You can thank Gen Z for new drink options from McDonald’s, Starbucks

• McDonald's, Starbucks, Taco Bell, and other chains are rolling out new drink menus this summer.
• The trend is spurred on by Gen Z's love of customizable, non-alcoholic beverages.
• Expect more cold drinks, wacky flavors, and bright colors in response, a market researcher told BI.

Gen Z famously doesn't drink much alcohol, but they still love a cold and tasty beverage.

Young consumers' preference for unique, non-alcoholic drinks with eye-catching flavors is driving a surge in new offerings from chains like McDonald's, Starbucks, and Taco Bell. So, you can thank Gen Z for the unusual drink options coming to a fast-food restaurant near you.

Think pickle-flavored slushies, coffee drinks with popping boba balls, and soda with dried fruit on the bottom.

"As Gen Z is drinking less alcohol, they're looking for drinks that they can customize and get excited about," Michael Della Penna, chief strategy officer at the digital advertising research firm, InMarket, which publishes regular reports on fast-casual restaurant customer loyalty, told Business Insider.

He added: "We've seen this across a bunch of different chains, and this trend is just another example of capitalizing on that interest and that buzz and that viral component that these drinks bring."

Iced beverages from fast food chains saw 9.6% sales growth in 2024, outpacing burgers — and McDonald's now sees a $100 billion global opportunity, The Wall Street Journal reported Monday. McDonald's will test-launch its line of "Dirty Sodas," with add-ins like dried fruit and flavored syrups, in hundreds of stores nationwide beginning in September, the outlet reported.

Starbucks last week launched its own "Secret Menu" of drinks, making custom add-ons easier to order with four new offerings pre-programmed into the app.

Taco Bell, KFC, and Burger King are also rolling out their own new drink plays, making customizable — and usually cold — beverages the new marketing frontier for many national brands, Della Penna told BI.

"Cold drinks, in particular, are hot right now," Della Penna said. "And the personalization aspect of it is aligned to how Gen Z orders their Starbucks and what they want to see when they walk into a McDonald's or a Dunkin' or another quick service restaurant: the ability to actually create their own drink in a way that they love and identify and come back to time after time."

Recent examples that have been buzzy online include Sonic's Pickle Juice Slush — surprisingly, not the chain's foray into pickle-flavored slushies — and KFC's new Mountain Dew Sweet Lightning Peaches & Cream Soda, which was released June 9.

"In the age where everything is visual, the ability to put something up on social media that is unique — and comment about it and get your friends to comment about it — is how that engagement happens with Gen Z," Della Penna said.

Bright colors are particularly important for turning a drink into a conversation starter or viral social media moment, Della Penna said. And as far as flavors go? "The crazier, the better."