I Tried the 3 New McDonald’s Refreshers, Here’s My Honest Review

McDonald’s is stepping into the handcrafted beverage arena with three new refreshers. I was lucky enough to visit McDonald’s Global Headquarters last week for an early taste test; before we get into what I thought, let’s cover a few finer details of the McDonald’s refreshers ahead of the May 6th launch date. All three refreshers can be made with lemonade or water, depending on preference; the samples I reviewed at MHQ were made with lemonade. Since all three drinks feature either popping boba or freeze-dried fruit pieces, these refreshers will be served with the same new “sip lid” as the trio of dirty sodas launching alongside them.

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Something else worth noting is that all three of these refreshers contain a solid dose of caffeine: 65mg in a regular and 80mg in a large. While the caffeine content varies by size, it won’t change if you order these refreshers sans ice to try and get a few extra sips from ole’ Ronald. Per my time in the test kitchen and a McDonald’s franchise owner over on Twitter, the ice is added last–makes sense for a drink line made with such fine-tuned ratios and recipes.

McDonald’s Blackberry Passion Fruit Refresher Review

McDonald’s Refresher!

Pros: This is definitely the most subtle of the three new McDonald’s refreshers. Blackberry and passion fruit are both mellow fruits that make for an easy-drinking refresher, especially compared to the brighter options below.

Cons: The freeze-fried dragon fruit pieces are super small, to the point of being somewhat gritty; two of these refreshers feature freeze-dried fruit pieces in a format that I wouldn’t call perfect for drinking.

Credit: Griffin Parker / McDonald’s

Rating:

7.5/10

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McDonald’s Mango Pineapple Refresher Review

McDonald’s Refresher!

Pros: These are the smallest popping boba I’ve ever seen, and for good reason: McDonald’s doesn’t want to introduce a one-off jumbo straw just for this refresher. These micro-bubbles of strawberry flavor fly up the classic red-and-yellow straw at a borderline worrying speed.

As for the drink, the flavor varies quite a bit depending on whether you get a dose of boba. The base drink is nicely acidic and tropical, thanks to authentic mango and pineapple flavors, but the popping strawberry bubbles add a great sweetness.

Cons: That strawberry popping boba also mitigates how much this really tastes like mango-pineapple. If we’re gonna call a drink “Mango Pineapple,” strawberry shouldn’t be at the forefront. (I feel particularly weird saying that as a known mango critic.)

Credit: Griffin Parker / McDonald’s

Rating:

8/10

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McDonald’s Strawberry Watermelon Refresher Review

McDonald’s Refresher!

Pros: Before the taste test, I had a feeling this would be my favorite of the trio; I’m happy to state my confidence in loving bright red beverages was not misplaced. This refresher is, shocker, refreshing—light, well-balanced between two super-summery fruits, and topped with impressively large pieces of freeze-dried strawberry…

Cons: …such large pieces that it was difficult to get them through the sip lid! These three McDonald’s refreshers really pulled off the Goldilocks combo: The freeze-dried dragon fruit bits were too small, the strawberry slices were too big, and the popping boba was just right.

Credit: Griffin Parker / McDonald’s

Rating:

9/10

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