to the chain's Iced Pumpkin Loaf Cake and gave it a "20 out of 10" rating. Although many say it's definitely on the sweeter side, you can order an extra shot of espresso to cut through the sweetness. Whether you order the Pumpkin Cloud Dunkalatte hot or cold, this decadent drink is a sweet way to welcome fall.